Got TIPS or BREAKING NEWS? Please call 1-284-442-8000 direct/can also WhatsApp same number or Email ALL news to:newsvino@outlook.com;                               ads call 1-284-440-6666

Baronville dodges media on Road March controversy

- entertainers protest the reason behind decision to crown VIBE as Road March Champs
VIBE is presented its trophy for winning the Road March competition by Chairperson of the Virgin Islands Festival and Fairs Committee, Kishma A. Baronville on August 6, 2016. Photo: VINO/File
VIBE during the 2016 August Monday Parade. Photo: VINO
VIBE during the 2016 August Monday Parade. Photo: VINO
Chairperson of the Virgin Islands Festival and Fairs Committee (VIF&FC) Kishma A. Baronville. Photo: VINO/File
Chairperson of the Virgin Islands Festival and Fairs Committee (VIF&FC) Kishma A. Baronville. Photo: VINO/File
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI- As controversy reigns over the decision to crown VIBE as Road March Champions for the 3rd consecutive year, Chairperson of the Virgin Islands Festival and Fairs Committee (VIF&FC), Kishma A. Baronville, has dodged this news site as it attempts to bring some clarity on the issue.

Virgin Islands-Based Entertainment (VIBE) band was officially declared Road March champions and presented with the winning trophy on August 6, 2016, the closing day of the Virgin Islands Emancipation Festival at Rita Francis Festiville in Road Town.

It was Baronville herself who made the presentation to the band.

However, the method allegedly used to adjudge the winner is not sitting well with many, particularly within the entertainment sphere.

The bone of contention

One source close to the matter, who spoke to this news site on condition of anonymity, said time and time again things go haywire and it just shows that even in a Road March Competition, corruption exists.

Cheating, the source continued, is nothing new to the competition and it appears that this is what happened in this instance, since it was the common understanding that all the bands were competing for their best song.

“However, if you entered four songs that will give you four chances to win but the wrong thing that was done was adding up all the songs to select the winner.”

“Adding up all the songs together, if was a mistake, they need to stand up and say it was a mistake, if it was deliberate it will show how corrupt a simple competition is in the BVI,” the source pointed further out.

Countless members of the entertainment sector here have been crying foul with what they referred to as the new and sudden change in the judging criteria, where the band with most song entries was adjudged the winner and, unlike the norm, there was no winning song.

VIBE walked away with $ 5,000 as the top prize, entered with four songs while the Showtime and OMG bands had two songs and Relentless band, one.

When Virgin Islands News Online contacted the management of VIBE, they flatly refused to be interviewed.

We also attempted to speak to Chairperson of the VI Festival and Fairs Committee, Kishma A. Baronville, but she requested that we call back in two hours, however, she could not be reached when attempts were made two hours later and neither was our call returned.

It is not the first time Ms Baronville has promised to speak to this news site on matters relating to festival but has failed to keep her word.

24 Responses to “Baronville dodges media on Road March controversy”

  • voter (11/08/2016, 08:41) Like (3) Dislike (1) Reply
    under the NDP and that gang corruption is the way of life in this BVI
  • hello (11/08/2016, 08:44) Like (15) Dislike (0) Reply
    She knows why shes running. In other matters, MacDddy song played more than Jugu song. Why they focusing more on giving his song road march than MacDaddy song? Something to wonder about. The committee needs to admit something went wrong in favor of Vibe. Nonsense has to stop..Kishma need to really resign this time.
  • smh! (11/08/2016, 08:48) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    Hmmmm trouble!!.........them still with this again ?!?!
  • Eat your heart out (11/08/2016, 08:56) Like (11) Dislike (10) Reply
    At the ending of the day .. nobody knew any other songs other than VIBE songs.... What songs did OMG put out ? What songs did SHOWTIME put out .. Much less relentless.. I sat down on the side of road for parade and all i heard was VIBE. SHOWTIME HAD a FREE album release party and nobody showed up .. That BAND is GARBAGE ... Every time you turn on your radio VIBE.... OMG can play but they don't play their own songs .. At the ending of the day EVERYBODY KNEW that vibe was going to win road march cause they didn't had any competition.. SO everybody just need to have a seat ..
    • Being real (11/08/2016, 12:18) Like (6) Dislike (6) Reply
      The thing is "Eat your heart out" it's not about the songs you heard on the parade route. It's about the songs that were played the most in the vicinity of the judges' stand. I stood right next to the judges' stand and all I could hear was Showtime's song. In all honesty, VIBES song barely played. I couldn't careless who won, as they are both not my style of music. All the bands are equally talented in my opinion, but fair is fair. If you're going to crown a road march champion, with a road march SONG, then how can you combine all the songs and crown that person, that's absolutely ludacris. If the committee made an error, have some integrity and admit your short comings, you will be respected then. People make mistakes, its what you do after the mistake made is what counts. Do the right thing people. Remembers it's the PEOPLE that is needed to make the festival successful, if the bands decided to boycott the celebrations what would you do next, dance in the street to sound of the wind? Let's fix this.
    • ummmmm (11/08/2016, 13:03) Like (6) Dislike (9) Reply
      Showtime songs are much better quality! MUCH BETTER!!!!!
  • dem say (11/08/2016, 09:05) Like (10) Dislike (3) Reply
    They have been cheating from way back when when I was a member of the Festival Committee. They need to stop now. They even cheat when persons ties in the prince and princess show this year. They just need to STOP
  • Cut the sh** (11/08/2016, 09:22) Like (14) Dislike (9) Reply

    VIBE is far better than all the other bands at this point so cut the foolish argument about road march. Showtime flopped in the village, flopped at wet fete, flopped at their own album release and flopped on the beach. If you want you jam ram, call VIBE.

    • sense (11/08/2016, 16:16) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
      But what does that have to do with road march? It's suppose to be the song that played most on the road. Simple. Not who jam flopped and who didn't.
  • tola (11/08/2016, 09:43) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    God does not like ugly anyway
  • Street reporter (11/08/2016, 10:30) Like (19) Dislike (7) Reply
    There is no controversy. Vibes win hands up.. I was on the road, I'm my own judge. Vibes better than them,. I don't understand why Jugo put boss on his truck.. and OMG is nothing but a confusion band.. stop making FN confusion, please there is no need to. Let it be. Vibes is better than u all
    • Yo eeeediot bouy mek i tell uuuu sumting.... (11/08/2016, 14:49) Like (1) Dislike (4) Reply
      If dats yo opinion....its obvious that u fall under the like man band wagon fo vibe.....OMG is deh band wid swag n bounce!!!#riddem bass n chant to wukup!!!! Tek my advice bigdawg....all u like to do is go jam to standup..stay hm n giv yo poor hand dem a lil break man.!!!:)))
    • grace (11/08/2016, 17:57) Like (5) Dislike (3) Reply
      I agree with you OMG is pure concussion always gossiping i dont know if Jevon think he's so hot since he wins the Soca monarch but he need to go voice practice. I like relentless they young and coming give them a few more years. Vibes needs to do voice trading as well.
  • Funny thing (11/08/2016, 11:25) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
    Vibe is such a bad and evil minded band that they allowed Boss and Bertie to perform with them on the road. Why did Showtime not get their bard together in time to compete??? This is all madness. Vibe is the better band at this time. People are creating confusion and blaming everyone for their loss.
  • Yes (11/08/2016, 11:35) Like (3) Dislike (5) Reply
    Vibe bats busy under this article i glad to see the growth in the other bands and supporters they stay off blogs
    • lmao (11/08/2016, 13:35) Like (5) Dislike (2) Reply
      I see your twist....smart but not clever. For the past week it was the haters and other so called bands on these blogs bashing VIBE. Now someone speaks truth into the situation and highlight your lessness thru the year, you talking about growth. How about a change for 2017 some of you overweight, deformed artistes/singers actually make an album with sense. Everything Vibe do the monkeys do! Mind over matter.... Vibe dont mind cause you dont matter.
  • the future (11/08/2016, 11:45) Like (7) Dislike (2) Reply
    I now see what i been hearing for years , reading these posts i see people trying divide each other as a your musician i watched and admire showtime when all was together boss and jugo gave me that opportunity this year in a act of unity i loved that. Now this article has nothing to do with the comments i am reading for its the way the road march was judged is the issue not omg not vibe not showtime...yet you people under here trying to create confusion between the bands. Wow
  • 1 plus 1 (11/08/2016, 11:51) Like (4) Dislike (4) Reply
    This is the problem with the BVI , take loyalty too far.. if i rep showtime or vibe i repoing them no matter what . Same thing with politics if i ndp or vip i repoing them no matter what. The bands must inquire if they entered a road march song competition and up until now a song cannot be named as the winning song. My gawd
  • Yup (11/08/2016, 12:25) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    Kishma is being trained well by the NDP which put her there... do what you want when you feel like Nd answer to no one
  • @ Eat yo heart out... (11/08/2016, 14:36) Like (2) Dislike (6) Reply
    At the end of the day sc*!tbouy....not ending..:))... u sound like a real as!w!p!... is obviously u in da like man band wagon... talkn bout nobody knew any other songs other than VIBE songs.... What songs did OMG put out ? really as!w!pe :)) OMG songs "Wine Pose" and "Major Way" were the #1 n #2 hits that were featured on vi top list.#oldst!!tbouy...frig a showtime.. i wid yo on dah one deh...dem cud stay hm 4real:))))... Relentless came out hard. giv jack his jacket mannn:)).. EVERYBODY KNEW that vibe was going to win road march cause they CHEAT!!!!!. SO wat uuuuuuuuuu need to do is stay home n giv yo poor oldschool hands a break...wid a dem hand jam...#hands up.........hand down..!! :)))))
    • Eat your heart out (12/08/2016, 08:27) Like (5) Dislike (4) Reply
      Are you Dumb? Was VIBE doing the judging ? did VIBE announce the winner ? how can they cheat ? I ain't hear any of the mention songs on the parade route.. :/ .... I didn't even hear them playing their own songs ... every minute they playing cool breeze song. If every time they play, they play majority of their own songs everybody else .. NOT ONLY YOU .. would of known their songs... By the way you're typing i think you need graduate before you think about road march :/
  • Not2Sure (12/08/2016, 20:31) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Shakespeare said it best about how history will judge festival under mvw legacy as a dishonest, dishonorable and defeated candidate in the next election to be:

    "This life, which had been the tomb of his virtue and of his honour, is but a walking shadow; a poor player, that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more: it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."


Create a comment


Create a comment

Disclaimer: Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) welcomes your thoughts, feedback, views, bloggs and opinions. However, by posting a blogg you are agreeing to post comments or bloggs that are relevant to the topic, and that are not defamatory, liable, obscene, racist, abusive, sexist, anti-Semitic, threatening, hateful or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be excluded permanently from making contributions. Please view our declaimer above this article. We thank you in advance for complying with VINO's policy.

Follow Us On

Disclaimer: All comments posted on Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) are the sole views and opinions of the commentators and or bloggers and do not in anyway represent the views and opinions of the Board of Directors, Management and Staff of Virgin Islands News Online and its parent company.