2015 Canadian Calypso Monarch on Ice

OCPA: Start listening to Membership!!

By William Doyle-Marshall

I never thought in the history of Canadian Calypso development that I would hear that calypsonians will not compete for the bragging rights to be the best in the land. Well it has happened thanks to calypsonians and the body responsible for guiding the future of the artform.

The Organization for Calypso Performing Artistes (OCPA) has cancelled this year’s calypso monarch competition. It is pointless blaming OCPA alone. Whoever the cap fits can easily draw the string.

     The executive members of the Organization for Calypso Performing Artistes (OCPA) are careful to point out that they are doing a lot for calypsonians but there is no appreciation of their efforts. A major claim is: calypsonians do not support anything. They do not attend OCPA events nor do they come out to programmes that calypso tents organize during the year. There is some truth in this claim. But one must ask what sort of outreach is done among the calypso fraternity or in the wider music or cultural community in the Greater Toronto Area? It may be useful to consult with John Perez who gets calypsonians and supporters to attend his functions. Remember the memorial for Santa? We were there and there was no major promotional funding involved.

   It was quite a shock last week when Colin Benjamin, President of the Organization for Calypso Performing Artistes (OCPA) announced cancellation of the calypso finals for this year due to poor registration numbers. That certainly is very difficult to understand. It would have been about two months away from the competition. By this time things should have been well underway and plans set almost in steel. But no. It was not.

                               Finalists in 2014 Calypso Monarch contest
                               King Csosmos, left and Beginner
   The organization's board is following its bye laws of carrying on with its business in the absence of new elections. Okay, that is legal  but where is the leadership?
   According to its mandate OCPA shouldl be promoting fellowship among members and fostering collaboration and exchanging ideas and information between members of the Calypso community. Members have consistently refused to attend meetings thus preventing the ellection of officers to fill vacancies. the big question is: why is this happening? It sounds like the 'felllowship' fell by the wayside and no one picked it up to dust it off and re-start.
   In case anyone decides to accuse me of being biased as certain board members have done in the past, I must refer to the organization's website. Up to quite recentlythere was no new information about 2015 activities. The year is five months old. I must assume that there are no plans for OCPA to function this year at all. So cancellation of the finals is in keeping with the no agenda of OCPA.

   Response to this no finals decision has been surprising to Toronto’s Caribbean community at large. Dalton Higgins, a former artistic programmer at Harbourfront Center is not surprised by the cancellation, given that Canadian calypsonians are not respected the way they should be”.

   Henry Gomez (King Cosmos) is not surprised. “I think we can all agree that we need a formula to inject new life into the organization and Canadian calypso,” he says emphatically.

 Most of the veteran calypsonians didn't want a competition, he says. “We had been telling the board this for some time, but they thought that by registering non-OCPA calypsonians they would generate enough interest for a competition. It didn't work,” he explains.
   The idea for a calypso extravaganza was suggested by senior calypsonians, because there are several grievances to be addressed before going forward. Gomez says some of these include, judging, the back-up band, the emceeing and last year's high cost of tickets for the show. 

   Is the OCPA Board ready to listen?  Of course, calypsonians are waiting on the details for the extravaganza. How will singers be determined and who will make that decision is a major point in the debate. By the way, the decision not to stage the competition this year was suggested by tent managers at their meeting with OCPA board recently. But the organization seemed determined to do what it desires and things backfired. Wow!

   Attendance has been slipping at the Monarch over the past couple of years, notes Stephen Weir, publicist.  He thinks cancellation is a good move to re-energize the association and the art form here in Ontario.

   Knia Sing, Chair of Caribana Arts Group regards the cancellation as confirmation of his belief that an outside organization (Festival Management Committee) operating Caribana activities‎ would only lead to a deterioration and destruction of “our traditions and authenticity”.

   Phil Vassell, Artistic Director of IRIE Music Festival considers this development ironic that OCPA won't be providing the usual forum for Canadian calypsonians at a time when the music has made great strides and has been growing internationally. He understand the need for attracting new and young talent but he contends “there has to be more dialogue about how to go about doing so”.
   Kevin Padmore, composer and former executive member of OCPA regards the development as unfortunate. He sees it as “the result of people who believe that they are far too smart to listen to the people who are beneath them”.

   Calypsonians and calypso fans are continuing to express their shock and regret at no Calypso Monarch finals this year. This could be a useful opportunity for calypsonians to reflect and prepare to move forward. Calypso is growing by leads and bounds and Canadians should be participating in the development of this powerful art form.

Saint Kitts Music Festival: hot line-up

Kerwin DuBois, Bounty Killer and ASWAD on Saint Kitts Music Festival Line-up

By William Doyle-Marshall

    Caribbean tourism policymakers and air services and route development planners will gain invaluable intelligence on the subject from a top airline route development expert considered a specialist in the field. This takes place during Caribbean Week in New York June 2^nd at the Wyndham New Yorker Hotel in New York.

   The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), has organized a special masterclass in air service development by David Stroud, the managing director of Airport Strategy and Marketing Limited (ASM), a UK-based global company which helps airports and their destination partners attract new routes. The session is designed “to provide new insights” to CTO member countries seeking to attract new airlines or additional seats to their destinations.  The session, is titled “Strategies for Successful Air Service Development.”

   “The days are gone where people can sit back and expect business to come their way because they have a great facility or the beaches are attractive or there’s a fantastic hotel development down the road, so if we build the airport people will come.  Those days are over all over the world,” Stroud said.

   The ASM executive will share information on the next era of route development, how Caribbean airports and destinations can be competitive and in tune with what the market wants, what airlines are demanding and how destinations are responding to these demands; and how Caribbean route developers can prepare to deal with carriers and tour operators. For more information about the masterclass and Caribbean Week New York visit www.CaribbeanWeek.com, email CaribbeanWeek@caribtourism.com, call (212) 635-9530, or connect on Twitter @CaribbeanWeekNY and on www.facebook.com/caribbeanweekny.

   Among sponsors and supporters of Caribbean Week are 5*Cap Est lagoon & Spa Resort - Martinique, American Express, Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Association of Travel Marketing Executives, Barbados, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Caribbean Airlines, Caribbean News Service; Conde Nast, Curacao, Dominica, Grace Foods, Haiti, Jamaica, The New York Times, Puerto Rico, Routes, St. Kitts, Saint Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Martin, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, The Atrebor Group, Travel + Leisure, TripAdvisor, Unique Vacations/Sandals Inc, US Virgin Islands  and Wyndham New Yorker.

  Meanwhile, The St. Kitts Tourism Authority has announced plans for staging its world-renowned Music Festival from June 25th through June 27th at the historic Warner Park Stadium. This is one of the country’s major tourist attractions. Music lovers from North America, the Caribbean and elsewhere in the world pack hotels to enjoy days of rhythmic expressions covering various genres.

   This year’s line-up includes a strong team from Trinidad and Tobago -- Roy Cape and His Kaiso All Stars, Patrice Roberts, Kerwin Du Bois and Benjai; Jamaica’s Bounty Killer, Christopher Martin and U.K.-based Aswad are among headline artistes.

    Minister of Tourism, Lindsay Grant is excited about the 2015 edition of the Festival, which has become one of the most anticipated events in the Caribbean’s calendar of events.  “The St. Kitts Music Festival has grown over the years into a unique event that showcases international music stars alongside rising local and Caribbean acts,” the Minister said. “Promotion of the Festival started in the island’s various markets to encourage visitors to follow their hearts to St. Kitts, to enjoy one of the most diversified musical weekends in the Caribbean, Grant explained.

Minister Grant also noted that visitors attending the Festival can stay on to revel in the 'Biggest Party in Sport,' which is the Caribbean Premier League. With the destination being awarded the newest cricket franchise in the CPL – the St. Kitts-Nevis Patriots – St. Kitts will host all six neutral games in the CPL in July.

While the Caribbean is seen as a very favoured destination for tourists, the Caribbean Tourism Organization is continuing its efforts to keep the region in the eyes of the world where vacationers are looking for places to spend their money. “In a clear demonstration of strong demand for travel and Caribbean vacation in particular, a record 23.6 million visitors came to enjoy the Caribbean’s unequalled and diverse experience in 2014,” Hugh Riley Secretary General reported in the State of the Industry Report late last year.

   According to Riley those visitors spent a record $29.2 billion (U.S.) “This means that in 2014 1.3 million more visitors came to the Caribbean than in 2013 which itself was a record year, representing a 5.3% rise and well above the projected two to three percent increase,” the secretary general continued. Based on last year’s performance and considering the series of regional activities for 2015 so far, Caribbean Governments are leaving no stones unturned to ensure they capture their share of the market.

Donate $$ to Nepal Hurrricane Disaster Relief

$$$ Appeal for Nepal’s Tragic Hurricane Disaster

By William Doyle-Marshall

“The general plight is terrible. The schools: many, many schools have gone; hospital facilities, medical centers; let alone peoples’ homes. So people are now having to pick up the pieces as to where do they go from here: how do they rebuild. It’s a country that’s devastated. We have a country of 27/28 million people and when you know eight million people have been affected by this; at least 70,000 have been destroyed. That’s pretty dramatic.” -- Nepal Consul General Christopher Considine

 During a post-hurricane interview in his office in Victoria, British Columbia, the Consul General appealed to Canadians to contribute financially to the country he has been representing over the past 18 years.

   Considine is encouraging everybody to give money instead of clothing and other items. Up to May 26, the Government of Canada promises to match contributions made by Canadians. There are challenges involved with getting stuff over toe Nepal, he said. “The cost to transport it is usually in excess of the actual help the item will represent. So while we appreciate that kindness, right now it’s money so that the aid agencies are able to apply the money to the medicine and the housing and the tarps, the clothing that is needed by the people in Nepal at the moment,” Considine said.

   At the time of the earth there were lots of foreign visitors, including lots of climbers on Mount Everest who were affected. All the climbers, including those who were injured, from base one upwards were evacuated. “In terms of the tourists who have been tracking and particularly the Lang Tang area where there was a considerable number, most were taken out,” the Consul General assured. Initially the rescue team found adverse weather conditions because the helicopters go in on visual flight rules that stipulates if they can’t see the ground, they can’t fly. “With the clouds and rain that’s there, it’s making it quite challenging. But so far I am happy to tell you that I’ve had no reports of serious injuries for Canadians and no fatalities for Canadians which so far is very heart warming,” the Consul General explained.

                                                                Christopher Considine

“The Nepalese Army and rescue authorities from around the world have been able to get the injured out and taken to medical facilities for treatment. The Canadians are being flown out on Canadian military transport or they are flying commercial airlines out to New Delhi and then back home to Canada.”

   He was aware that many Canadians had family members and friends in Nepal and had not heard from them and were worried. Considine advised that they should contact the Canadian agencies in Ottawa through Foreign Affairs. They can also contact the Red Cross so they will look out for them. In addition, quite a few people have been out of contact because the communications systems are down. Cellphone networks haven’t been working, roads are blocked and what’s happening is, as the army find them with the helicopter, they are able to get them out to places where they can communicate so I am hopeful that within the next several days everyone who has a loved one over there will be hear from them shortly,” Considine said.

  This is probably one of the most devastating earthquakes that has occurred in the last 100 years for a complete nation to be shaken by what’s taken place. “The tremours went from Katmandu  up to Tibet into the Everest region, over to the west and to the east even as far south as India. It’s been extraordinary,” the Consul General concluded. They are UNESCO World Heritage sites in Katmandu which are extraordinary places to see but they have been damaged. And Considine is hopeful the world community will be able to come together to rebuild them.