by RICKY JORDAN

A "RIVER" WILL be created by the seaside when the eighth annual Cockspur Caribbean Wet Fete comes off July 13 at the Barbados Tourism Investment Inc. Car Park on Lower Bay Street, Bridgetown.

The theme this year is River Island, and it will be based on two earth periods – namely the Stone Age and Ice Age – bolstered by major natural elements under the titles of Rain Forests and Fire People.

Representing the last will be popular soca artiste Bunji Garlin, known as the "Fire Man" in his native Trinidad, while Jamaican dancehall megastar Beenie Man will represent the Rain Forests as hundreds are expected to flock to the event overlooking Carlisle Bay.

"We are two years away from celebrating our tenth anniversary and continue to raise the bar each year," said Wet Fete founder Joel Signal Morris of Noise Productions.

He said the VIP section would be among the expanded features, while the Trinidad and Tobago Tourism Development Company would be on board as a co-sponsor.

Donation

The event would also include a donation to the Families First charity.

"This is a Caribbean event and there are artistes who have been there from the beginning, including krosfyah and Li'l Rick," said Signal.

This year's line-up has Garlin, his wife Faye-Anne Lyons, and a range of local artistes who have started to make waves in Crop-Over 2008.

"A lot of people have gained exposure from Wet Fete," Signal added. "It's a Trinidad-Barbados investment, it moves around the region and is unique to each island. It is very expensive but we had a macro plan, we had an idea for a Caribbean product which could then be marketed internationally.

"We're trying to build a brand, and with it comes all that is intrinsic to the Caribbean. Hopefully by the tenth year we'll be at the international level, but until then we'll continue to plug it," Signal added

He also dismissed the talk of an "invasion" by either Trini or Bajan artistes, noting that Noise Productions would again have a section in Baje International's costume band, while Baje would have a section in Trinidad's Island People mas' band for a third year.