MEMBERS OF THE All Stars Calypso Tent already have an incentive to do well for Crop Over 2016.
Next year, each singer who makes it to the Pic-O-De-Crop finals and the back-up singers will be given financial assistance from at least one of the sponsors.
Marketing manager of TMR, Peter Thompson, gave that commitment at the tent’s annual end-of-Crop Over celebration at the Barbados Union of Teachers headquarters last Sunday evening.
Kay Richards from title sponsor Cave Shepherd was also on hand and presented monetary prizes to the singers as well.
But the money, or promise thereof, did not stop there. Management of the tent also got into the do.
In keeping with the tradition of giving small tokens to the cast at the end of the season, this year’s treat was like a lucky dip. Performers were asked to close their eyes and dig into a bag for a gift. Each of them came out with colourful piggy banks.
“The year I have given them an incentive gift. . . .They can do what they like with it, but this is my idea of this gift. Next year when this tent season starts, they should not be saying they don’t have money to pay their arranger, their songwriter or anything,” manager Eleanor Rice said to loud applause from the group.
She also reminded them that if they did not plan, their businesses would not succeed.
As if grasping the importance of what Rice was trying to get across to them, several of the artistes reached into their pockets and wallets and dropped some money into the piggy bank towards their 2016 season.
Donella, who was first runner-up in her first appearance at the finals, and fourth-placed Hee Haw were the toasts of the afternoon “party”. They received some additional treats, which included a seminar at tent sponsor the Barbados Institute of Management and Productivity.
Rice also encouraged members of the cast to take the business of calypso seriously and to prepare themselves accordingly.
Rice told the artistes everything they do is connected to music and has a rhythm and that they should always keep that in mind as they seek to grow their craft and make themselves more marketable.
The singers who were on hand got a chance to address their tent mates, family, friends and fans, and it was during that time that the controversial Ronnie De Announcer Clarke said his response to all the talk surrounding him in 2015 is yet to come.
