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‘We have lost the reason for the season’ – Cromwell Smith

- believes that people don’t know enough of the struggles of the forefathers to truly mark the occasion of Festival; calls for guidelines for performers
August 14th, 2015 | Tags: Edju En Ka cromwell smith Umoja ZBVI 780 AM festival
Radio talk show host Cromwell Smith aka Edju En Ka on his Umoja talk show last evening August 13, 2015 has suggested that the territory seems to have lost the reason for the season when it comes to the Emancipation celebrations. Photo: VINO/File
There is usually a lot of 'wukking up' in the parades of late. Photo: VINO/File
There is usually a lot of 'wukking up' in the parades of late. Photo: VINO/File
International act Morgan Heritage performing on stage at the East End Festival Village. Photo: VINO/File
International act Morgan Heritage performing on stage at the East End Festival Village. Photo: VINO/File
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI - Radio talk show host Cromwell Smith aka Edju En Ka on his Umoja talk show last evening August 13, 2015 suggested that the territory seems to have lost the reason for the season when it comes to the Emancipation celebrations.

"It seems as though this has happened with our emancipation celebrations. We seem to feel that we have lost the reason for that celebration," he said.

"I don't know if we have really internalised or if we know enough about our celebrations...about the transatlantic slave trade...that our forefathers experienced. I don't know if we know enough about that to have the passion towards the celebration," he said.

"To me that is the important aspect of the celebration...knowing what you are celebrating and how significant it was for the success of your forefathers in gaining their emancipation from physical slavery" he said. "So I don't know if we understand what that physical slavery entailed and the horrors of the slave trade...in order to have the real emotion to put into the celebration," he said.

He also spoke disapprovingly of the entertainment and what he described as vulgarity of the Festival parade participants and the entertainers who come to the country to perform.

However, he noted that while many people are quick to criticise they don't want to contribute to make a difference.

"I applaud those people who work very hard to organise the celebrations, put everything together, get the booths up and running, get the entertainers to come," he said.

He said that there should be more guidelines given as to what the troupes should look like and guidelines on the behaviour and performance of the artists to appear on the stages of the various venues. He said that there seems to be some good ideas coming forward but he is hopeful that the organisers incorporate these into Festival going forward.

28 Responses to “‘We have lost the reason for the season’ – Cromwell Smith”

  • Yessah (14/08/2015, 15:16) Like (15) Dislike (9) Reply
    You done gone and lost the meaning of the name your mother give you and to make it worst, you change it! To now come tell people what to do. You aint true to your own self, much less to the country. Give the people of the British Virgin Islands a d@mn break!
  • rewrsdffds (14/08/2015, 15:23) Like (15) Dislike (6) Reply
    Cromwell Smith and the other few who complaining will put on the cultural dresses etc and face the heat all by themselves
  • Hmmmm (14/08/2015, 15:41) Like (11) Dislike (2) Reply
    That has been lost years ago
  • vip (14/08/2015, 16:28) Like (2) Dislike (5) Reply
    Is he afraid to say that it started under his government the NDP???
  • decastro smith (14/08/2015, 16:31) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    2 donkies got from the pasture.
  • wize up (14/08/2015, 16:39) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    the government finances the festival; start with them
    • The real boss (15/08/2015, 08:35) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      And the Govt was hired and works for the same people dancing in the street.
  • It is not all about parades (14/08/2015, 16:53) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
    Other things need to be part of festival-put on a cultural pantomine- and develop a history and culture show with the likes of Elmore Stoutt and Reuben Vantepool- it is not all about Carnival and Jump Up
    • Lily Ann (20/08/2015, 13:12) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      LIKE ........

      Yall quick to criticize and no suggestions brought forward !!! SMH
  • So sad (14/08/2015, 17:30) Like (24) Dislike (0) Reply
    I don't have a problem with these people carrying on the way they do. I have a problem with tax payers monies supporting it. Let them put up their own money and Carr on how they want!
    • lily (20/08/2015, 13:16) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      Do you tell your landlord how to spend your money you PAID them ??? NO .. So Tax IS the Governments Money !!! They can spend it how they see it fit !!!
  • Agree (14/08/2015, 17:41) Like (5) Dislike (1) Reply
    Cromwell you are so right. I do not always agree with your thoughts, but this time you are so right. We have lost our morals a NDP trying to uphold all the mess others bring to our shores. What are we passing on to our children? Time to use local artists and let them know we do not want any vulgarity.those from outside come just for the money and we get nothing in return.
    • wize up (14/08/2015, 18:36) Like (12) Dislike (0) Reply
      @ agree; well said and the department of culture of these Virgin island need to do better
      • strupppes (14/08/2015, 20:20) Like (2) Dislike (1) Reply
        What Department of Culture......another waste of taxpayers money!
  • pat (14/08/2015, 18:03) Like (6) Dislike (2) Reply
    Comwell has no credbility to damm bias
    • 123 (14/08/2015, 23:09) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
      FOR SURE HE DISPLAYED IT FOR NDP JUST RECENTLY OLD COW BIRD
    • @ pat (15/08/2015, 07:56) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
      Whether you agree with Cromwell or not, he is right. I am certain that many other persons would agree with him but they choose to turn a blind eye to what is happening. Some simply stay away and others take vacation and go off island. As a child growing up here in the BVI, I looked forward to either participating n the August Monday parade or to just go and watch the many colourful, decent and creative entries along the parade route. What happened to the Clowns, what happened to the Highlanders, what happened to the creativity, WHAT happened to the Indians that traditionally marked the end of the parade. They were all replaced by a set of people with little or no clothes on parading the streets like a bunch of animals in heat and that to me is unacceptable. The next to go will be the majorettes because they too no longer fit the mold. It would appear to me that the less clothes you can get away with, the better. The tradition has been lost a loooong time ago, I am not even sure if we can get it back because, today's young people have already bought into nudity as the norm and dressing decent is a thing of the past.
  • Import = EXPORT (15/08/2015, 10:11) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    Festival should be about featuring and rewarding local talent, our history and local culture. Too much foreign imports give some of that exported monies to local so the culture and talent can develop and move to a higher level....So much music Scholarship you don`t see these qualify young musicians associated with a band. Why? when young people see young people doing positive things it motivates and encourage them...The loud and influential voices like Cromwell and the rest are very stubborn and don`t listen to others, think they know it all. Put a program in place starting now to develop local talent and local culture so we can decrease the export of our dollars
  • the media killing it (15/08/2015, 10:21) Like (1) Dislike (1) Reply
    The Media is the one killing the festival, they do nothing to hype the festival up, all they do is wait until its over to criticize, a few DJs just talk about their favorit band and their favorit artist, which is foolishness. they are all about making money, money, money, they don`t care about Festival and culture. (UNTIL GOVERNMENT GETS ITS OWN RUN AND OPERATED TV AND RADIO STATION) Local culture and talent will not get the hype and the marketing they need to be successful.
    • wize up (15/08/2015, 12:44) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
      @ the media killing it: I was made to understand that only ZBVI/Japhix and JTV are given all the NDP administration's business(their circle of friends & family members)....the young VI Landers have no real interest in our culture, the young people will rather have a big Mac over eating pea-soup; the young generation will eat french fries over having a meal of good old school boil sugar apple and pig tail: culture will change
      but your heritage will never change ( we need focus more on our heritage )
  • long time musician (15/08/2015, 10:39) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    During the midst of our emancipation and culturing celebration you have local radio station playing soul and reggae, (That should be a crime) all we artist is asking for is for the radio station to feature us during our festival 2 weeks of local music past and present that's all we re asking for the next 52 you play what you want...But like every one else they will have an excuse not to....I will like to see artist like John Tamba from Ecstasy, Chicken from Prime time and Pitt from splash be recognized for their more than 25 years of contribution. OMG. Why isn`t this happened already?
    • Forbidden Truth (16/08/2015, 01:19) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
      Good men are not honored in their own country. How many times they Goin to bring Destra here?
  • gone (15/08/2015, 18:18) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    This Emancipation Festival or whatever you choose to call it along with the VIP should be derailed to a "once was" section of our history. Scrap them both.
    The Bvi and any thing positive of its characer has been wiiliingly handed over to the Caribbean Islnds that can only sink and destroy as that is what they know. We are outnumbered. They will never learn our ways because the BVI has been suffocated by their dank dust.
  • tola (16/08/2015, 09:52) Like (1) Dislike (1) Reply
    To all who talking about the nudity of the troups during festival.Alot of you buy the skimpy and naked clothes for your girl to wear at other functions. Hell you even let them post pictures on face book in them. Even to go church you buy them for.
  • Seriously (19/08/2015, 15:28) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    How many of you are/were taught about slavery in school when I was in school it wasn't talked about and if my memory serves me right I can only remember once being told about slavery and it was such an eye opener. Before that I wondered why everything taught to me was about another race as if the black race did nothing significant. It wasn't until I was told of slavery and its effects that I came to understand why there wasn't any significant about my race being taught. I was in primary school and was smart enough at the time to understand that it wasn't that we didn't accomplish anything but it was the system of slavery . So if the school system and any other means can't find within itself to speak of slavery and show how we have overcome as a strong people how the hell will we understand the importance of celebrating correctly.

    So tired of our so call leaders!!!!
  • Amen (20/08/2015, 13:16) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    AMEN
  • Faye Ann (20/08/2015, 13:25) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Yes we must loose the reason for the season...because the Festival Committee sought to regulate the dress code amoungst the Troupes... and what they do ?? Boycott ... like their absence was gonna stifle the Parade So they thought they was doing the Parade Bad... but they were wrong !!!


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