UPDATE: Owed local artists begin receiving Festival 2014 payments
According to some of the persons in the group, which calls itself the Great Music Alliance, they did receive their cheques but contrary to what was announced at the closing and award ceremony on Saturday August 9, 2014, for a number of persons whose invoices were in and had no queries, their cheques were not ready for payment when they turned up at the Department of Culture as was publicly advised.
"We understand that certain things especially money in a government system takes time but for them (Mr Marvin ‘MB’ Blyden, Chairman of BVI Festival and Fairs Committee) to get on stage and make emphatic statements about payments being ready on a certain date is very deceptive," said one person who provided services during the Festival season.
"I will not put my name because our people are of the type that are bent on bashing you when you call a spade a spade…they like it better when you call a spade a snake and not even a shovel," she added.
In the meantime members of the Great Music Alliance said they are not pulling back on having a number of issues tabled with those responsible, some of those issues include a shake up from the top of the BVI Festival and Fairs Committee, treating local artists and others with respect, developing strategies to ensure timely payments for services rendered, fair selection of artists for local events, security/gate pass issues, selection of judges for all events among others.
See previous story published on August 12, 2014:
Local entertainers threaten legal action against BVIF&FC
- Say Chairman Mr Marvin ‘MB’ Blyden must go
PURCELL, Tortola, VI - Local band members, their leaders and individual artistes are threatening legal action against the BVI Festival and Fairs Committee (BVIF&FC) if they are not paid in short order for services provided during Festival.
The group met last night August 11, 2014 at the Purcell Community Centre as a result of their being frustrated about a number of issues they have been facing in dealing the BVIF&FC especially as it relates to their payments for performances during the 60th Festival celebrations which concluded over the past weekend.
Spokesman for the committee calling itself the great music alliance Mr. Tishaun Glasgow Aka DJ Taz told this news site that they have unanimously decided that should the Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Honourable D. Orlando Smith fail to ensure that they are paid forthwith they will be taking action.
"As far as the great music alliance the decision that they have taken as a body is that they are calling on the Premier and the Ministry of Education and Culture to avoid legal action by making payments immediately or else legal action will be taken against who is accountable for the payments," said Mr Glasgow.
He said at the meeting that there was full unity as it relates to what they have been continuously been experiencing from the committee. "The meeting in itself was very successful in the sense that the people have come together and decided that they would not be over-ridden or used in any manner and not be paid and especially paid on time, paid with deposits and that kind of thing,” he said.
While it was announced at the closing ceremony by Chairman of the BVIF&FC Mr Marvin 'MB' Blyden that persons could have turned up at the Office of the Department of Culture from yesterday to uplift their payment the group said that none of them received any call indicating that their payments are ready.
"You actually had people waiting in the village the other night, leaders for other bands were waiting were waiting in the village the other night and couldn't even be paid, couldn't be compensated after they were told that the cheques were ready and they would receive them," he noted.
The spokesman said that it is all about their frustration and fighting for their rights, “That's what it boils down to."
He said that they have decided on taking things one step at a time for now, when asked about their plans going forward. He said however ultimately as a body they will be calling for Mr Blyden to be removed from the position as Chairman.
"That's our first step then after that we look towards participating in Festival in 2015, where that may be an issue because [it is] the body's intention is to have the [Chairman of] the Festival Committee removed and changed [for] the betterment of everybody involved in the music industry," said Mr Glasgow.
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74 Responses to “UPDATE: Owed local artists begin receiving Festival 2014 payments”
I guess we're not slack enough or violent enough for you huh, i guess if they start talking about women in degrading ways, and sing about sex and tell guys how to use guns and make them feel if they don't own a gun they're not a man because they're not a badman or if a woman don't do this or that in the bedroom she can't get or keep a man, then our local artists and bands be high class entertainers?
And my 2 cents on this whole thing, EVERYBODY here regardless of our level of wealth when we done work and pay day is this day, we don't want our money tomorrow, we want it on the day promised, so i give the ppl here no wrong for putting their foot down. Many of us can't wait til Friday come and you're here talking nonsense bout how they acting like hungry dogs etc. Who don't want them money what they have already work for???? Even a rich man when he work he want his money.
First of all - you cannot get a deposit when the promoter comes to you and say 'we don't have the money for the deposit, but we will make sure you get paid right after the performance, but this is for the people.' Most BVI artist have continued to take what is offered so that there would be a festival.
Second - Most BVI Islanders don't even know their own. We have artists that have played and song with the best. Who have traveled. and performed internationally. Revelations has performed in many other countries and most BVI Islanders don't know this.
Thirdly - For those that say people are money hungry. Those people that are apart of the alliance are more than friends of the President and VP of the alliance. The alliance was put together so that the entertainers can come together as well and get rid off negative issues between one another. Why can't people see a positive movement and be happy. It is like you people want negativity.
Forth and last - If you work a job and you have family, bills and such, would you like to wait 6 months before you get payment. In this day and age when the land 'dry', I cannot see how certain people can have something negative to say about people trying to get their money after being disrespected. The disorganization of the Festival Committee, includes informing local artists 4 days before the event or even two hours before having to perform, inviting an international band stating that they will provide transportation from the St. Thomas airport to the dock and then not living up to their word. This band has now left the islands saying they will never return.
Some BVI Islanders do not support their own as can clearly see from these comments. The alliance is trying to do something positive that will affect young entertainers coming up and some people are so close minded. If you are not inside you will never know.
Its all about fairness. MB made it public on a radio interview that the bands tie so why it was handed over to one band. Boss is a mature young man and he has the right to behave like this if they treat him in such manner. Listen stop your BS and leave Boss and his crew alone. You are just adding fury to fire we dont need that drama all we need is ppl being treated with fairness and that will avoid all the confusion.
P.S if y'all planning to do anything ''BOSS'' get people with weight in the group!!!!!!!!!!!
From reading the comments, FB, other news sites, listening to the radio and being here the past few weeks. Its the same in every caribbean country; the difference is here they are taking a stand against the wrong being done against local musicans. In St. Vincent; Fireman voiced his displeasure against his government for the same; in St. Kitts the same with Small Axe and New Vybes. BGI, AXA, SXM, VI-US the same all over. The local Musicans are never treated as good as the outside musicians. Why because we who are local to any country always seems to think everyone outside is better than our own. That is a mentality we all need to come out of; we as a people will never get ahead in any country. They are against the curruption SUPPORT THEM!! they havent been paid SUPPORT THEM!! CURRUPTION BY GOV"t SUPPORT THE CAUSE. Dont feel cause you from another country means you can't get involved in whats going on there. You pay taxes right?
People wake up we have to remove ourself from self destruction and realize if "you don't stand for something you will fall for anything" Medger Evers.
Ok I think I ranted enough.
While LIME is out giving away $5,000 every week, the winners of Soca Monarch have NOT yet been paid! Shame on you, LIME!
Machel show earned more than $60K for the committee so no comparison. He sold out madison square gardens in New York and you comparing him to Showtime? Taz? Ritical? hahahahahhahahahahahaha!! nonsense. What makes me laugh is that these man always up and down about locals like they alone is locals. You think other locals flocking to hear them? Put them in the village alone for FREE and see what happen. They should be paid simply because they from here? GTFOH!! IYAZ from right here, he made it, he worked hard. If BVI want him they got to pay him because he has earned that. He can go anywhere and demand his pay because of the work he has put in. Outside of the BVI where ya'll going? Step your game up and stop b...hing little girls!
They cannot just keep writing checks.
When you sign a contract, you request half payment and then have a fixed date for the payment of the balance.
Overseas bands are professional groups with pre-design contracts especially as regards payments.
step up your game and stop griping.
THE ARTISTS WHO MADE NOISE HAVE GOTTEN PAID BECAUSE THEY DARED TO SPEAK UP FOR THEIR RIGHTS!!
NO FURTHER COMMENTS :-)
So now that this has been out forth I will wait to hear the next saga.
On another note MB clearly stated that vendors would have been paid in record time. He said that Saturday night. So I don't know why these folks are trying to gain points for being instrumental in being paid. For the most parts all the cheques had previously been written. But I have to smile, because soon this dust will settle, and for all the bad blood and mis statements that have been made, some will have short memories and forget. All in all is situation could have been handled better on both ends.
SMH.......My people stop being blind and open your eyes...