 Okay, good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and we're here this morning to unveil some exciting plans for the 2018 carnival slash Calypso season. Yes, it's that time of year again already, and we have with us members from the takeover 10 Soka Village International and they're about to unleash on the general public a very Exciting event. I'm not gonna steal a fund. I'll allow the tent manager to disclose exactly what this is But this particular event is in collaboration with the Ancelary Fish Fry Association and like I said the takeover tent Soka Village International the representative for Ancelary Cannery's Honorable Dominic Friede who was supposed to be here today have expressed, you know, his joy at being the host community for this event and he expressed his warmest regards to the Calypsoians for the 2018 season and we expect to have a bumper carnival season the last time I checked All major flies have been totally booked coming into St. Lucia And we expect some exciting Calypso's for the from the Calypsoians last year We know we had a great season and we expecting an even greater 2018 starting of course of this event on Friday the 25th of May that we're here to learn a lot more about So with how many further do I now invite mr. Cecil Charles to the podium to explain all this event is all about mr. Charles Good morning everybody. It's a pleasure once again to be here. It's the time of the year Which is the joyous part for me Calypso season Of course as we all know that takeover 10 Soka Village has been in collaboration for the last five years And we continue to develop our product in terms of ensuring that we are able to give a good account of ourselves to the P in public and to our supporters That we have been in existence of course from 1981 our first showing was in 1982 and of course the 10th founder to T was actually get through who we all know passed away a couple of years ago We have always tried to ensure that we Live that legacy and in 2017 we started that theme Calypso legacy and what we are doing is actually continuing with it what we are doing is that we are ensuring that our Community base is taken care of and to actually started that off a couple of years ago And we realized that we need to redirect our focus in that direction So just like a couple of years ago. I think it is 10 years ago. We did have our opening in ancillary This year. We are very happy that the ancillary freeze-right committee has decided to collaborate with us In terms of recognizing a lot of the Calypso nions who have come through the TOT stage and have come from the village of ancillary And of course one of the iconic person is who black Who black this year is actually celebrating 32 years and we said okay with the ancillary Committee freeze-right committee. It would be a nice start for TOT Which is of course the home of who black and also black pool wall and a couple of the others So coming on this friday friday the 25th We have our big opening the big show which is called who be and friends And what we'll be seeing is that there would be a lot of Vintage timeless Calypso's Together with a lot of new Songs that our artists some of our artists will be putting out there For our opening which would be wednesday the 6th of june So it means you are actually getting a preload Of what is to come and I could tell you From what you're going to get on friday at the hubian Friend show You will not want to miss the other Calypso shows for TOT Apart from Our opening show which is wednesday the 6th We are going to have what is referred to as a nostalgic event which we are actually referring to it as a signature event And it would be an inaugural event which is titled timeless panlipso That event will actually portray Or see in performance our calypso Who will be backed up by a pan sign a pan orchestra? It's a novel idea. It's a new idea. And I could tell you that event will be held at sandals Sandals Halcyon and Just imagine calypso nians been backed up on pan And that show I could tell you it will actually be built as a pre-father's issue So it means you have to give your father A gift For that sunday, but the show is a saturday. So that's why I refer to it as a pre-father's issue So that is one our signature event. So this year and as I said it's ignore girl It's going to be an annual show And we there again, we are collaborating with some other entities That will because what we are doing we are branching off We are going into the community and we realize that we need to to do that We are also speaking to babuno community And the meekwood carnival committee The plans are not yet finalized. So those two communities, but I need to tell you They are well underway. So you need to look out for bumper season with tooty in terms of Changing the landscape of calypso and not allowing it to be a situation where we only think of the calypso finals so Look out for the hubby and french show Coming this Friday the 25th tickets are only $20. I need to tell you only $20 So just imagine you're going to get something like over 22 songs for $20. So it means it's less than a dollar a song It's less than a dollar a song and to get that kind of thing. I mean Who is who would not want to take advantage of that opportunity? The tickets are available at steve barbershop. It's also available at the ancillary constituency console office, and it is also available with tooty members CDF has some tickets. I need to tell you also So we are heading down to ancillary Friday is a hubby and friends ancillary party Castery's party everybody be down there with us to celebrate with full black 32 years of community service through calypso. Thank you Thank you. Mr. Cecil Charles And um, I know when I started off. I said that the minister was a little delayed and he did promised to be here and um, he have expressed His excitement about this event and is looking forward to All the other events for carnival 2018 so he has just made his way We will give him a few minutes to compose himself But whilst we do that, I know some of you probably wondering well, where's the star himself? Who black just to inform you that? um A number of our calypsoonians and so far these have been traveling the world as of late And um, who black happened to be one of them who black just came off from a great concert in Canada And um, we expect that he's a little jet lag right now So he needs to relax and get his act together for that big concert on friday But instead we have his wonderful Sister a calypsoonian herself Um, who are made weird with tea tea over the years So she's going to tell us a little more about the show on friday as well as about her brother and his involvement in calypso over the years So I welcome blackpool to the podium Boshu Tutmoon. Good morning everybody. My name is Agnes Chester blackpool sister to her black And Tony Sylvester Lewis well, um yes takeover tent Is my home not words but ease because everybody wants to take me away from takeover tent, but i'm still there And this year we're going to have something big. We're going to start with my brother 42 years in calypso My brother been struggling for a long time from the time he touched stage Is either who black going to be king or who black not going to be king He had it this year in his hand, but for some reason it went out, but it's okay and he's still there um Well, the happiest thing about it this year For so long. I told my brother to write my songs for me and he goes you have your right already, which is jetty and fierce But he always saying your time will come last year We was going to do a show with invader and then he said I have I have a song for you And I said okay, no problem and he sing the song and I said me That song not for me because that's what black bull my my song is still illegal But what i'm hearing that's straight from black. So I said, okay, my brother no problem And I just pass on this And some months ago he said black bull you're not coming for the song and I said, okay, brother I'm in souffle. I'm coming down when I reach he had the paper in his hand I'm looking at the song, but I'm looking at him and said but that's what my song and he said Well try it So when I went home, I tried the song and it was okay. So I said, okay I'm gonna have one of the songs But when I look at it, I said What's going on brother? You leaving me on one foot? He said black one. Why are you talking about? I said I want another song because if I have a good song I want another one because every year I have a patois song and I have a English song. So I want two good songs He said what about your songs? They're not good. I said, it's not that I just want to sing 12 songs So he said, okay, you were sitting home and he gets some news and he said, okay I have another song for you and when he give me the other song I like the other song better So I said, okay, I'm going with that. So I'm very happy to sing my brother's song To be on stage and sing in my brother's song. It gives me a confidence. I I know I had it in But this year I'm going to bring it out. I'm going to be a different black people people who come out to see that Dress the way I usually dress with my tights and everything out This is going to be different Because the songs are different and they have good lyrics and I love the songs Now I want everybody to come out in in on story because me and my brother was born in on story I started singing in 1988 I remember that because I came from I went to England with my sister and when I came back I said, okay, I'm going to do something with myself But my brother was already on stage and I was already singing his songs. So I said, okay Why don't join my brother? I came in take over tent. They accept me Mr. Chalo was there wasn't there at all at all at all. I was long long ago But he came and meet me there. We have our ups. We have our dongs, but I'm still there So what I'm asking the people of on story and All are wrong to come to on story and see my brother do his thing 32 years in calypso And I'm gonna I'm gonna be standing right there by him And I'm gonna show him that we My mother's child. I'm always see always black lagoon Is still standing and one thing my mother always saying When my brother's song used to play she said She always watching my mother because she don't have no nose And she always saying that so I'm watching what kind of nose that going up But it's when she was dying. I remember I had to remember everything all the good things and all the bad things. I remember but mama What mama was saying was right and she was saying that she was proud of us So even if she not there now I'm gonna feel happy and I wish she was there to see Her daughter and her son on the same stage doing His thing put it to use in calypso. So I want everybody to come and enjoy it And give him all what he deserved from the starting to the end. Thank you Thank you black bull and indeed you've made selusia proud. You've also made a community Of answering proud and you said 1980 so that means 30 years So I'll have a chat with the minister. I think for juniquial We need to do a black pulling concert in ancillary celebrating 30 years And speaking of the minister, um, I now invite honorable Dominic Fede parliamentary representative for ancillary canaries To say a few words about this event and just to backtrack a little I know that um The minister is very proud of the community and hence the reason why he instilled The return of the ancillary fish fry and like we've been saying the ancillary fish fry Committee is very much involved in this event and we've seen a number of artists from the community taken to the stage at This friday fish fry black bull you've been on the stage at that event as well So without any further ado, I now invite honorable Dominic Fede to say a few words about this event and about carnival on the whole and the thrusts from his ministry And the involvement in carnival as a whole overall Thank you very much. Good morning everyone members of the takeover tent Black pearl it's really good to see you this morning and an old friend lady linn Really good to see you here as well members of the media and those of us those of you joining us by television Tony thank you so very much. I think I stand here very very proud of your brother as the member of parliament and I said yesterday in the parliament That he is an iconic figure And I say so because it's very very tenacious for someone to Be performing And be good and be relevant for 32 years I think it is a very special feat and it requires a special individual So sometimes we take anniversaries for granted But if you think of a lot of athletes and celebrities and people in their various fields Who find it very difficult to make it for three? Decades it is a special feat and it should be commended And it really speaks volumes of the type of family that you have come from And your mom i'm sure she wasn't only proud of you But I think that she instilled in you and your brother A special kind of discipline a special kind of character that can keep you going on the stage for so long and you know What makes it even more special is that Your brother At times there were controversial decisions which may have gone against him and He is still there Performing and giving his all and being an ambassador to The art form of calypso And continuing to do such an amazing job So I know that ancillary is very very proud and I know that friday will be a smash And I know that it's going to be a wonderful event So I want to take this opportunity to invite all of st. Lucia to come and to be part of This history-making event And I think it's befitting that we're having it in his own backyard the village of ancillary So take over tent. I thank you for teaming up and supporting the ancillary fish fry committee who at this point deserves The very highest level of commendation for their hard work and their stellar contribution in bringing back the fish fry Thus far. They have done a remarkable job. And this is all part of this initiative and her block was very much central to helping us to arrive at this stage of Resurgence in the ancillary fish fry. So we're excited. We're happy and we're glad that you're joining us I hope that lady linds presence here means that she will be on the stage as well And I am looking forward to seeing her performance as well This is part of our government's thrust to support a lot of our musicians and give voice and to Adequately invest in the local music industry You know We have said a lot as policy makers over the years about the state of the music industry and the state of the culture sector in general And I think that we've paid lip service to it and we haven't given the art form Uh, the level of support and investment that we should and we have failed our country over the years And I'm very very glad to see that, you know, my government is making a shift And that shift is is let us discontinue spending All of this money to promote a lot of the foreign artists that we do for jazz, for example And let us now Invest in our own festivals our own people our own culture I was absolutely proud one day. I was in a one night After work in toronto. I was in a bar recently and Being entertained by some travel agents after a function And and there was the dennery segment music, you know coming over in toronto And you know, I got goosebumps. I was absolutely proud that here is sin lucian music in this Metropolis in this big city Where there are so many cultures that are competing And so many songs and so many artists that are better Um With better capacity and with better budgets and perhaps with a better team around them And and you know what here is dennery segment making it Over the arrows in the city And I think it is an example of Of what can happen to our music industry if we Are methodological about it if we are deliberate about it and if we don't leave it for chance But if we actually give our arches the very best chance They can to become the very best version of themselves Then I believe that we will arrive at seeing More and more of our performing artists In in various art forms and I think that you can also apply that to sports We have built many facilities, but We haven't had structured development programs that you can point to Which is why when I worked in the private sector I saw this as a big gap and you would have known for many years I Did work and and conceptualize and executed the sandals cricket academy And we did that for about 16 years and it made an enormous contribution to the development of young cricketers But once they moved from on the 15 And and there was a void in development programs. We saw where the The cricketers became very naked if you wish and they were exposed to The international game and the standards that are required And I think it's the same with the music industry unless you have a structured Development program and unless governments take the lead then I believe that We will just perchance Have a regional artist and we will perchance have a hit now and then but we have to be a lot more deliberate about it And I would like to see that and I want to promise you here this morning that Sitting in the cabinet, I will do everything That I can to influence that change in our country I want to give you a little personal story when I hosted junio creole two years ago We had a subvention from the frc. It was $6,000 to host the entire thing. I mean you think of it You need a stage you need Sound system you need to set up all of the booths you need a lot of stuff And I'm proud to say that this year The government has allocated. I think the budget previously was about 30 or 40,000 But now it's 600,000 So you see a deliberate Attempt and a deliberate ploy by this government to invest in the culture or the indigenous culture of st. Lucia There's a great nexus between our culture and tourism and Our culture is not just something While it gives definition to who we are and I think it makes us understand who we are as a people But I think it also helps economically Because then our culture can become a staple within the tourism product offering people come to our destination because of The way we live and the way we dance and the food that we eat This is what makes us unique And you know every single travel research now suggests That people are traveling for unique experiences People are not coming To see a mirror of what they do in their own everyday scenarios. They are coming for difference And you know millennials who will make up about 50 percent of the travel industry In the next seven to ten years Are looking and they have said very loudly That they need unique experiences And that is the biggest Stimulant for them to travel and we have a great opportunity in st. Lucia to fuse and to better define Our creoless our frenchness our britishness Our europeanness and if we can bring all of these cultures together our caribbeanness And we bring this wonderful fusion Of what we have become as st. Lucia's that I think that we Would have a unique opportunity Among destinations And nations around the world So there is a lot here at stake if we can get this particular part of our development right I want to say to you. Thanks again And I look forward to welcoming you along with black pearl, of course to The beautiful village of ancillary on friday see you then take over tent and I hope that st. Lucia will be coming out In large numbers to support her black and the cast. Thank you so very much Thank you very much honorable minister and um What better endorsement can this event get I know Cecil Charles you're very you're like a proud father right now And um one of the things the minister mentioned was an excess between um the arts and tourism And I'm going to bring Up a lady lady linn Who besides the calypso stage I've seen her At some of the hotels Entertaining the guests and let me tell you if you think you've seen lady linn on a calypso stage entertaining You haven't seen anything yet. The the wish is able to get some of those guests to come on board and form that train It's simply amazing. So and I'll invite lady linn to tell us a little about her involvement in this Um concert on well, it's not a concert. I shouldn't call it a concert I think it's going to be a a jam session a party or a celebration of of her black and out have you so Lady linn the microphone is yours Good morning to everyone. Um I must say I'm very happy to be here. I must say thank you to honorable dominique um t o t I used to be in Ambassadors calypso tent and then I moved over to t o t The welcome was wow Um, I must say I'm very happy there for years. I've been here there right now and chalo knows that um I have Stop competing really But he's after me, you know Lynn you've got to do something. So I decided to Come back in the arena this year But let me say her black I have known her black for many years And I used to be doing the background vocals for calypso before I became a calypso And I remember her black's first Time back him in backing him up and you know, he's such a humble person I must say that We have a very very good relationship and I I like the way He has a unique voice a voice that you can't forget um I would say I would like y'all Everyone his fans everybody I want y'all to come to that special night You know life is short And we don't know when we're going so All of us. Let's make an effort to come on On friday. I will be there for sure. I will be performing new and old songs um Black pole and I you we are buddies, you know, we she will be there Dennis james. I don't know if you you may not recall Dennis james But Dennis james has been there for umpteen times long before me I'm not in the calypso arena, but in other genre of music He sang and he's also singing calypso I think he sang last year year before year before yes, and he will be there too So you have you have different people coming in even newcomers Will be there at anstery fish fry I would like to see everybody come um it is A pleasure It is wonderful for me to be here with and to see that I will be there on friday with hope black. Hope black is My special special calypso He has worked hard He has had his ups and downs all of us But we are still there So give us what we supposed to get right now not when we did we don't need it when we did right now So come and celebrate in anstery with hope black I must say thank you to gis and thank you to everybody charlo have been working hard for jab He's been working really hard and his wife And the other members of tot so please come out And be with us at this special occasion. Thank you so much For being here Thank you Lady lean The next individual i'm going to call to the podium my first encounter the gentleman A few years ago in canada incidentally And also incidentally he was in the company of hope black and the hope black was hope black Dennis james and in vader. I think it was Several years ago and I saw him perform for the very first time and I was Indeed wowed by his performance and I'm happy that he is now here in san lucha and he'll be part of this Hope black and friends I'm event on friday. So I now call to the podium mr. Dennis james Thank you very much Like I used to say in um at this present moment I live in canada montreal canada But most of the times they would ask me exactly where i'm from i always say i'm originally from the island of san lucha The beautiful island of san lucha This is my third year in calypso in san lucha I've been singing for quite a while in um In canada i've won the canadian calypso monarch three times And second many many times But it was always a always a pleasure of mine to be in san lucha I always wanted to be on the stage with the great names like the linds and the black pearls and And I tried about three years ago and I got the opportunity to do that And now i'm back for the third time It would be a pleasure to be in ancillary. I don't recall singing in ancillary So i'm i'm looking forward for that I started a very very long time ago I think I think in my mind. I think i'm the grandfather too I think i'm the grandfather to all the singers here I'm new to to calypso singing in san lucha, but I think i'm the oldest In all of the singers in um, i'm 71 years old and i'm think 71 and I think um I'm the grandfather So, um, I'm looking forward to ancillary Looking forward to ancillary and I hope I do see you there. Thank you very much I think I need to ask you what what part of san lucha you originally from mr. james From castries, okay Well, whatever your parents did or whatever you Were doing as a as a young boy when you were in san lucha you did something right to be Looking as well at 71 The CDC Maybe back then there was no asbestos in the ceiling That's that's for another show like they'll say So ladies and gentlemen there you have it you have all the information you need All that's necessary right now is for you to go on out Purchase your tickets Come down to ancillary I know charlotte spoke about the liner, but you also need to remember that It is the one place that you could come you could come early and get some great seafood. I mean ancillary There's no doubt I've been there several times myself And it's the place that you could go down and get Seafood the the dock is right there. It's at the waterfront. So you know, it's fresh seafood. It's not no frozen overnight Anything of that nature fresh seafood on friday And of course if you love your barbecue chicken and what have you you could get a little bit of that as well So hubby and friends on friday, um Charlo, I don't think you gave I think I have the line up here. Did you mention? Okay, we have blackpool, of course invader ladylin Wally who's also from ancillary Moggy what part of the universe moggy is coming from? I know it could be anywhere between china and switzerland at this at this point in time We have moggy Ambi who made ways in trinidad is here for soka monak in trinidad um alpha Former soka monak We have nilka nilka is from ancillary flawless from ancillary sire from ancillary as well lilnick mighty joker We have the us vi king jon gotty We have juliana serrally Chocolate and this is a second yen calibuso. I think it is chocolate Dennis james, of course we've mentioned bruno weatherman achiever senator ticaro esnard and I see her A whole lot more. Maybe I might just sing a calibson Friday, I think I have some time between now and then to pay at least a voice on a chorus for friday so ladies and gentlemen It's an ancillary fish fry association in collaboration of tick over tent and soka village international hubby and friends The legacy continues this friday 25th may in ancillary from 8 p.m. Lucian kaiso At its best. See you there And thank you um, I just have a few questions the first is To just briefly describe right now what Calypso's competition is with the denny segment and soca if any of you can speak on that I always love that question calypso is calypso One of the things is that we try to make a differentiation between Calypso and soca. So for example, we will talk about power soca. There's nothing called power soca power was a company in trinidad the light and power company that sponsored soca Okay, so it was the show was built as power the power soca. It's just like if digital was sponsored They were the title sponsor. They would refer to the thing as digital soca competition or whatever it is That's what so let us first of all, you know, play that here If you listen to scrunchers and the barons and the kitcheners and the sparrows and so on Peely from st. Lucia They were musicians They did not refer to themselves as calypso Indians or Soca artists All right So what it meant is that you go back to peely time and kitchen and them There was that upward beat that was there was calypso and a lot of it Good lyrical contents the melody the arrangements We'll see you could have done sweet and so on I mean So far has always been there Okay, so far has always been there So let us not fool ourselves Yes, you now have this thing about calypso Indians and soca artists as well. There is a difference. There is not Okay, we are proud that you know, we could infuse our our look. So for example The denry segments sub subbons and mighty. They actually started with to in the calypso arena. I could tell you that Okay Yes, they have grown and so on and of course they are making ways which we are very very proud of What we hope that doesn't happen is that persons from outside take advantage of it and how we are not able to benefit As we're supposed to but if you notice from last year a lot of itrini artists were using the beat How does that benefit us? How does that benefit our original? Producers and so on that is what we supposed to be concerned about Because yes, we are then international but are we getting the true benefits in terms of our artists benefiting from it? And these are things that we really have to take serious I'm stuck off because at the end of the day Mighty subbons the degreed segment and the lady liens and all of them will become old But we don't want to be a situation where we have to be looking for charity for them So if they add the trade that the talent that they have could ensure That in the little part of their life that that is able to take care of them. That is what we need to focus on So yes, we are happy of the degreed segment. It is a success Lushan thing, but it has to remain a solution thing in the sense that Saint Lucia benefits properly from it. We just had a shocker to learn that one of the calypsoanians was 71 years old So I'm assuming because you all keep asking to not wait until you are gone for us to enjoy What you'll have to offer I'm assuming that you're trying to attract younger people to come and appreciate what's going to happen on friday So the question is How are these innovations which is the hubby inference and the farthest they consider that you didn't mention How are those innovations going to help? Or how do you think it will help attract younger people? Okay, it does because to T ansuka village in all our productions. It has been very denies that actually brought in a lot of young persons So we have the little nicks the nilkers the trish You know a number of them are in fact a lot of the artists who came from the school system Have actually become members of the tents and so on We know I'm I'm in Keisha who just won the She's actually a member of to T. I'm be rickety's Alphas just name them. So we have provided that opportunity though at one time you will have coca lips. So but In terms of our productions and so on. We have always made it possible for our artists To be able to get that stage To be able to perform the craft and that has happened in to you and people will tell you that when you come to a Tootie so-called village show you get everything The young persons I need to tell you all The young persons I need to tell you are coming in even this year what we have found that particularly among the young women That a lot of them are coming in to sing calypso So we always say our calypso dying calypso will never die We die calypso will not die. It's a hard form. It's the people thing. It's a hard bit. It's part of the social consciousness so come To answer on friday and you will see From denise james you will see as young as the young guest person Who is the ancillary competitor for the school's calypso show from the ancillary primary school? You will see her performing. So we take them from bv's and we bring them all up. I could tell you All right, that's okay. And I don't know if you all would want to reveal any of your secrets But what can we look forward to from the takeover 10 this year? Are we going to think about dsa age or What politicians are we going to hear about? Well, I think it's I mean there are so many topics that we speak about we don't only speak about And remember the calypso nyan is before the voice of the people Okay, so yes the calypso nyan with their writers and so on they see they look at the issues and so on apart from the Politics the political aspect of things you have a lot of social thing and I guess Somebody's social thing is based on the political policies and so on. Okay. So yes, there will be a lot of pecom There will be a lot of calypso. There will be a lot of Love calypso. I need to tell you love calypso and The grandfather, you know It's still in love The grandfather is still in love. So that is a big a big a big thing for persons, you know So the groovy is the the the the the soka the calypso Which has been there from the time calypso started You'll be able to enjoy everything because we give a total package a total mix and our product is versatile thank you Mr. Charles and um, let me just ensure claudia that um There will be a ticket on a desk for the very first Tuti soka village sense that you will come and experience All the excitement For herself and I guarantee her at that show that Dennis James will not be wearing the colors of the flag of canada Hopefully it'll be in wearing the colors of the flag of st. Lucia on that for sure I know she'll give a hint as to why the red but I think on that very first show He will be wearing some different colors So once again, thank you, Elise and gentlemen and again see you at the show on friday