As Boyce Voice continues our count down to which song will be “Political Jingle of the Road” we now go to Party Monarch Lil Rick with his hot political selection. It Wukking like a Guinness!

As you can hear from the jingles we have been publishing there are quite a proliferation of political songs dominating the airwaves,.

I heard a “Mia” jingle being sung by Alison Hinds that sounded interestingly unique, only heard it playing from a truck will try to get it to post for you. This would be our Deputy Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley I am speaking about, the Alison chorus sounds amazing.

Do you think the jingles make a difference in your voting decision and in the politician you will back?

Maybe Leader of Opposition David Thompson’s improved polls rating might have been influenced by the Kimberley’s remake of her song “Sweat” which promoted him.

Maybe electoral participants like “PEP” Peoples Empowerment Party” are now disadvantaged because they can’t afford a jingle, if you don’t have a tight political song people would not vote for you. 

As I write this I just heard a brand new one on the radio by Tune of Crop Winner Mr Dale whose “Soca Junkie” calypso is now transformed to addicted to the Barbados Labour Party aka “BLP Junkie”. when will it end?

Maybe a smart promoter will get the idea of having one big show featuring all these songs, get the D’s and the B’s  to come out, but no PEP’s as they have no song.

Lets not digress further, this is Rick with “We Wid David and Dem” click and take a listen… would this be your Political Roadmarch?

 

 Lil Rick - We Wid David and Dem [0:53m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

Kimberley and Lil Rick performing “Tell David…”

Not heard me for a while did yuh miss me?

Boyce Voice continues our count down as to which song will win Political Jingle of the Road, we now present a jingle that has been be breking up the airwaves.

Kimberley Inniss’s remake of her hit 2006 “Hips” is next in our line up, lyrics have now been changed to support David Thompson and the Dems. Not only has this one been a hit on radio but is one of the favorites at Democratic Labour Party political meetings.

Like the event staged last night which featured Freddy McGregor and his Millennium Band direct from Jamaica along with top local acts. More on that later, right now take a listen to Kimberley’s “Tell David that I Wid Dem”

 

 Kim - Tell David that I Wid Dem [1:09m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

Do you know what DLP stands for? David Loves Partying! Thats why the DLP aka Democratic Labour Party has so much Jingles, We promised you so here is the first one, 3 time Calypso Monarch Kidsite is at the mike and he says We want change, this is DEM song…

 

 Kid Site - We Want Change [2:21m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

Will this be your “Political Jingle of the Road”? poll coming soon

Lil Rick release a song Kimberley release a song, Kidsite release a song, must be Crop Over? NO,
Its election time!
Heres a continuation of how entertainment and politics can be mixed effectively with a song that was mixed by Nicholas Brancker, and features Edwin, Alison Hinds, T.C and Gabby who also wrote it. Here is a catchy number released by the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) they should put it on CD sell it for U.S$12 and hope the Guyanese pirate lady in the bus stand don’t pirate it, but then again, Owen likes Guyanese its the Taiwanese he has issues with.
Here’s the main BLP campaign song “We Moving with Owen”
>

 

 We Movin' With Owen [3:50m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

Listen for DLP Jingle dropping soon, we want you to vote your choice for the “Political Jingle of the Road”

I could not believe my eyes when I read the attack leveled at our entertainment industry by our Minister of Culture and Prime Minister Owen Arthur. It was like being hit in my entertainment face with a piece of “hardwood”.

The article quoted PM Arthur lamenting the fact that despite him removing duties on local CDs they still retail at stores for $49 in Barbados while he can purchase the same CDs for U.S $12 in New York.

It is these kind of reckless statements that encourage piracy by giving the impression that local entertainers are ripping off the public on cost of legitimate CDs. Owen is basically accusing entertainers of “price gouging” by not passing on savings to customers and is promising “anti gouging” legislation to deal with our asses when he gets back in.

PM obviously forgot that cute little government tax nick named VAT aka Value Added Tax. The Government adds on 15% vat when calypsonians collect CDs from the manufacturer and then Government adds on 15% again on retail selling price to customers.

So that means a whopping 30 % of the price of a legitimate CD is government vat. Therefore Boyce Voice agrees with the PM the price is too high and should be drastically reduced by taking VAT off CDs like entertainers have been asking for years.

The PM also forgot the meeting between his Ministry of Finance and record shop retailers back in 2000 where the selling price of local CDs were agreed on with Government. Since then the cost of living and CD production cost has gone up but CD retail prices have remained the same.

Why is the PM attacking entertainers at election time anyway, is he trying to beat our votes out of us? I blame Bajan comedians Mac Fingall and Trevor Eastmond though. That is what you get for cracking so much “vagina-biting” jokes….

The PM should focus on the fact that there is more than just price gouging going on, some people are gouging other things and biting them right out too. If Owen gets back in he also needs to set up some “Anti Biting Legislation”.
 

Does political victimization exist in our entertainment industry? According to some people it is alive and well and kicking violently. I worked for the opposition Democratic Labour Party putting together the entertainment for their new year’s day launch which was so successful. During the course of sourcing the talent for that event I was astounded at the number of entertainers who were petrified with fear that they be branded as supporting the opposition.

I spoke to persons who were convinced that if they were to voice an ad that there would be a backlash of vindictive action that would be unleashed against them that would ultimately destroy their careers.

To hear them talk one would get the impression we were living under a government dictatorship and not in a free democratic Barbados. “Srew your courage to the sticking place”* I say, for it is not you who should fear politicians but them who should fear you. They are the ones who need your vote and it is more you who can victimise them by where you put your x.

So Boyce Voice says fear not political victimisation. I don’t think our government is so petty any way. Of course I could be wrong. If you are right since it has circulated that I worked with the DLP entertainment launch and it is now said I am a “D”, I guess I should be in for some victimisation, I’ll be waiting…

*That is Shakespeare yuh idiot, don’t let the screwing mention throw you off.

Tomorrow:Entertainment and Politics #3:PM Entertainment Attack

Entertainment and Politics, can they mix?

Above you can see the massive 15,000 – oops sorry that is my error… the massive 20,000 people who came out to see the Democratic Labour Party’s Political Launch and Cultural Extravaganza in Oistins Christ Church on New years day.

The Massive crowd was entertained by Krosfyah, Lil Rick, Buggy, Peter Ram, DJ Jon Doe and more…

Lil Rick entertaining the crowd

The featured guest artistes of the evening Luciano and Mikey General direct from Jamaica, complete with their band.

Luciano on stage

Some people debate as to whether persons attended for politics or the free entertainment. I think it was a combination of both! It is like a jingle that has been created to advertise a product. The catchy tune might catch your ears but the message would advertise a product.

Kareen Clarke serenading DLP leader David Thompson at event

The 20,000 people who attended this event were both entertained and politically speechified. This Cultural Extravaganza staged by the DLP was therefore an excellent example that there can be a mix between entertainment and politics.

Coming Soon; Entertainment and Politics; Political Victimisation

Guess which politician this is…

Who will be coming down your chimney and bringing you gifts this year? Not Santa Claus: the politicians! The fact that election date has been set in Barbados for 15th January means that not only children can look forward to gifts this year but adults too, as politicians embark on their electoral quest to woo your vote.

Don’t worry if you do not have a chimney they will come knocking at your doors and windows beseeching to be the candidate of your choice. This therefore would be an opportune time for those in the cultural industry to benefit as well. United Artistes of Barbados (UAB) and Barbados Association of Tent Managers (BATMAN) should compile a list of all their requests for Crop Over 2008.

Get an emergency meeting with the government (they would return your calls now) and get an agreement signed off on BEFORE the 15th January. So I start to write my list already, a Boyce controversial request list and I dropping it off first thing tomorrow. I suggest you do the same.

Have your self an election campaign Xmas this year! The X in this case stands for your vote

Santa Politician stuck trying to pass your cable to bring election promise gifts to you

See me in the above photo?* I am pretending to be haughty, contemptuous, aloof, pompous and overbearing, in other words I am pretending to be a politician! Janette Layne Clarke the writer and producer of the recently concluded comedy production Pampalam, selected me to play this part of a politician.

At first I was lost at how to play it, then I thought of most of the politicians I have had the pleasure of transacting business with, and the supercilious pretentious attitude which they exuded. The servant of the people who become the master of the people until they have to beg you to become your servant again.

In Pampalam I played a Government Minister whose constituents (Eleanor Rice) are complaining about the state of the roads and I don’t give a rat’s ass! They are wasting my time complaining about dust giving them asthma when I have to go to a diplomatic lunch. Politicians are like that not just here in Barbados but internationally, they do anything to get your vote and then when they are elected, you become insignificant. They come to your house skin their teeth in your face and kiss your baby, and when election day gone they gone too!

The Government’s efforts to set up the Festival Events Bureau are an example of how politicians operate, they claim to have your cultural interests as a priority to get your vote, and then turn around and start talking about how they will exploit you for their own “entrepreneurial” gain.

Here’s another typical example of how politicians operate. Last election day a politician sent a car to my home to see if I needed transportation to go and vote, you think that if I was to wake up a morning now and my car would not start, that I could phone the same politician and ask them for a lift? I don’t think so!

Let me finish with some lyrics to a little ditty that Eric Lewis wrote for the Best of Barbados Gone Madd comedy show some years ago, sung to the tune of Sesame Street’s “The People in your Neighborhood”.

A politician is somebody who

Does come and get your vote from you

And when you put the x next to his name

You don’t ever see the bitch again!!

Well in defense of politicians Eric is not totally right in this one. You do get to see them on TV meeting important people and thing, its just the important people are not you….

Have a good day, You plebian rab!

* Do you see the supercilious look on my face? that is acting yuh idiot!
p.s; Asiba can complain about the tie as usual