COVIDWeekly: Carew-White’s plan for surviving COVID

She is a key business partner and confidante of local entertainers, many of whom are enduring over a year of lost income and uncertainty created by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Sharon Carew-White is ever the optimist, seeking to develop ways for these creatives to survive and even thrive.

A trailblazer in many respects, Carew-White disrupted the stereotype of who could successfully run a calypso tent when she made an audacious move two decades ago. 

With an Associate Degree in Performing Arts from the Barbados Community College (BCC) and a boldness that she could achieve anything, she began working with the Lion’s Den Calypso Tent.

Start in Calypso Tents 

The ambitious young upstart felt she could do it on her own and two years later launched the Calypso Dome. Featuring an all-female cast, the tent did not reach the heights Carew-White intended, though not for lack of trying.

“It lasted for a time, but it needed some work. If I knew then what I know now, it probably would have been a big success,” she argued.

With no regrets about that early foray in the male-dominated arena, what Carew-White did not know was that others were focusing on her and admiring the whippersnapper’s tenacity and growing competence.

That led to noted House of Soca stalwart, former calypso king, and prolific writer Joseph Invader Hughes inviting Carew-White to manage the tent in 2003. The House of Soca is regarded as an institution in the local calypso arena, and an honoured Carew-White jumped at the opportunity.

“It was a challenge, and I love a challenge. From there, the rest is history.”

Success with Performers

Over the years, Carew-White has worked with numerous young performers in the Junior Calypso competition, including Sir Ruel, Sammy G, Azziza, Raanan Khibba and Quan, helping them to develop the skills that would provide them with the edge required for success.

Her pinnacle accomplishments with House of Soca so far include her successes with David Popsicle Hall, who won the Pic-O-De-Crop Calypso King title in 2011, with his hits, Don’t Sell Cornwell and I Would Pick A Fair; and Party Monarch kings Peter Ram and Gorg, who won in 2014 and 2015, respectively. 

Over time, Carew-White has extended her portfolio of artistes to feature various genres. These include the popular, young bashment artiste Mole, who has transitioned from underground sensation to a sought-after mainstream talent.

She is also working with other young artistes in the genre who seek to equal or surpass Mole’s success. 

“I view youth as the most important asset for us as a country and we must invest in them,” she asserted.

COVID-19 Blow to Entertainment Sector 

But, like most commercial activities in Barbados, the entertainment sector has been dealt a crushing blow by the COVID-19 pandemic. Live shows and even small intimate gatherings have been banned.

Events upon which creatives depend, have ground to a halt. As a result, many professionals such as singers, musicians, dancers, poets, producers, DJs, event planners, technicians, and a range of ancillary support providers, are struggling as the pandemic drags on.

On Thursday, Governor of the Central Bank of Barbados, Cleviston Haynes, reported in his review of the economy that economic activity contracted by near 20 per cent. It represented the fourth straight quarter of a double-digit economic slide.

Carew-White told COVID Weekly she is well aware of how difficult it has been for artistes and the entire cultural sector.

The talent manager, who is also the Group Marketing Manager at C.O. Williams Construction, has witnessed the pandemic’s impact, too, on the construction industry.

She said the long-standing Barbadian company, which is heavily involved in construction, agriculture, and property development, has also felt the times.

“It is rough out there, but you can’t hide and wait for COVID-19 to go away. You have to be innovative because you may be waiting for it to go away, and it may never,” she assessed.

“I love marketing and thinking outside the box. So that creative side works not only for the company I am employed with, but for the teams that I work with as well.”

Mental Health Challenges of Artistes 

As she reflected on the blow that COVID-19 has dealt persons in the industry, she lamented the toll it has taken on the mental health of many performing artistes.

What is particularly difficult for Carew-White is the fact that the Barbadian culture does not encourage people to speak freely about the challenges they are facing. 

She lamented that often artistes are going through mental anguish but choose to remark “I good” or “I’m okay”.

“Our society has always had a negative response to mental health issues. So, you are not going to get many people to say to you that they cannot cope,” she told COVID Weekly.

“If you really want to know what is going on with some people, you are going to have to chip away at that outer armour to learn how people are feeling and probably read between the lines.

“The mental health toll of this pandemic is certainly something that people have to consider.”

Carew-White added: “The biggest contributor has been the impact of loss of revenue. The creative industry involves being a service provider, which requires you to interact with people. Every area has been impacted. Not one has been untouched.”

Asked about the talent she manages, the professional marketer said: “Everyone is longing for some kind of normalcy. Caribbean people, by nature, love to socialise. It is our culture, and this global outbreak has been hard on us in the Caribbean.”

Key to Survival 

Reflecting on two straight years of cancelled festivals, carnivals, and summer celebrations across the region, Carew-White said the key to survival will be adapting to the changing environment and accepting the “new normal”.

“My patrons are saying to me they want to have a show which means I have to step out of the box and study how best I can achieve such. Of course, health and safety concerns are paramount.

“There has to be a drive for something fresh and new which will call for innovative ideas.” 

Carew-White urged her colleagues in the various creative industries not to become disillusioned by the circumstances of the past year.

“Creativity does not stop because COVID came around. Creativity is within you, and you have to find an avenue to express those talents.”

Digital Platforms 

She cited various online platforms and digital experiences that have created avenues for revenue generation and creative expression. 

With the advent of online concerts and ‘Verzuz’ clashes such as the dancehall Beenie Man and Bounty Killer showdown last year, the talent manager believes all has not been lost. 

At the same time, she cautioned artistes that to successfully pursue the virtual market space, Caribbean people needed to change their attitude towards online events and not assume they should all be free of charge.

“In Europe or the United States, you may hear there is a virtual concert, and people will pay to see it. But I find Barbadians and people in the Caribbean generally are not showing interest in embracing that at this time,” she remarked.

The marketer said even though people are yet to warm up to the idea of paying for talent they view online, she believes those in the sector should continue to push to deliver more events in the virtual marketplace.

“In this environment, artistes have been forced to be more self-reliant. You have to be writing, performing, producing, event planning, and marketing. The platform is different now. “Your audience is not just local; it has become a global audience. You have to become a little more experimental and creative in how you write and what you write.”

Paying Artistes for their Talent 

Carew-White said the reality is artistes needed to be paid for their talent, and it was important that performers continue to hone their craft and seek ways to generate some form of income.

“The problems created by the COVID-19 pandemic are not unique to those who operate in the entertainment industry. Revenue has dropped for everybody. If you were working in a hotel, you would be in the same boat. 

“I have worked with the horse racing industry, and there is no money to be made for jockeys either.  They have not had a race day for so long.  It is about finding ways and adapting to survive the period.”

Carew-White’s advice remains constant. There is no room for cultural practitioners to run and hide. They have to confront the prevailing circumstances and seek support if they find it difficult to cope.

Call for Artistes to be Prepared

“During the COVID lockdown, you can certainly find content to work with. There are more topics to work with now than ever. We’ve had COVID-19. We’ve had ash, vaccines and more. Instead of saying I can’t perform, prepare yourself. Don’t let this period go to waste.

“Be prepared for whenever performances resume. That is how I view it.”

Regarding the possibility of Crop Over Festival being staged, she called on performers to be ready. 

“You should be creating for whenever a date is announced. It is imperative to be working on your craft all like now.

“It is also important to be relevant with global trends; do more things digitally. Exercising and keeping fit are essential. There is no need to wait until COVID-19 is over because COVID may never finish.” 

This article appears in the May 3 edition of COVID Weekly. Read the full publication here.