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Crop Over 2008 In Barbados Should Be A Dandy

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Crop Over 2008 is rapidly approaching. The arrival of the new government has seen a flood of decisions which many feel have the potential to disrupt our major festival. We hope not! We have heard talk from the government that they will be outsourcing key parts of the festival this year. Word is that the Madd Boys, KB Clean et al will be taking over the potentially lucrative Cohobblopot. Can Peter Boyce confirm? We checked his blog BoyceVoice but did not see any mention of it. Maybe Ian Bourne over at Bajan Reporter, the hardworking Cultural Reporter in the Bajan Blogosphere can enlighten us. We know the Madd boys have shown themselves to be astute business men and we wish them well.

One question which keeps cropping up in the BU household, if Cohobblopot or some other part of the festival is to be outsourced, can someone tell us if there is a tendering process in place? So far we have seen or heard nothing in the media to indicate to John Public what is the process governing the outsource process. Maybe Ian Walcott a former Project Development Officer with the National Cultural Foundation can shed some light.

We hope the social and economic pressures being forced on Barbadians given the prevailing global economic climate do not prevent Barbadians from supporting Crop Over 2008. The festival has also enjoyed tremendous support from Barbadians living overseas. In the coming weeks BU will highlight individuals and groups who are playing a part to make our Crop Festival a success. The detractors of the festival should note that it is estimated that Crop Over now generates approximately 350 million dollars annually to the national coffers. Whether Barbadians like it or not we have moved from a society driven by Christian rules, to one which is pluralist. No longer can we use the argument that to wuk-up on a Sunday is disrespectful or blasphemous. A tongue in cheek position perhaps?

For Barbadians returning home and those on the ground, you should click on the image to get details on how to plan a good lime on the East Coast Road. We understand that the organizer (Fidel) has been giving Barbadians a true authentic experience on the East Coast for the past eleven years.

One observation which concerns BU a little, at the time of writing this blog the National Cultural Foundation had not update its website with the Crop Over 2008 itinerary.People from overseas have to plan their vacations well in advance to schedule vacation times etc, people at home as well. The late release of dates of key events for the Crop Over 2008 festival is unacceptable.

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29 responses to “Crop Over 2008 In Barbados Should Be A Dandy”

  1. Bajan Avatar
    Bajan

    Coincidentally BU I read in the paper about the crop over kick off was done via a bus tour yesterday.

  2. Kai Lynder Avatar
    Kai Lynder

    There are not one but two two references in Boyce Voice about Madd latching onto NCF before Estwick’s desk gets cold far less completely empty, their excuse they are only performing event management, which many may see as a conflict of interest, a la Gilkes, that Peter bitched about – here he is… Tent, Mgr, Member of an Entertainment related board PLUS doing work within Kadooment and earning another salary? That’s 4 sets of wages in a single genre, Should Bajans be surprised if there are queries as to how honest would tenders be in this arena? Why complain about BLP consultants? Here we go again, many may ask?

  3. Bimbro Avatar
    Bimbro

    Thompy or not, I gine home for Kadooment, again this year! Coming?!!!!

  4. David Avatar
    David

    Thanks Kai Lynder for that feedback.
    The Crop Festival has become a very important event for Barbados for a number of key reasons. The two keys ones 1)foreign exchange spinner and 2)an opportunity for Barbados to cultivate and harness its cultural experience. It is not a time for rookie Minister’s to let us smell their testosterone!

    It would be great if we could get an insight from a Boo Rudder who was embarrassingly fired, the big question is why? Despite all the above we wish the festival well.

  5. The People's Democratic Congress Avatar
    The People’s Democratic Congress

    In the middle top of the back page of every Sunday Sun now, there is a small segment entitled – YOUR SAY – that informs readers of the Nation Newspapers of the supposed final aggregate text message responses of persons responding to questions posed in a particular preceding week’s edition of the Nation Newspapers about particular ongoing issues in the Barbadian society.

    In YOUR SAY, there is either a pie chart or bar chart representing the proportion or percentage of responses of readers who felt one way or another on these issues.

    In regard of the last published segment – today, Sunday, May, 4, 2008, the following question was put to readers on the back page of last week’s Weekend Nation, Friday, May 2 : How do you rate the Democratic Labour Party performance during its first 100 days in office? And, yes, voters were asked to vote A for good, B for fair, and C for poor.

    Given that the DLP’s 100-day time lines in regard of some of the things it would have promised to do in either in 100 days or immediately in its 2008 Manifesto, were spoken to fairly unceasingly and heatedly during the election campaign, it would have meant that by the DLP having won the government on the 15 January 2008, this 100 days agenda of the DLP consequently had to become of great national focus to a lot of people in Barbados, and mainly because the DLP had been promising so much at such a critical time in our history. So, the fact that these time lines and the promises that were made in tandem with them became a survey question in the YOUR SAY segment of the Nation Newspaper is understandable.

    Without further adieu, though, here are the results in today’s Sunday Sun – 30 % chose A, 9 % chose B, and 61% chose C. Very significant results, indeed. While we know that this survey is an informal one, we still strongly side with those who the Nation said believed that this DLP Government has done poorly in its first 100 days. We have said in many other quarters before, and we will say here right now, that the DLP has started badly in many areas of government and in its relationships with others in this country. As a matter of fact, where the PDC is concerned we DONT believe that there has EVER been a government that in the post independence history of Barbados that has started so badly and so poorly!! Not even the worst government so far in our post-independence history – the last Owen Arthur led BLP Government – had started so badly and so poorly in its three terms.

    Moreover, what is of great concern to our party is that this DLP Government wilfully and deliberately lied to the people of Barbados in order to help them win the last election. Such is a grave political office which the DLP must pay for eventually. For instance, the DLP said during the last election campaign, at its public meetings, rallies, in its political advertisments and broadcasts, as well as it categorically stated in its 2008 Manifesto – pg 6 – 7 – that it will REDUCE THE COST OF LIVING IN BARBADOS, once it won the government. And, it said so against the backdrop that it fully knew, that with the wicked vagaries of this current local and international economic and financil system yet predominating, that the prices of oil and some other world commodities would most likely have risen after they would have got into government, and therefore that REDUCING THE COST OF LIVING WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR THEM, in such a case. What was/is also critical to note was that many DLP supporters, in particular, and many, many Barbadians, in general, knew that the DLP was NOT able or capable of REDUCING THE COST OF LIVING SO EASILY. Just plain silly talk!!

    But, on the 15 th of January 2008, who would have believed that many of these people who DID NOT BELIEVE the DLP on its false promise to REDUCE THE COST OF LIVING still went and helped vote for a DLP Government, albeit NOT knowing that Prime Minister David Thompson would be so brazen as to be blaming the international economy for the cost of living in Barbados skyrocketing, while when he was Opposition Leader in parliament recently he was clearly blaming the BLPand some private sector merchants for it. Hence, not being in a position now to blame any previous government or private sector merchants for the still further skyrocketing cost of living in Barbados, the Prime Minister and the DLP can ONLY therefore be seen by many people in Barbados as being in the wretched of position of having at NO TIME IN THE RECENT PAST BEEN REALLY SERIOUS ABOUT REDUCING THE COST OF LIVING, not even when the Prime Minister went before the Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry and said that the first three priorities of his government were the COST OF LIVING, THE SAME COST OF LIVING that the said Prime Minister and the DLP has been helping to make a huge and grisly nightmare for the poor and needy, the marginalized and the infirm in Barbados, esp. with the Prime Minister’s introduction last month of savage increases in the prices of gasoline, diesel, kerosene and LPG. WHAT A GREAT SHAME!!

    Also, it nothing short of outrageous and scandalous that in the 2008 DLP Manifesto – pg 9 – this said DLP talks about how in the first 100 days of a new DLP Administration it WILL remove VAT from building material on houses valued up to BDS $ 400 000. Where are the real plans for such? Where have they been? Far from removing VAT from such materials the cost of building has gone up further, esp. with the cost of cement going up some weeks ago, and with the cost of international freighting going up.

    Finally, where CROP OVER is concerned, how many bloggers know and members of the DLP know that the DLP Manifesto says ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about what the DLP is going to do for the annual CROP OVER Festival in its 2008 Manifesto? Not even a real plan for the biggest festival in Barbados after Christmas – CROP OVER festival – it has!! What a BIG SHAME!! So much for a party that is about 53 years old and that has so many of its members involved in arts and culture in Barbados; and so much for the fact that so many people have either been forced to leave or be dismissed from the NCF – a state organization that has been playing a serious and fundamental role in the development of CROP OVER over the years; and so much too for the fact that the Saturday Sun, May 3, 2008, is saying that Barbadians will have to fork out BDS $ 5 more for some CROP OVER events, such things and more since this present DLP Government came into being Jn 15 2008.

    Clearly, the BLP and DLP are a TOTAL waste of time!! Come, Join and Support PDC.

    PDC

  6. David Avatar
    David

    PDC check page 21 section 11 of the DLP manifesto. It addresses how the party views culture more so than specific events.

  7. ROBOT Avatar
    ROBOT

    P D C writes
    Not even the worst government so far in our post-independence history – the last Owen Arthur led BLP Government – had started so badly and so poorly in its three terms.

    ROBOT— disagrees -strongly that the last Owen Arthur led B L P Government was the worst in post independence history

    Mark you gotta be kidding –where you living -MARS ?

    man stop telling lies

  8. ROBOT Avatar
    ROBOT

    so after reading what YOU wrote P D C

    which is the worse post independence government

    somebody said that david thompson will make erskine sandiford look like sir winston churchill

  9. Bajan Avatar
    Bajan

    For too long we have allowed the Kaisonians to dictate and disrupt the festival. Is time for them to come as one and stop the infighting. The festival should be more than calypso after nearly 40 years.

  10. The People's Democratic Congress Avatar
    The People’s Democratic Congress

    (11) MAKING OUR CULTURE WORK FOR US

    The BLP Government’s conception of culture seems to be something that comes out for CROP OVER and the National Independence Celebration. It seems divorced from what people do on a daily basis in order to survive and prosper. It appears to be far removed from what people need to improve the quality of their lives. On the other hand the Democratic Labour Party defines culture as a way of life. It is based on unique sustainable values and ways of behaving that are shared and transmitted from generation to generation to help people overcome the challenges of life. Barbadian culture includes a conception of God, an apprehension of the family, a belief that things will always get better even after death, a constant striving to be a decent person, enduring values such as respect for the law, a positive attitude to work, a hunger for education and a love of song and dance. It is about how we learn, work, relax, eat, relate to each other and survive. These are the bedrocks of Barbadian culture and the DLP will make this culture work for us by creating the conditions for the full expression of this authentic way of life. Barbadians will be empowered to draw on this culture in a creative way, in order to improve the qualty of our lives and enhance the tourism products that generate the bulk of the income on which the nation lives. For the first time in 300 years Barbadians will have the confidence and the resources to make their unique contribution to the Caribbean civilization” – pg 20- 21, the DLP 2008 Manifesto.

    Can any one realize that the above statement makes NO REFERENCE WHATSOEVER TO the leadership, managerial, technical, institutional underpinnings and interrelationships ( not just events, David) that are supposed to support this Barbadian culture that the DLP so shallowly and superficially writes about? A particular non-national reading this prose would want to know where does the Ministry of Culture and its business come in here. Where does CBC TV, in particular, come in here?

    Can any serious Minister of Culture of Government of Barbados deduce a ministerial cultural policy or a programmatic approach from this ordinary shibbolethic platitudinous writing?

    Can any one see any words and symbols therein that statement that give the impression that the person or persons who wrote that piece has a sufficiently good knowledge, understanding and respect for what the traditional Bajan culture is? A lack of such things therefore, means that it was NOT necessary for them to write a little in that statement like how two of our foremost exponents of the Bajan culture (pleaseez!!)- Mr. Ricky “Lil Rick” Reid and Mr. Elombe Mottley – would usually think and behave themselves? Talk about cultural disconnections and barriers!! What a farcical segment!!

    Can any one see any word mentioned therein concerning any references to protecting as much as possible the Bajan culture from the ravages of other alien, negative and destructive cultures. Where is the protective and safe-guarding institutional and processual frameworking referred to in this joke statement?

    Many of us know that history and culture any where in this world are two natural overlapping and still coinciding variables. Yet, in this statement on culture and in defining culture, the DLP completely refused to use the term history and its closest word relatives to give the statement any real validity.!! What is worst is that there are about four main broad things that help to define a nation in a particular geographical space and time – a common history, language, culture and religion. That the DLP refuses to briefly acknowledge the extent to which the Bajan/African culture is seen by many citizens as a very important aspect of the nation building process, shows how little it thinks and cares about these real connections. So much for the DLP, like the BLP, wanting Barbados to become as quickly as possible more ethno-pluralist. What load of rubbish!!

    PDC

  11. Fair Play Avatar
    Fair Play

    You seem to live with these utopia dreams that I hope you will wake up from. You are educated enough to know that rising cost of living is an international issue and not only a Barbados issue. It make more sense to me if you use your long diatribes to educate Barbadians on how to stop wasting money on wants and concentrate on they needs. T he DLP always has to make the unpopular decisions that stabilize the economy and then the BLP blows it away. I want you to tell me one unpopular decision taken by the last government. They always put the information in the public arena and then listen to the call in programs. For example bus fares were to up said Minister wood then the prime minister said no way after a public outcry. I can go on with the referendum and republic. I have not seen the evidence that the DLP is doing a poor job. Just answer this question for me. Why should Gabby be getting $6000.00 a month and police officers and teachers get $ 2000.00?

  12. Wishing In Vain Avatar
    Wishing In Vain

    The People’s Democratic Congress
    Let me suggest to you that were you to write less you may actually say more your ramblings and verbose style does nothing to encourage readership in the lease.

  13. Wishing In Vain Avatar
    Wishing In Vain

    Why should Gabby be getting $6000.00 a month and police officers and teachers get $ 2000.00? May I add Gabby, Henderson Bovell, Philip Goddard, Ezra Alleyne, Denzil Agard, Hinkson, Clyde Griffith and the list goes on 29 so far and still counting all out of the PM’s office alone, then they allow Booza King the liberty to charge $ 48,000.00 for a 100 person dinner, and the senior staff at Urban collecting no less than a $ 1,000.00 per contractor for giving these contractors workthat we are paying for, obviously if the contractor has to pay out to the person awarding the contract he is only going to increase his cost to accomodate this pay out.

    Tell me about gross mismanagement of our taxpayers dollars.

  14. Rene Avatar
    Rene

    I’m sure Ian Walcott knows or cares little for what ever decisions were made with regards to the NCF and Crop Over after he left his post. I do hope the players involved in this years festival work together for the benefit of Crop Over and not just in it for an ego boost.

  15. The People's Democratic Congress Avatar
    The People’s Democratic Congress

    We in the People’s Democratic Congress want ALL DLP members and supporters to know that already more and more multitudes of people in Barbados are becoming more sick, tired and fed up with not only the DLP, BUT ALSO the BLP. It is clear that many of these people wish for political salvation and betterment away from the foolishness and ignorance that both DLP and BLP have long been perpetrating on them.

    Moreover, both these so-called parties constitute two of the biggest stumbling blocks to the further progress and development of the masses and middle classes of people of Barbados. This 2008 DLP Manifesto says it all. There is NOTHING BRILLIANT AND EXCEPTIONAL about this Manifesto seeking to inspire the Barbadian masses and middle classes about there being a real brighter and better tomorrow for them in Barbados. It is so filled with the thoughts and attitudes of a DLP that still is mired in the 1980s and 1990s Sandiford era. Where is the intellectual depth and visionary scope in it?

    Surely, we in PDC have long had possession of the 1976 46 PAGE election Manifesto of the DLP. Would fellow bloggers, generally, and DLP members and supporters, particularly, believe that it is a far better document substantially, philosohically and politically than the 2008 52 PAGE one? WHAT A SHAME AND DISGRACE!! The ONLY major letdown about this 1976 document was/is that it did NOT have a segment on CULTURE. Therefore, this history of the DLP neglecting or failing to give CULTURE in Barbados due respect simply did NOT start with its last manifesto.

    PDC

  16. The People's Democratic Congress Avatar
    The People’s Democratic Congress

    Sorry, 1981 DLP Election Manifesto, NOT 1976.

  17. peltdownman Avatar
    peltdownman

    PDC
    You should know that I, and I presume many others, skip past your overly verbose presentations. No doubt you have something valid to say, but please, say it succinctly!

  18. Ian Walcott Avatar
    Ian Walcott

    Rene:
    I’m actually reading the blog with great amusement…I actually have already purchased my ticket and will be home in time fuh de pic o de crop finals…it cant miss me…I goin be up front and centre with de front line posse…and I hope my boy Gabby enter too…time for a Gabby – RPB class again…uh too miss dem sweet days…
    I’ll comment on our cultural policy later…
    http://barbados.gov.bb/Docs/Taskforceonculturalindustries.pdf
    A read of our Creative Economy Policy Paper should be a good start to this discussion…
    Keep the discussion flowing folks…
    Love wunna baaaad.
    Ah gone (as Elombe would say)….

  19. Avatar
    Anonymous

    Wishin in Vain

    Why the hell David Thompson didnot give us the full list of these ‘so-called BLP’ consultants in every ministry?

    Instead we have to depend on you giving us this information drip, by drip.

    We are watching him and chris sinkler to see if they keep their promise that some people will end up in jail for de lotta tiefing dat went on under the BLP government.

  20. Wishing in Vain Avatar
    Wishing in Vain

    We are watching him and chris sinkler to see if they keep their promise that some people will end up in jail for de lotta tiefing dat went on under the BLP government.

    Trust me there is nothing that would please me more than to see some of these scamps before the law courts to be charged , found gulity and sentenced to some time in the Dodds Hotel.

  21. The People's Democratic Congress Avatar
    The People’s Democratic Congress

    The news on Reuters.com tonight, Monday, May 5, 2008, is that “oil jumped more than US $ 4 to a record high over US $ 120 a barrel on Monday on the weaker US dollar and supply concerns from OPEC and members Nigeria and Iran. US crude settled up US $ 3.65 at US $ 119.97 after surging as high as US $ 120. 36. London Brent crude rose US $ 3.43 to US $ 117.99 in light trade due to a bank holiday in Britain, after hitting US $ 115.58 a barrel “.

    In the mean time, this so-called party – the DLP – has, in its 2008 election Manifesto under the subject: A CREATIVE ENERGY POLICY – pg 43 – 44, stated that, “the biggest challenge of our generation in the drain on foreign exchange created by the high cost of oil. This concern is amplified by recent increases in the price of crude oil that finds it consistently hovers around (US? )$ 100 per barrel”. Consequentially, therefore, have NOT these aforegoing cited statements been rendered so damn antiquated and full of emptiness already by the fact that world oil prices have since the release of this Manifesto skyrocketed to about US $ 120 per barrel. What is of greater concern to PDC is that this visionless and artless DLP Manifesto has so starkly massively failed to envisage substantial rises in the prices of wheat, corn, etc. on the world market, and to envisage the horrendous financial and other costs that are now being faced by many poor and marginalized Barbadians as a consequence of such price increases, and even though these things could have fairly reasonably have predicted by many people in Barbados (Remember Presidents Lula Da Silva of Brazil and Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and ex-president Fidel Castro of Cuba – their forewarnings about many negative trends that had started to develop concerning the West’s emphases on greater bio fuel and ethanol production ). It surely seems as if the DLP is still stuck in the 1980s and 1990s Sandiford era. Clearly, we in PDC have to assert, again, that this useless DLP has long since its years in the opposition had NO PLAN, NO PLAN WHATSOEVER TO deal with these astronomically higher oil prices. For sure, if there was ever such a plan, it would have long been put in place by this already failing DLP Government, to deal with the very adverse effects upon the masses and middle classes of people of Barbados of these enormous surges in the price of global oil and some other basic other commodities.

    Finally, we again state that the DLP LIED to the people of Barbados in order to help it win the government last election!! For so viciously LYING to the people of Barbados about reducing the cost of living when knowing that “oil prices are likely to remain in this range for the forseeable future”, and when knowing too that these oil prices will continue to form, under this wicked system of Barbados importing the prices of goods and services of other countries, a very big portion of the final costs of goods and services to final consumers in Barbados, must mean that the people of Barbados ought SERIOUSLY begin looking at the question of giving this DLP ONE TERM ONE TERM in government. Remembering, too, that there was a ONE TERM government in the Bahamas recently.

    So, fellow Barbadians, come and join the PDC, and help us to grow better and stronger as a serious party in Barbados operating primarily in the interests of the masses and middle classes of people of Barbados.

    PDC

  22. The People's Democratic Congress Avatar
    The People’s Democratic Congress

    Inadvertence – paragraph 2, line 18 – insert “been” between reasonably and predicted in place of “have”.

  23. Adrian Hinds Avatar
    Adrian Hinds

    David, who is the guy with the little girl in the middle photo on the East Cost Limers flyer?

    Hi Adrian

    We believe it is Fidel the organizer of the thing.

    David

  24. Ian Walcott Avatar
    Ian Walcott

    The Empire Theatre in Barbados is in a terrible state of disrepair…please let us do something about it. Please visit the below petition at http://www.gopetition.com/online/19172.html .

  25. Straight talk Avatar
    Straight talk

    IW:

    B4 we start passing round the begging bowl;-

    Who owns the property?

    When did they buy it?

    For how much?

    For what reason?

    Answer these truthfully and if this is of genuine benefit to Barbados’ cultural scene, I for one, will generously support it.

    However if it is going to be run on similar lines to your last employment, count me out.

  26. Ian Walcott Avatar
    Ian Walcott

    Boy…all ah could tell u is dat um belong to de government and since 1995 dem did pussyfooting wid movin de project along…there was talk of a BOLT arrangement…it was reported in de press dat BNB was to finance it…now I hearing de chinese government…in de meantime…our entertainment audit reveals that we’ve lost seats over the last 10 yrs while dese buildings sit in disrepair…
    I was part of a meeting(cultural interest group) that recommended doing a quick fix to save it from further delapidation and get it up and running…
    I’d hate to see it become a political football…
    Kinda tired of politicians and their rhetoric and nothing being done…
    We have students leaving UWI and BCC qualified as performing artists with very little opportunity…
    De tourissses does come and we have no real entertainment packages to offer dem…so duh does carry back duh money wid dem…or go to a few restaurants…

  27. Straight talk Avatar
    Straight talk

    Answer the questions, Ian.

  28. Wishing In Vain Avatar
    Wishing In Vain

    The Empire Theatre in Barbados is in a terrible state of disrepair…please let us do something about it. Please visit the below petition at http://www.gopetition.com/online/19172.html .

    It is very amusing that after you held power for 14 years suddenly you wake up to the fact that something needs to be done to the site, I am more than amused by your revelation.

    I am forced to ask why with all the money you and your party had throwing around at consultants why not a single cent was made available to restore this building?

    After all you nearly tripled the final cost of the Prison to US 144 million surely some part of the spoils of your scam should have been set aside for giving back to the taxpayers what is theirs.

    Please no more BOLT operations these have cost us dearly under the previous clowns that ran the affairs of state.

  29. Pat Avatar
    Pat

    I read last year in the Nation News when this issue came up that the Empire was owned by Trinidadians who had applied to the government for funds to refurbish it.

    Remember Kensington Oval? So why should Bajan taxpayers subsidize Trinis?

    Please, who are the REAL owners of the Empire Theatre?

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