FNM Deputy Leader Peter Turnquest.
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
FREE National Movement (FNM) Deputy Leader Peter Turnquest is unimpressed with the government's management of the country's second Junkanoo Carnival event, calling it too expensive and too focused on foreign artists at the expense of local ones.
The Tribune reported on Friday that this year's budget for carnival will be about $7m, according to the Bahamas National Festival Commission (BNFC) chairman Paul Major.
That is $4.3m less than last years event but $4m more than initially projected, based on previous statements by top officials. Tourism Minister Obie Wilchcombe had suggested the event would cost the government $3m this year, though he said that was a preliminary projection.
The BNFC has also announced a number of international artists who have been contracted to participate in this year's event, including Trinidadian soca singer Destra and Haitian-born Grammy-award winner Wyclef Jean.
Mr Turnquest said this undervalues Bahamian artists.
"Here we are again with the headliners being big money makers, foreigners," he said. "The questions that the local entertainers raised last year and this year is who are we building this carnival for? Who are the beneficiaries? Are we going to treat local artists like we treat our athletes, where the value is not shown?
Organisers are sensitive to criticism that the event's focus is insufficiently focused on Bahamians, even as last year's event proved popular among locals.
To help combat this perception, organisers say there will be no act characterised as a headliner this year, even though more than ten popular international artists have been contracted to participate.
Organisers say well-known artists are important to attract tourists.
"I don't necessarily think big name artists are necessary," Mr Turnquest countered on Friday. "If you promote the culture, I think people will come. And do you really need ten foreign acts? If you bring a Destra or Wyclef Jean then why do you need the rest? As we speak there is a shortage of beds at the hospital, a shortage of medicine at the hospital. So what are we doing?"
As for the budget of $7m, Mr Turnquest said it is too much.
"Back during the mid-term budget debate the minister responsible indicated that the budget would be around $3m. Yet here we are projecting $7m, more than double the initial projection. We've heard nothing about the financial plan, the estimated revenues from this production. We are faced with the same problem we had last year: lack of planning, preparation and management."
Comments
TalRussell 8 years ago
Comrade deputy leader on behalf of all red shirts, I am going paraphrase a line of Paulie's from the movie Rocky.
Reds want you outta party Instamaticaly, if you're suggesting, while you were impressed with the first $13 million Kanaval 2015, but its the country's second Junkanoo Kanaval 2016 event that is too expensive and "too focused on foreign artists" at the expense of local ones?
truetruebahamian 8 years ago
They have no idea of the value of money or the work and effort taken to accumulate it through their taxes and to pay those taxes and yet survive. They throw it away and/or steal it. I personally would like for this nonsense to stop and for the PLP to pay back to each contributing taxpayer that which the taxpayer has contributed and which the PLP has stolen and/or wasted. Stop paying the party overpriveleged and collect from their recalcitrant cronies - e.g. Pingfam, Penn and others who have not paid their way and only expect to live off others. It Will stop and this governing party Will be brought up to answer and work off its debt to the taxpayers on what it has wasted and stolen - and trust me, they will pay dearly.
TorontoGal 8 years ago
As a regular visitor to the Bahamas I must say I go for the BAHAMIAN culture which is eroding away far too quickly and turning the Bahamas, expressly Nassau, into an extension of the U S.
To have non-Bahamian talent at a BAHAMIAN cultural event is foolish and ridiculous. Will the U. S. have BAHAMIAN talent as their headliner at a cultural event? I highly doubt it!! Wake up Bahamas while you still have a small portion of your culture left!!!
ThisIsOurs 8 years ago
The "no foreign acts" cry is too extreme, "to me". It sounds like the general why didn't a Bahamian get the job argument. Sometimes there's some unfairness in the equation, but 9 times out of ten, there's no Bahamian qualified for the job TODAY. That doesn't say a Bahamian can't be trained to take over the job tomorrow, but the people paying the money today want what they're paying for today. The people investing the money today need to invest to prepare the Bahamian for tomorrow.
The problem with this carnival is it's not really a Bahamian cultural event, it's a Trinidad style street festival, cloaked in the Bahamian flag paired with a mega concert. A mega concert NEEDS a major draw, the Bahamas doesn't have one today. This is 100% honesty. If this were a cultural event like the food festival, the crowd would come with a different expectation. For that type of event you wouldn't need a major draw.
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