TODAY I am praising politicians, including some prime ministers. I am acknowledging that had it not been for all the "cussing" I have received from politicians, I would not be as tough as I am now. Had it not been for the politicians I would not have been able to deal with the abuse I received over the Internet in recent days.
It all has to do with a news story I wrote last week about local calypsonians being surprised by their music appearing on a Canadian website IslandMix.com, and the subsequent removal of much of that music after the story was published.
I will not comment beyond the above paragraphs. But here's what some readers had to say.
* I would like to thank you for getting all of the new Crop-Over, and old Bajan songs taken off IslandMix. Unfortunately some people like me, who don't live in Barbados cannot get access to these songs. Thank you for taking away my listening pleasures.
You are really hurting your country's music, and I hope that you know that. This is very good exposure for Bajan culture, and Barbados music. Do you actually come onto this site? Well I'll have you know, IslandMix is the largest West Indian community on the net, bringing people of all nations together. I am a Trinidadian, and I have to say if any Trini did what you did, I would tell [him] the same [string of expletives].
And for future references, you can't download music off IslandMix, but you wouldn't know that, because you just like tuh run yuh mouth like [even more expletives].
Ah gorne.
A2LTRINI247@AOL.com
* Mr Morris,
Outside of Barbados who knows of the music produced there? Who promotes this music? I ask these questions because I am a Barbadian who has lived away from Barbados for the past 24 years. Where I live there are no other West Indians and no one knows or cares about calypso, soca or any other music coming out of Barbados unless they hear me playing the CD.
Where am I now going to hear the music? If the calypsonians aren't even known outside of the island how is their music to be promoted? My daughters learnt about their musical heritage through IslandMix.
My sole link to music in Barbados was IslandMix.com. Now in your zeal to sell newspapers you take away the ability to promote the music which help the calypsonians earn a living. Good luck to you and the calypsonians in the future. Ignorance by you is bliss but I hope the sale of your newspaper helps the calypsonians to earn a living. Isn't it interesting that Barbadian calypsonians have had their music removed but none of the other islands have done so and their music is selling?
A. Scott,
United States
* Mr Roy Morris,
I am all for fighting piracy. I do feel, however, that you are mistaken on your views towards the website you have such an issue with. The music is nowhere near the quality of a CD.
This website, among others that have the lower quality music up for listening pleasure, helps me decide which CDs I want my friends and family to bring back for me.
I read comments that people on the site make about the music, many of whom are quite intelligent and seem to respect the culture. Your intentions seem more malicious than anything.
The site is more informative than your own www.barbados.org when it comes to asking questions from people not trying to profit but give the honest truth. Even your www.cropoverfestival.bb isn't updated enough for one to plan their activities aside from NCF sponsored activities.
Remember this, there are many underground stations in North America. Your beloved artistes give many of the disc jockeys music to play on these stations. I hear the artistes samples that say these DJ's names. Perhaps, in your mission to shut down Bajan music being exposed outside of Barbados, you should let them know their music is too good to be played anywhere but Barbados.
Of course their music should not be played, because it is on a "pirate" station. Those and many other stations are online.Of course if those stations are told (since of course they are "pirates") that Bajans don't want their music played, nobody will need to hire them outside of the Caribbean.
Why would anyone who doesn't know the music want to pay for a live performance of something they never heard?
I can go to my local West Indian record store and find perhaps krosfyah and Square One CDs. That's about it. I could go out of my way and order online certain ones, but rarely do I hear track samples. So keep that in mind, Mr Morris, as I find many of the websites supporting soca do more to get the musicians exposed, rather than hurt them.
L. Gittens,
Virginia
* Your articles disgust me and I feel compelled to write you. I have been a member of Islandmix.com for five years. I have seen first hand what the website has done for our (West Indian) community here in the United States. Through Islandmix.com I was encouraged to form a band in my city's local carnival.
The music is put there for the enjoyment of its 15 000 plus members. The music is streamed and while it is technically possible to download the music, that is not its intent.
You, and your cohorts in the so-called world of journalism, write these articles without thinking about the impact of the words you spew.
Unfortunately, piracy would never die. It is possible for any ignorant average Joe to go to Barbados with US$200, get all the popular CDs for the season, burn them and sell them on Eastern Parkway. Piracy would be around as long as there is technology.
I am appalled at you, your organisation and the artistes who have taken the position you have. I am coming to Crop-Over, but I WILL NOT SPEND A DIME ON BUYING A CD, and I am going back to Islandmix.com after writing this letter to encourage the 100-plus revellers who just signed up with their respective mas bands to do the same.
Lisa Clements
