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Non-payment to local artistes for Festival ‘disrespectful’- resident

- signing of contract with Festival Committee suggested to avoid payment issues
Many local artistes who performed at the 2015 Emancipation Festival as well as persons who won prizes and those who performed other services have long been complaining of not being paid for their work or given their prizes. Local artistes have noted that it is unfair that entertainers that came from abroad don’t have those issues. Photo: VINO/File
A large crowd at the Patsy C. Lake Festiville on August 1, 2015 where international artistes VIBE and the A-Team band of Trinidad performed, along with Busy Signal of Jamaica. Photo: VINO
A large crowd at the Patsy C. Lake Festiville on August 1, 2015 where international artistes VIBE and the A-Team band of Trinidad performed, along with Busy Signal of Jamaica. Photo: VINO
Host of the Speak Your Mind television show Mr Richard Courtney de Castro has urged the Virgin Islands Festival and Fairs Committee to get its act together and ensure that persons owed since Emancipation Festival 2015 could get paid before Christmas. Photo: VINO/File
Host of the Speak Your Mind television show Mr Richard Courtney de Castro has urged the Virgin Islands Festival and Fairs Committee to get its act together and ensure that persons owed since Emancipation Festival 2015 could get paid before Christmas. Photo: VINO/File
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI- “When is the Festival Committee going to pay people?” This question has surfaced again. This time it was on the Speak Your Mind show with host Richard Courtney de Castro on JTV Live on Saturday October 31, 2015.

The question was sent via text message to the show.

Many local artistes who performed at the 2015 Emancipation Festival as well as persons who won prizes and those who performed other services have long been complaining of not being paid for their work or given their prizes. Local artistes have noted that it is unfair that entertainers that came from abroad don’t have those issues.

Embarrassing situation

“Ladies and gentleman that is an embarrassing situation. We are hearing that there were persons who performed, some people who won prizes et cetera, and they have not been paid.

“We also have an anomaly because there are some people that come here to entertain and they are given a deposit before they even leave their country, and in some instances before the show is finished the receive the balance of their money, where the local people are usually left with the short end of the stick,” Mr de Castro commented.

The talk show host suggested that the Virgin Islands Festival Committee get its act together and ensure that the persons owed could get paid before Christmas.

“Ladies and gentlemen we have to be more accountable in the territory. We can’t take people for granted. You can’t just use people because they are local and pay other persons because of where they are [from].”

Mr de Castro then encouraged persons to have contracts drafted and signed before they entertain in future festivals. “Operate like a professional, treat them like another professional, and I guess we will get different results because we keep doing the same thing, going up there on the stage and performing every year and every year they holding the money until they feel like paying it. Jump up to the plate and make the change. Get a contract.”

A caller also agreed that it was unfair that the local persons who worked at the recent Emancipation Festival are not paid.

Disrespectful

Meanwhile, another text sent in to the show read: “This non-payment is very disrespectful. They are killing our festival, in extension our culture, they treat local musicians and local people with no respect, like nobody.”

Mr DeCastro agreed the non-payment to some persons who worked at the Emancipation Festival was an act of disrespect to the people. “Respect is earned. If you don’t respect yourself and your own people how do you expect people to respect you? I think that is something that our people in leadership needs to look at and follow. Respect is earned. You can earn respect by your actions…”

Nothing new

The issue of local artistes being owed for months after Emancipation Festival has been happening for years.

A caller on the Speak Your Mind show on September 21, 2013, had even said he felt local artistes should also receive advance payments just as international artistes do.

Host of that show Julio Sam Henry had said there should be no excuse why local artistes are not paid for services during Emancipation Festival.

“There aint no excuse why [local artistes] haven’t been paid. I don’t care how much money you have, if you don’t have enough, you should have paid them first and let the outsiders wait,” Mr Henry had said.

24 Responses to “Non-payment to local artistes for Festival ‘disrespectful’- resident”

  • chad (02/11/2015, 09:24) Like (8) Dislike (1) Reply
    where is the photo Minister is he still overseas wasting we $$$$$
    • Yes (02/11/2015, 10:17) Like (4) Dislike (4) Reply
      @wow you sound very upset lol lol but why you mad tho ????
    • burning inside (02/11/2015, 10:37) Like (3) Dislike (3) Reply
      jealousness
    • Music (02/11/2015, 10:48) Like (3) Dislike (4) Reply
      Very short on facts. Lets hear from an actual person who performed and has not been paid yet.
      • Umm. (02/11/2015, 12:45) Like (5) Dislike (1) Reply
        That would be all local acts as well as calysonian. Unless you want some curse words with that commentary, keep your thoughts to yourself.
        • Music (02/11/2015, 13:31) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
          Thats not very nice. All I am asking is that instead of the sort of innuendo we get from callers in to radio stations, we get some facts, so that if true we can all complain about he way festival finances are run.
  • same bull every year (02/11/2015, 10:04) Like (11) Dislike (0) Reply
    Why bawl when ayo know it's the norm?
  • wize up (02/11/2015, 10:27) Like (5) Dislike (0) Reply
    what's with this current administration and pay the local people; I am beginning to think that this administration is a government which was elected by the people BUT not for the people... I catch hell to collect the little pittance from them as well
  • the rock (02/11/2015, 11:33) Like (16) Dislike (0) Reply
    don't worry guys 2016, we are going to celebrate our festival-- virgin islands style, we don't need no reggae night crap, that can be kept at a private venue-- local calypso bands get ready and bring good music, those over in st Thomas u coming too, fungi bands get ready including those on st Croix like jamsie & the happy seven, Stanley & 10 sleepless nights and also the high school fungi band in st Thomas. schools lets start getting your steel pans ready I know u guys have them--then and only then we will have a way lower cost of festival and more fun too, and to those who will say that sounds boring, please u can go else where to celebrate your likening, I am a 70's babe and that's the way it was done-- and nothing was sweeter!
    • So true (02/11/2015, 14:00) Like (8) Dislike (0) Reply
      This is what Festival is all about! Bring all Virgin Islands bands, Fungi bands, leh we dress up in bright colours, get some tart, fried fish, johnny cake and stew conch and have a nice Virgin Islands festival!
    • bvi musicians (02/11/2015, 14:42) Like (3) Dislike (3) Reply
      We boycotting!
    • l (02/11/2015, 14:46) Like (3) Dislike (1) Reply
      Why you want to bring over the bands from St Thomas and St Croix? Our bands can't go over there to play. Disrespect again.
    • wize up (02/11/2015, 14:57) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      @ the rock; that will be good
  • so obviously (02/11/2015, 11:44) Like (14) Dislike (0) Reply
    MB wasn't the problem after all.
  • Protest!! (02/11/2015, 14:06) Like (7) Dislike (0) Reply
    Well for the past few years Treasury Dept has been collecting at the gates. So who aint been paint yet need to go down to the Treasury Dept and protest!..;p;
    • photo minister (02/11/2015, 18:05) Like (4) Dislike (1) Reply
      When was last time you saw a story about the photo minister on VINO? He limit his stories to the other newspaper where they block the blog regarding his stories. What a coward.
  • i am sick of the complaining (02/11/2015, 14:45) Like (5) Dislike (3) Reply
    They hear people bawling day in and day out about government taking long to pay...Why they took part in festival in the first place?...Stay away then!...Ah don't want to hear ayo.
    • Agree (02/11/2015, 19:14) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
      Boycott it. Or even better start your own festival and compete with the governments.
  • my two cents (02/11/2015, 17:01) Like (0) Dislike (3) Reply
    Make Deloris the Minister for Education
  • one million free. (02/11/2015, 18:56) Like (6) Dislike (1) Reply
    I' performed in the village. I ain't been paid as yet...why so much security officers? We need a better festival committee. All now fun raising should be going on. Bingo nights. Raffles. A once a month band Rama. Ask 4 local bands to contribute an hour of playing time. Then ask four calypsonians to do the same and allocate a calysonian to a band for two songs.. Then Ask Popeye to sponsore equipment. He gets his big money every year.. With a big nice bar. Food drinks... Wow.. Then there will be money to pay.. Then use the last night of festival as payment night. Call all acts on stage and give them their checks. In the present of the audience and the camera.... Marketing.. $1000.000.00 free consultation.
  • Hee hee (02/11/2015, 19:37) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
    After June 08 everything late. Tek Tat ayo got the government of your dreams.
  • Eagle Eye (03/11/2015, 15:27) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
    Dominica already receive their $100,000.00 from Ndp though


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