: 8/24/2009
Of course his and more local music should be played. Playing people's music gives them exposure which in turn puts a few $ in their hands. But can anyone please tell me what is the real purpose of NIFCA? I recently read an AL Gilkes column that explained why Crop Over was started. There is so much that can be done but which has not been done so far. Evry little bit of exposure whether it be athletics, entertainment or business related will do Barbados a world of good. Oh, the next best thing to $ is legacy. An award in Dick's name would do just that! Regards A True Bajan

: 8/22/2009
Richard Dick Stoute aint need no foolish award. Give the man some money, tangible help and play the man's songs on the radio everyday.

: 8/14/2009
I believe that bajans are just as creative as any other culture but sometimes we get a bit lazy. I can recall the very humble beginnings of Crop Over in the early 70's. At lunch time we stood and watched as the people went by. No one dreamt or expected it would become so big and become the event that it so quickly has. It is now a major tourist event and a cash cow for Barbados and particularly our entertainers. Why tarnish it by bringing in other music? We have a jazz festival. Using Mr Philipps' specious logic, why not add other genres e.g. calypso, ringbang etc? We are a small nation with loads of creative talent. Why not use it better? If we can organize more music festivals and create a demand, we can generate more $ and opportunities for our talented musicians. Simultaneously this could generate more tourist $ if they are marketed properly. I hate to keep referring to J'ca but instead of just copying them, use their blueprint to create our own. The Japanese and Koreans used the US model to build cars. They did not roll over and allow the US giant to monopolize the car industry yet they did not copy US cars, but built their own models to penetrate and now they make the best quality cars. Uniqueness and originality sell. So all I am saying entertainers, think outside the box, wake up, use creativity. Do not just copy. Create your own legacy. I love Rihanna dearely and am extremely proud of what she has done but acts like hers are a dime a dozen in the world music market and their av. shelf life is about 2-5 years. Madonna and a few acts last for many years because they keep reinventing themselves. Critics will say I am being too harsh but I would counter by saying, how come Dick Stoute has been putting on a talent show for so many years. Note in the past few years Britain and the US started with Idol and Talent shows which have become so popular and are producing future stars. Props to Dick and I hope he has another 50+ years in showbiz. He has opened doors for so many local stars. It is time people like him get a special award at NIFCA named after him for being proactive in the field of entertainment. Every once in a while I just have to vent when I see musicians attempting to jump on an already established opening instead of making his own. Maybe one of them will read what I say, accept my challenge and act. Nuff said. Wayne Lord, Toronto, Canada

This could be done! : 8/13/2009
They just need to manage the scheduling properly. But be careful not to step on the toes of the kaiso crowd - you don't want to bite the hand that feeds you. You must grow in an organic way. Try new things without hurting what you already developed. Crop Over has actually been very successful for a long time. Try a having the now kaiso Bajans do they events the same period, but on completely different days. Then have a separate finals where these genre can have individual recognitions excluding kaiso. Try not to ruing Crop-Over. Please!

So basically. Reduce the Bajan culture : 8/13/2009
... then add more culture from outside? Is that what he is basically saying? Perhaps just add more categories like Trinidad. The "Groovy Soca Monarch" The "Chutney-Soca Monarch" The "Party Monarch" etc. There could be: the "Spouge Monarch", the "Ringbang Monarch", "the "Goseplypso Monarch", and categories for different levels of Kaiso. Comedic (but clean), "smutty" (as sometimes Kaiso/Calypso borders on going into a whole other realm), Social Commentary, and add an Extempo-ing category. Where two artists can show off their skills in a "sing-down" competition

: 8/13/2009
Agree with Wayne Lord 100%

: 8/13/2009
Talk yuh Talk my brother. I said the same thing a few days ago and some people criticize me.I said that competition is crap and they criticize me saying one that competition is all over the world and a lot of junk. I told them that they were asleep and still slavish. I am glad that I have your support Phil. Thank You !

So basically. Reduce the Bajan culture : 8/13/2009
then add more culture from outside? Is that what he is basically saying? Perhaps just add more categories like Trinidad. The "Groovy Soca Monarch" The "Chutney-Soca Monarch" The "Party Monarch" etc. There could be: the "Spouge Monarch" the ""

crop over : 8/13/2009
Calypso tents, bathing suits for costumes,Party(soca)Monarch, and a copy of almost everything Trinidadian including doubles at fetes. Yet still we call it our own unique festival and not bajan is highlighted.Are we still in denial, We promote Crop over to Trinidadians by advertisng steel pan, calypso,fetes and parades then we come home and say we have a unique festival.

: 8/13/2009
Mr I respect your position but I strongly disagree and I will give my points. What bajans need to do is expand the type of Calypso that is produced. Every year all we seem to produce is jump up music. If we take a cue from reggae in Jamaica. It evolved over the years and today what began as mento, bluebeat, ska and rocksteady, is now reggae. Along the way it took in some of the better facets of calypso, blues, jazz, soul, rock & roll, funk, disco and hip-ho/rap. And it is still evolving. The early days it was very slow with heavy focus on melodies. Then it became fast, then heavy on the bass and more fiery but at the same time love ballads also came out. Jamaica has many different festivals, but their primary focus was to develop their own indigenous art form. They have done such a great job that reggae, which has early roots in calypso has taken over as the primary art form in the Caribbean. It has also crossed over marginally as an alternate music form. Why after so many years our calypso is still a local and seasonal art form? Why after so many years after its creation by Jackie Opel our own music (spouge), has not evolved and freed itself from its limited art form? It is still shackled by the cowbell and rhythm as its lead. Again, if we examine jazz in its early art form it was quite limited but over the years the musicians saw it as a means of expression; as a means to be creative; as a means to stamp their DNA on it and what it is today is not what it initially was. We are proud of Crop Over and what it has done for Calpyso which was dying in Bim. But I have asked and will continue to ask, why have we never had a spouge festival? Am I crazy some may ask? But Crop Over was just a dream in the early 70's and today it is a monster. Are you telling me if we took NIFCA and added a specific section for spouge it could not become huge too and give our musicians a forum to develop something strictly bajan? Calyspo will always be identified as the music of T-dad just as reggae is J'ca's. We have some very good artists who copy these art forms but no one rushes to Barbados if they want to go to the birthplace of calypso or reggae. Cropover is uniquely bajan and if we change it to add the forms that Mr Phillips is suggesting, it will be just another music festival. Show me your creativity. Develop your own and stop being a copy cat. Put Barbados on the map. Push for spouge as an art form like reggae and like how you guys did for calpso through Cropover. NIFCA has been around for years but it is probably one of the best kept secrets. Are you telling me that a national association or whatever it is can not be more proactive in creating an attraction for musicians and eventually for tourists to want to come to see the finals every year? I am beating the old drum here because no one who can do something about this really cares. So Mr Phillips, instead of pushing for some other music featival, push bajan, push for a spouge festival and you can make a name for yourself. Think international, think marketing, think B.I.G. Wayne Lord, Toronto Canada.

crop over : 8/13/2009
You all hardley have any cane to harvest so why keep call it crop over what a wast