The Tribune

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

FREE National Movement (FNM) acting Chairman Brensil Rolle yesterday predicted that the government will spend “substantially more” than the budgeted $7m on this year’s Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival as he chastised the Christie administration for “continuing to waste our money”. 

He told The Tribune that it was the FNM’s view that the government was continuing to “devalue” Bahamian talent when it should invest the budgeted millions for carnival into Junkanoo and on this country’s talented artists.

Mr Rolle added that just as the party had condemned the government over the event last year, the FNM would continue to do so in the strongest terms possible.

“We continue to condemn them for not valuing Bahamian talent and for this view that foreign is better,” Mr Rolle said yesterday.

“We remain focused in our position that the government should be spending this money on Junaknoo as opposed to carnival. It is promoting the culture of foreigners and demoting the culture of Bahamians.”

Asked if he was surprised at Bahamas National Festival Commission (BNFC) Chairman Paul Major’s revelation that the event would cost $7m, Mr Rolle said he actually thought it will cost more. 

“Certainly we know that the government will spend more than $7m and if according to them it will be bigger and better, I don’t know how it will cost less. Bearing in mind that they made a profit and the food vendors lost everything.

“If $7m will make it bigger, then that shows the money last year was a waste.  So I think the government will spend substantially more than they did last year. 

“We condemn that they continue to devalue our customs and culture over and over. They just continue to waste our money.”

On Wednesday, the BNFC revealed that international artists Destra, Wyclef Jean and Tarrus Riley, among others, have been contracted to perform in the festival.

Mr Major said the artists would be paid at their international market rate: about $30,000 for Destra, a Trinidadian soca singer, and about $70,000 for Wyclef Jean, a Haitian-born Grammy-award winning artist.

Early last month, Tourism Minister Obie Wilchcombe told The Tribune the government’s carnival budget would be “around $3 million”; however he did add that “work on the final number is still being done”.

Last year, the government spent $11.3m on the inaugural festival, going over its initial budget of $9m.

The announcement of a lineup that features major international artists also contradicts what BNFC officials told The Tribune last month when they said no big name international artist would headline the event.

At the time the revelation was a surprise, considering last year Mr Major said having international artists is critical to attracting tourists. 

The BNFC had been working for “a couple weeks” to secure the international artists, Mr Major said on Thursday, adding that negotiations were very delicate. 

While the final lineup of entertainers has now been made public, Mr Major denied rumours that last year’s headliner - soca singer Machel Montano - will be back to perform this year.

According to a statement released on Wednesday, “the down home flavours” of Bahamian sounds will be mixed with a Caribbean fusion of soca, reggae and Latin vibes during three nights of non-stop music.

Regional soca artists Ricardo Drue, Kerwin Du Bois, Farmer Nappy, Rupee, Fadda Fox, Patrice Roberts, Skinny Fabulous, Bunji Garlin and Lyrical will hit the stage during the three-day festival in New Providence from May 5 to 7.

Bahamian performers, including Elon Moxey, the Blue Band Connection, Willis and the Illest, Veronica Bishop, Ira Storr, Funky D and Puzzle will also perform.

In Grand Bahama, where the carnival kicks off on April 15 and 16, Bahamian top performers Stileet, DMac, Geno D, Jay Mitchell, Julien Believe, Visage and Ronnie Butler will be joined by international acts Fadda Fox, Shurwayne Winchester, and Olatunji, the press release said.