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In Da Rain!!!

Baby Cham must be rated among the best in the caribbean musical industry, and when it comes to holding a crowd he is boss! the night was good with dancing and some good juggling. there were also best wishes sent out to DJ Cheddie who is in the hospital following an accident…

Maka come through an did her thing for tha ladies as only she can…then he took to tha stage an set the party on fire! and the thing is he didnt even have to sing any of his new tunes cuz de man got trackx fuh days….the rain came down an ppl went scampering for cover…wat did he do? take off his tee shirt an got into the rain to continue! soon others joined him an da rain an de party was on again! we were even flashed by a woman on stage…thankx cham…..SLINGERZ have done it again!!!!

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Why Not More?

Recently i’ve been wondering who selects the music to be played on the radio. Because i have a practical suggestion which may be of interest to them and what i think may also be the key to the development of the local music industry.

Play more local music on the radio. A simple domino effect will take place. People will hear the variety of music made here and a demand will develop for it and since GT muzik cant be downloaded from online there will be only one way of gettin it…we will have to buy the CD’s, generating income for artiests, studios and everyone else in the making of the track.

This is practical because we have almost every genre of music being produced here. We got from oldies an calypso to rap & r&b. Y cant we have more of our own on OUR radio? the majority of people who listen to the radio are working people so when the demand develops it will be them pirchasing the music and it keeps money in our economy.

nothing against international music but they already got the exposure and are making REAL paper we need to develop the talents we have here…im jus asking….y not more???

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Fojo strikes back!

I guess being nominated for several awards an gettin none got Fojo angry. So what would did he do? He did wat he does best, make a nice track to let them know how he felt. Heard it on the radio, pretty hard hit back at them. Since I was adainst what happened to ma artiest i say poi!poi!poi! BIG TUNE!!!

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Question?

I just saw the Gt&t christmas ad a few moments ago and only saw 4 members of the group, not gonna tell you which four, but if i remember correctly there were 5 of them…..anyways dont wanna create no confusion or divion in the group i was jus curious…..check it out for yourself an tell me wat you think…

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Jus’ Curious

Seein the new GT&T Christmas ad was refreshing since they tek loooong to bring something to counteract Digicel, but lookin at it an hearing it on the radio had me thinking…why they dont utilize the talents of the las two jingle competition winners?

Dont get me wrong seeing Celeste and Ms. Marshall on tv is quite appealing an catches the attention of many men…its a great ad but wha happenin deh? is it because they r christian young me?…no that can be it Eddie Neblett is all over the tv an radio talkin about “come talk wit me”.

Bearin in mind i dont work for blue power an therefore donno the selection process involved, but promoting soem an not others shows, to me, some level of linkx v.s. no links…jus curious about y this is!

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Guyana’s Musical Heritage

Like most young guyanese i am unaware, in the most part, of the vast reserves of guyanese music that have been made. it is for ths reason i am asking persons who may be able to provide us with some of these treasures to please make them available.

Musical giants like dave Martins and the Tradewinds have made significant musical contributions to Guyana and the wider caribbean with their unique way of portraying stories through music. These tracks are favourites of many of our parents and are even enjoyable for young people to listen to. Besides the obvious pleasure that can be gained from hearing some wholesome music, it will also instill a degree of pride in us as guyanese knowing we have such a rich musical heritage on which we have built the current musical environment.

I appreciate greately the works being put out by artistes today, but at the same time we cannon disregard those that have paved the way for the new breed of local musicians.

I would also like to know if the other types of musical entertainment can be promoted and showcased via the various forms of media. E.g. steel pan music has played a major role in the musical development of many young people in this land. Though this is the case there are only special times during the year  this mucis is heard on the radio. Can someone tell me why this is so? We have jazz musicians and even rock bands here, are they not good enough to be given ariplay on the ONLY radio station?

If we wish Guyanese music to develop effectively we need to ensure that proper exposure is given to it, rather than having our people go overseas develop their talent and then return like slingshot and natural black. We must put greater emphasis on local music on the radio and on television rather than having special 30 min “segments”  of local music. This cannot be enough to foster development…..

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My Review & Some Questions

The much anticipated and hyped Accolade Awards of Guyana has concluded and the results are in, the winners announced. congradulations to all the winners your hard work has paid off, but this post is not aimed at kissing the asses of the organizers of the event, this is to highlight some burning questions Ihave concerning the event as well as others that have been brought to my attention.

The first issue concerns the ticket prices. Since the event has passed I feel at liberty to say the event was poorly supported, not for lack of support for local music, but as a direct result of the outrageously high ticket prices. The event did not only make history as being the first music awards of this type in Guyana but as also being the most EXPENSIVE show to be held at the National Cultural Centre. The organizers failed to consider the reality of the spending power of the average Guyanese. I hope they reconsider their pricing procedures next time.

The next issue concerns the exclusion of some artiste from the awards. Bearing in mind Idont know the criterion utilized by the judges to determine who won what, it is still a mystery to me as to why NATURAL BLACK did not win an award. Other than Eddie Grant, it may be safe to say that Natural Black is the most recognized Guyanese reggae star on the international scene. Despite his contributions as well having one of the best R&B songs in recent history along with a great video, it evades me as to why FOJO recieved no award. It also puzzles me as to why artiste such as Typheon & Jory were not recognized.

I may be wrong but by all indications the winners were selected from a certain group of people. Therefore no lynx no award. I may be wrong…MAY be wrong…

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Carifesta X Closing Ceremony

The Cooperative Republic of Guyana has successfully hosted CARIFESTA X. At the closing ceremony gratitude was extended to the people of Guyana for their unmatched hospitality towards the visiting delegations and others who were here to enjoy the festival. The 10th Caribbean Festival of Arts held across Guyana had been a resounding success and as Guyanese we should all be proud to have hosted such a prestigious event once again. As the festival once again leaves these shores we have, in the words of the President of Guyana, “breathe new life” into the festival. The spectacular closing ceremony was filled with only a sample o the cultural richness of the Caribbean region which has been on show for the past 10 days.

The well planned and skillfully executed program was a tribute to the dedication of those responsible. Even down to the finest detail, much care was taken to ensure those present at the closing ceremony would have an evening to remember. The event was planned in such a way to ensure there was not a single moment of boredom. Every item from beginning to end was designed to capture and maintain the collective attention of those gathered. All persons entering the stadium were given flags of Guyana in an effort to ensure that throughout the proceedings flags would be waving, and to this end they were successful. I would be hard-pressed to describe the extravagant program at length, but from the landing of paratroopers on the field to the breadth taking fireworks display, the closing ceremony of CARIFESTA X was probably the most memorable event throughout the entire festival.

The closing ceremony sought to encapsulate portions of the various art forms which were on display throughout the festival over the past ten days as well as an attempt by the next hosts, the Bahamas, to give a taste as to what to expect at CARIFESTA XI in 2010. Over the past 10 days Guyana played host to the Caribbean’s premier festival after only 10 months of planning. Bearing in mind this mega event usually takes 2 years to plan and execute, we as Guyanese have shown our excellence by accomplishing this fete. Imagine what we can do if we put our heads together in the promotion of Guyanese arts and entertainment internationally. I join with the President and all of the visiting delegations in saying congratulations to Guyana on hosting a successful Carifesta X.

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Carifesta X Mega Concert

Amid rumors that the main performing artiste would not be able to make an appearance, the much anticipated Polar Carifesta X Mega Concert got underway. This concert was promoted in the media, even prior to the start of CARIFESTA, as being the biggest concert to hit Guyana. There were also assurances made that an international artiste would be performing live. Though the concert was not as big as the promoters may have wanted it to be they were still able to live up to their promise and bring an international artiste. The length of time it took for the artiste to arrive however caused patrons to become frustrated and even angry.

 

The evening started out with some smooth juggling from the fusion family to get the crowd going. This was happening while the crowd was now building up. The rumors started when admission to the venue no longer required tickets. This caused may persons to wonder if Akon was still slated to perform or whether the promoters had duped them into buying large quantities of beer.

 

The live performances were kicked off by the Brutal Jammers band followed by the man with the Sophia story Ilaman. Gialiani was to follow with his hip hop styled performance. The Polar Ladies were to grace the stage with their presence, showcasing their polar outfits to the appreciative men in attendance.

 

The next string of performances was well received and consisted the likes of Jory and Celeste David. Giants of the Guyanese music industry First Born took to the stage and hyped the crowd with their 45 min performance. Every song selected by the group to perform was well received. This was not hard to imagine with hits such as “irits”, “headlines” and a much loved classic First Born track “how are we gonna survive”.

 

It was at this point in time the frustration stepped in and delay tactics were employed by the promoters. DJ green dongs of fusion audio did some more juggling, at this point it was already 01:30 hrs and there was no sign of the main guest artiste. Brutal jammers band took to the stage once again but this time frustration had turned to anger and bottles and cans of beer were sent flying from the crowd onto the stage. This prompted DJ Kerwin of Hits and Jams to come on stage in an effort to ease the tension building up in the crowd. He gave the crowd assurance that the artiste was in the country and would be making an appearance. He also stated that the president had given the promoters of the event an extension on the permit so as to allow the party to go until sunrise.

 

At approximately 03:05 hrs international recording artiste Akon took to the stage at the National Stadium Providence much to the delight of his loyal fans who stayed through the night to witness his performance. The 3am crowd that greeted the artiste was a fraction of the crowd that had gathered earlier in the evening, but he performed as if the place was packed to capacity. Those who persevered to witness his performance were not disappointed. He even went the extra mile of requesting the crowd to build a “unity bridge” for him to get from the main stage to a platform about 15 feet away. The aim was for the crowd to carry him across and take him back. This he did successfully despite some instances where he had to urge some members of the crowd not to pull him. Notwithstanding his previous experience in Guyana it was a courageous act on his part but much appreciated by his fans.

 

Despite the long wait and rumors fans were rewarded with a full hour’s performance by the artiste. Though there were dramatic segments during the event it would be fair to say the event was a success.

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Carifesta X Gospel Mega Concert

It is widely speculated in some sections of society that Christians are not fun loving people; some even go to the extreme as to even say boring. But if one were to be present at the super concert held on Thursday August 28th at the National Stadium Providence those perceptions about the Christian community would have been shattered.

This historic concert was a spectacular display of talent which can be found within the Christian community. This concert was historic in the sense that this was the first time since the inaugural Carifesta held here in Guyana 36 years ago that the religious community has been invited to play a critical role in the festival. It was also the biggest gospel concert in Guyana to date as well as the biggest super concert to date that has been held at the National Stadium. The composition of those in attendance was also a sight to behold since it brought out the ethnic diversity in our Guyanese society as represented through the Christian community. Though there were persons of various ages present the majority present, at least for the evening segment, were young people.

The organizers sought to provide a spot in their program for various age groups. As a result of this persons with young children were encouraged to come out during the afternoon hours. The event started at 4pm with booths displaying fashionable yet modest pieces of clothing for the entire family. There were also booths set up by the various artiest slated to perform in the evening with their cd’s and dvd’s on sale. For the children there were rides erected outside the ground to keep them busy and having a fun time.

In the evening the program was packed with items from both local and regional gospel artiest. The MC of the event was shared by Pastor Marlon Hestic and Michella Adraham-Ali. The first of the evening’s performances included songs by persons representing the mining town of Linden and the nationally acclaimed Dominion dancers. The Minister of Culture Youth and Sport Dr. Frank Anthony addressed the crowd and expressed satisfaction at the large gathering and declared the event a landmark event in the history of Carifesta and as “the largest gospel concert in the history of Guyana”.

Following the address by the Minister the large crowd was presented with steel pan music from a combined church steel orchestra. Despite their best efforts, the sweet music of the steel pan could only be herd by those in the very front of the venue or on stage.

H.E. President Bharrat Jagdeo addressed the over 20,000 strong gathering and expressed delight at the energy emanating from the venue even jokingly stating “we have enough energy in this place to power Guyana for two years without GPL”. The president even quoted a passage of scripture from Psalm 133, much to the delight of the massive gathering.

After the president’s address it was time for the singers to take to the stage and get the crowd going. Local favorites such as Cherlyn Maloney and Sean Sobers from Linden started things off with songs that got the crowd going wild with excitement. There was also an interesting dramatic piece from the members of the Tuckville Assemblies of God Church. The aim of the skit was non discrimination despite the outward appearance of a individual.

The man from Jamaica took to the stage to the loud cheers of his fans. Yes Prodigal Son sang some of his best known reggae styled gospel music which the young people responded to with energetic flag waving and even jumping and screaming throughout his performance.

The energy remained with the crowd throughout the rest of the performances. An energized Eddie Neblette took to the stage to bring the curtains down on the performances for the evening with hits such as “wrong decision” and “love and unity”. Despite the fact that other local acts scheduled for the event did not get to perform because of time constraints, this concert will dwell in the minds of Guyanese as one of the biggest ever super concerts of this Carifesta.