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Foreday Mornin’ bandleaders feel left out

by Barbados Today
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Minister of Creative Economy, Culture and Sports John King

Foreday Mornin’ bandleaders were Monday querying whether they were being left out of the Government’s assistance initiative for the entertainment industry.

Addressing the nation over the weekend, Prime Minister Mia Mottley announced that in an effort to offer assistance to the entertainment sector due to the cancellation of the Crop Over festival for a second consecutive year resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, her administration would allocate $10,000 for bandleaders with bands in both Junior and Grand Kadooment and $7,500 for bandleaders with one band.

That no clarity was given about whether Foreday Mornin’ was included is not sitting well with some bandleaders. But when contacted, Minister for Culture John King told Barbados TODAY that in the discussions regarding the concessions, the matter about Foreday Mornin’ bands being eligible “did not come to the table”. But he gave an assurance that his government would revisit the issue.

“We’re actually looking at it. I can’t tell you [when] we will to that, we just come out of a weekend,” King said. “Once we get down to that you all will get a reply.”

One masquerader questioned why no representation was made on their behalf even though, according to him, Foreday Mornin’ “has been a real flagship of the festival for the last how many years”.

Another bandleader echoed very critical sentiments about the lack of representation from the Barbados Association of Masqueraders (BAM).

“That is the challenge I have with the whole association, you can’t go to government divided, you have to go to government as an entire industry. So that is why people goin’ get left out and people goin’ get frustrated,” the band leader lamented.

“My question is, isn’t Foreday Mornin’ part of Crop Over? Once you go with a house divided you will always end up with these problems. How can you go and make representation for an entertainment industry or Crop Over and then you don’t take into account Foreday Mornin’ which is an integral part of Crop Over?” he asked.

President of BAM, Anthony Layne, noted that while some of the association’s 25 members might have a Foreday Mornin’ band in addition to their Kiddies and Grand Kadooment bands, “we do not represent Foreday Mornin’ bands”. In addition, he said he wasn’t involved in any discussions with the Government prior to the decision so his association would not have been privy to Foreday Mornin’ being omitted from gaining the assistance.

Layne said: “If there is Crop Over that is one thing, if there is not Crop Over it is another thing. And if it is not Crop Over, anything that the bands receive is at the discretion of the NCF [National Cultural Foundation] and Government. You can’t go and negotiate for something like that.”

But BAM’s public relations officer Brian Corbin is reporting that the majority of its members are happy with Government’s pledged assistance and in agreement with the cancellation of the festival.

“BAM is about safety first and the health of our members and the health of our memberships,” he told Barbados TODAY. “We obviously do not want a situation where you have another spike as you did in December. The country and we ourselves cannot afford another shut down.

“We don’t want to open up just for one event and then you’re shut down for the rest of the year. That doesn’t help us or help our cause. It is what it is. If we take health into consideration we have to look at that first because we really don’t want any more cases or any more situations that could spike or create any more issues, not only for us, but country-wise. So you have to think long-term in this situation.”

Corbin noted that alternative events are being examined. For instance, those that started with at most 150 people as per the Covid restrictions, and every three weeks they will be reviewed. Once no cases are reported they are hopeful that the numbers can be increased.

“So based upon that, it is a positive outlook and we will be going forward based on that fact and looking to do weekly events, whether it be limes or actual events at various locations,” Corbin said. “You will see each band doing some sort of activity. We are in the planning stages of it so I really can’t give much more details at this time.”
(KC)

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