Kirkland 'KB' Bodie
By RICARDO WELLS
Tribune Staff Reporter
rwells@tribunemedia.net
POPULAR singer Kirkland “KB” Bodie yesterday demanded that Prime Minister Perry Christie “stop the clowning and dancing around,” and get back to work.
His advice came in statement in which the musician berated the nation’s leader in response to Mr Christie’s apparent criticism of the singer’s stinging lyrics about the government.
On Monday, during an interview that aired on ZNS News, Mr Christie cited the entertainer as one of the persons that is “negative about (Junkanoo Carnival)” but can’t do anything about the success of the cultural event.
At the time, Mr Christie insisted that opponents of the government’s $11m investment in the inaugural Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival could not argue with statistical data which indicated the cultural event provided an economic boost.
“It is an inane conclusion that culture is being corrupted by our having a Junkanoo Carnival. It creates a lot of economic activity. It gives Bahamians a lot of opportunities to have parties people pay to go to,” said Mr Christie.
However, Mr Bodie stated that Mr Christie’s “negative” labelling of his music is only due to his guilty conscience.
He said: “If you throw a rock into a pack of dogs, the one that yelps the loudest is the one that got hit.”
“I take my job seriously, I have been in the music business as a professional from the age of 17,” he added, in a letter sent to the media yesterday. “I would appreciate you taking your job seriously also, sir, knowing that we, the taxpayers of the Bahamas, are paying you and expect results, you and your colleagues are not entertainers, sir, do what you were elected to do please.”
Mr Bodie said he was amazed by Mr Christie’ focus on his music and lyrics, despite escalating crime, along with obvious conflict of interests and cronyism in his administration.
“It seems like I have hit a nerve. A tender spot, which means that I am doing my job as an artist on social commentary, that is more than I can say for you and your government, sir. It seems like you want all the artists and writers in the country to write about gay and merry things like carnival.”
Mr is the singer of popular Bahamian songs like “Hold Dey Feet To Da Fire”, “We Bein’ Sitted On”, “I Ain’t Fa VAT” and “Captain Kangaroo.”
He said the lyrics in his songs “speak to what is going on in our Bahama land today,” and he would welcome a discussion with Mr Christie to go over the words line by line, if the prime minister is inclined to do so.
Mr Bodie added that he also addressed the short falls of the Free National Movement in his music when the party was last in office. He said Mr Christie did not appear to have a problem with his music when the commentary was directed at his political rivals.
He insisted that his music reflects the reality that the Bahamian people have seen everyday since the Christie administration took office in 2012.
“The vast majority of our people are hurting, I think you know this, leave the entertaining to those in the entertainment industry, those with real talent, I know it seems cool being an entertainer in the Bahamas, but the pay is insulting, and your government doesn’t support you,” he added, seemingly referring to Mr Christie’s habit of doing the “Christie shuffle” at public events.
Mr Bodie finally called on the prime minister to “earn your pay”, adding that the Bahamian people are not taking him seriously as a result of him “joking around”.
Comments
Cobalt 9 years, 4 months ago
What does KB mean, "back to work?"
Perry Christie never showed up to work to begin with!
bahamian242 9 years, 4 months ago
Cobalt, I was just to about to say the same thing!
TalRussell 9 years, 4 months ago
Comrades of the dearest kinds, how does "KB" gives Tribune readers a big laugh? Tell them your pre rung 2017 General's bell plans, to unset the sittin prime minister. Didn't "KB" just get paid - forty-thousand taxpayers - Carnival 2015 dollars - you'd think the government's cheque did bounce and had PM's picture printed on it.
shortpants 9 years, 4 months ago
Keep up the good work KB ,looks like the words you sung surely got his attention ,but you would think that he have more important things to do than to get in front of the media to confront you, get gone go and attend to the affairs of the Bahamian people which pays you and you cronies .Keep singing KB maybe he will to his job on time and do some work but as we can see he finds time to listen to your music, so you working and he dancing around like the clown that he is .
Hogfish 9 years, 4 months ago
KB need to shut the f#ck up or he going to lose his citizenship.
TalRussell 9 years, 4 months ago
Comrade Hogfish, soon Minister Freddy goin have hire himself a citizenship, permanent residency and work permits revoking assistant.
TalRussell 9 years, 4 months ago
Comrades, the people around the PM, need not print off a fresh copy of this "KB" story for the PM to read - cuz it is not fresh news - only inflated and recreated from what
"His Eminence Da Third" has been yappin "on and off" about for past 2015 Carnival year.
Hotelier 9 years, 4 months ago
KB is a folk singer in the best sense of the tradition.
birdiestrachan 9 years, 4 months ago
The truth of the matter is :KB' CAN NOT sing. he can make noise and shake up and that is about it. But at the same time the PM should leave "KB" to himself let him sing, that is what he does. I have never heard the song.. There is no need for any exchange with him,
jackbnimble 9 years, 4 months ago
Well I guess that's your opinion. You do not speak for the majority. I love KB's music. I've downloaded several of his songs from ITunes and burned many calories running to them.
KB is only saying in a song what most of us think anyway. The PM need not be thin-skinned about it. It's true. We do have "jokey leaders".
birdiestrachan 9 years, 4 months ago
The carnival Was a means of putting money into entertainers pockets "KB" missed that.I was happy to see Mr: Ronnie Butler making some money, and he was well received by the crowd."KB" was against carnival and he having a bad mind hoped it would fail. it did not..A good time was had by all.
Wideawake 9 years, 4 months ago
A good time was had by all.....at the taxpayers expense! Squandering $12 million by throwing a party, does not represent good government!!!!!
Sad to say, Progressive all gone!! ... Liberal all gone! ...and all that's left is PARTY!! .... All that's left of the once Proud tradition of the PLP is a party....where half naked Bahamians dance and shake !
all gone
thomas 9 years, 4 months ago
It failed miserably. A good time was had by all, more than half of the tickets were given away, of course the event was crowded, that does not mean it was successful.
TalRussell 9 years, 4 months ago
Comrade I know how difficult it is but will make you fell better if you just come right out and say it. The PM knows better than to say - you can’t do anything about the success of the cultural event, cuz as PM he must be aware then even secretly, every PLP member cabinet and their uncles, knows that Carnival 2015, was far from being classified as having been a success at least not by any reasonable person's financial or cultural standards. But the PM is no longer declaring Carnival 2015 a "resounding success" and that's a good start toward showing signs of his Carnival 2015's rehabilitation.
TalRussell 9 years, 4 months ago
A fellow Comrade phoned to correct me that it was not "KB" who was paid $40,000 by Carnival 2015 but Sammi Star.
jusscool 9 years, 4 months ago
Don't think he ever performed.
TalRussell 9 years, 4 months ago
I am fan of Comrade "KD"s" music, just not his take on the PM.
jusscool 9 years, 4 months ago
Many many many years now Bahamians have hated to hear the Truth. And for the leaders of all Bahamians Mr. Prime Minister ,is no exception. Carnival was a terrible decision and waste of time,money and energy. In fact Bahamian Junkanoo'ers at a cultural event in Cuba a few months ago surely had a better time there than here. KB, stand your ground .Do what you do best tell all, the truth through your musical message! Because in fact no other Bahamian has the heart to do so.
TruePeople 9 years, 4 months ago
bey all dis fool for some knock off trini fest? and they only got some few thousands to send to the Gtown regatta?! this was always about political kickbacks, just like so many other gov't initiatives.
asiseeit 9 years, 4 months ago
K.B. is the Eddie Minnis of today. "People to People", go check. Sad to say same old PLP!
birdiestrachan 9 years, 4 months ago
All over the world there are cultural events, some people did make money, And look at all the young talented young men and women who submitted songs. do you all really be grudge them their success..?? .
TalRussell 9 years, 4 months ago
Comrade, of course we lift we hats to all the talented young man's and woman's, who submitted remarkable songs - but not if it encouraged the PLP cabinet hold-out their big spending hats to take 12 million (and still counting) dollars from pockets taxpayers. Might I enlighten you some over them originally planned designer Carnival 2015 outside toilets - just in case you never heard nothing about them.
TruePeople 9 years, 4 months ago
please think about how the Bahamian gov't can spend sooooooo much on a nonbahamian trini fest while ignoring genuine bahamian culture and concerns. then turn round and sell we some story bout they is for the bahamas, even to the point of warring with so called non-bahamians, with a forigen affairs minister who wants to deport any and everybody non-bahamian and non-PLP alike. As long as y'all believe these fools they guh love you cus they kno you is easy to exploit
pablojay 9 years, 4 months ago
Birdiestrachan i would submit that KB is the heir apparent to Ronnie Butler. Yes he is a very good entertainer and i really missed him at Carnival and Goombay Summer as it seems he was discriminated against in the latter,typical PLP fashion. As for the noise making and shaking up, you probably pay handsomely to see foreign entertainers do the same thing. Since you are very seldom correct on anything, KB's singing in this instance, i suggest you listen to two of his songs, "Mr.Rhythm and Rhyme" and "Send Her Home". He is my favourite entertainer and i would pay to see him perform, anytime, so being able to see him for free is icing on the cake. You see i love Bahamian music and i TRULY "Believe in Bahamians"! P.S. The two songs that i mentioned have NO POLITICAL MESSAGE, so take a chance.
TruePeople 9 years, 4 months ago
I ein kno bey. I ein seen no one yet to call equals with Ronnie in Bahamian music.
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