The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

Viewer discretion should be advised for Destra Gracia, who has been contracted by the Bahamas National Festival Commission (BNFC) to perform at this year’s Junkanoo Carnival in Nassau.

The famed Trinidadian soca music performer is currently riding on the wave of popularity, owing to her hit song ‘‘Lucy.’’ An animated concept video of the song is posted on YouTube. Despite being an animation, however, it is still risque, indecorous and ribald, like many of her live performances. Anyone who sees the video would probably say that my assessment of the ‘‘Lucy’’ video is magnanimous and an understatement.

Destra has been in the entertainment industry since 1998. Her 2003 album titled Red, White, Black includes the hit song ‘‘It’s Carnival”, which was dueted with Machel Montano – the same Trinidadian soca performer who headlined the 2015 inaugural Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival.

Her hit song ‘‘Dip N Ride is loaded with sexual overtones. Its very title is self-explanatory.

In a live performance posted on YouTube, Destra performs ‘‘It Big or Small?’’ while she interacts with her captivated audience.

During the act, she struts her well-rounded figure with a male concert-goer and a young woman who is of Indian extraction.

Needless to say, the performance is sexually suggestive and is highly inappropriate for under-aged viewers, or anyone who has minimal moral scruples for that matter. In another concept video titled ‘‘Good Love,’’ Destra is seen clad in a see-through white shirt and white bikini. Believe it or not, however, this particular video is not as risque as the ‘‘Wine It”, “Bacchanal”, ‘‘It’s Carnival”, ‘‘Show Off”, ‘‘Calling Meh”, ‘‘Call My Name’’ and ‘‘Lucy” videos. Bacchanal seems to be a subtle compound word to those who are sharp-witted enough to detect its innuendo. For what it’s worth, sex is an underlying motif in this Caribbean musical genre.

In all likelihood, the  PLP government along with the BNFC shares the view that Haitian entertainer Wyclef Jean, Jamaican Reggae singer Tarrus Riley, and other regional performers such as Ricardo Drue, Kerwin Du Bois, Farmer Nappy, Rupee, Fadda Fox, Patrice Roberts, Skinny Fabulous, Bunji Garlin, Lyrical and Destra have the ability to draw thousands of international spectators to the event – something local Bahamian artists are unable to do.

The willingness of organisers to dole out $100,000 to Wyclef Jean and $30,000 to Destra has led some Bahamian entertainers to question whether or not the PLP administration is once again giving more deference to foreign performers than to their Bahamian counterparts. Lending weight to their argument is the fact that the Music Masters grand prize is only $20,000 – $50,000 less than what Wyclef Jean will pocket.

In fairness to the BNFC and the PLP regime, Jean is a Grammy award winning artist. But then again Baha Men won a Grammy award also. The Christie administration’s attempt to resuscitate the sputtering tourism industry is indeed noble, seeing that an open Cuba poses a dangerous threat to our economic vitality. However, with so many Bahamian women and girls being subjected to rape, sexual harassment and other forms of sexual abuse, featuring an artist who thrives on being sexually explicit sends a conflicted message to those who have been victims of the aforementioned crimes.

At this juncture, calling for the reneging of Destra’s hefty $30,000 contract might be useless. The PLP government can make the best out of a bad situation by imploring the Trinidadian soca performer to exercise some degree of modesty and decorum while on stage. The Christie administration and the BNFC should also issue an advisory to under-aged Bahamians, who will undoubtedly be exposed to Destra via ZNS TV and social media.

KEVIN EVANS

Freeport,

April 10, 2016.