AS FAST AS THEY WENT UP, they are coming down.
The operators of IslandMix.com, which had posted dozens of Crop-Over 2005 calypsoes on their website, in most cases without the knowledge or permission of the singers and producers, have begun taking them off.
This followed the publication of an article in the MIDWEEK NATION Wednesday, which reported the concerns of artistes, particularly because of the speed with which they were turning up on the site and the fact that anyone who signed up for free could record the music.
A check of the site yesterday morning showed that only a handful of the songs, which were being added in large numbers from late last week, remained on IslandMix.com.
In fact, except for popular numbers such as Pooch Back and Get Wuk by The Outpatients, Lean Back and Good to Go by Rameses, Fire Controller, Dance Instructions and Don't Be Sheep by Peter Ram, Wopatie and three others by Jabae, Packing by Bashment Menz and a few others, what remained on the website consisted largely of Trinidad calypsos.
This was in stark contrast to three days earlier when the list was extensive and featured from Alison Hinds with Roll to Your Furry Red Friend with Wiggle Wiggle and included, Captain Sawyer's Big, Fat 'n' Thick, Injection by Alfred De Doc Sparman, Blood's Just Bring It, Contone's Fire In De Hole, Linskee's You Payin Fuh Me, Mayja Shackie's Tulips, Cocky Attitude and Wuh Bout U, Square Roots' Numero Uno and The Key.
SATURDAY SUN investigations revealed that IslandMix was registered at 23 Observatory Lane, Unit No. 36, Richmond Hill, Ontario in Canada, with Lester Mendoza on the records as the administrative contact and webmaster.
Repeated efforts over the last week to contact Mendoza were unsuccessful, but Deepu Pajwani of Music and Echo, producer of Lesir, an uptempo number by Kimberly Inniss [which also appeared on the site without permission and has since been removed], said yesterday he was told a number of producers actually sent music to the very popular site because the files can't be downloaded in the traditional way.
He acknowledged, however, that while listening to the song on IslandMix.com, a person could record it to the hard drive and then save it as an MP3 or similar file, again eliminating the need to purchase a copy.
Meanwhile, local industry officials are carrying out investigations into the posting of Barbadian music on this and another North American website with a view to dealing with the negative fallout, as well as to establish ways in which the two sides can work together to promote the music and the artistes.
roymorris@nationnews.com
