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Permalink Reply by Sev En on February 19, 2010 at 1:37am

After PALANCING for the past two weeks, I am on a HIGH!!! Vincy Mas 2K10 here I come!!!! I was perusing the Carnival Development Committe's website and it's business as usual. Has any of the mas bands launched as yet?? With just about four (4) months to go, what are the vibes at home......Powa..........Andy........Saadiss???????

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Permalink Reply by Saadiss on February 20, 2010 at 6:33pm

Femme! I am the worse person to ask...lol. yes that Website is atrocious..I hope CDC hire a webmaster for the carnival season and have their website updated regularly for the season...and also to add more information to the site...so people could read all about Vincy Mas and other happenings that is taking place during the Carnival season...

So Femme you going home for the Carnival?...Ah promise me woman we would go home this carnival..but lawd things tight!!...bills to pay...pampers to buy...maybe ah just need to PALANCE..and wey happen happen....lol..

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Permalink Reply by Dillon Quashie on April 18, 2010 at 12:49pm

yea...carnival soon come...a mas band even launched today.

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Permalink Reply by Sev En on February 21, 2010 at 4:54am

Saadiss....."bills to pay...pampers to buy" Not Depends I hope.....lol!!!

While I hate to compare and contrast....I just have to. I know that a delegation was present at the International Soca Monarch where they distributed some "View Cards"....Really!! On the other hand, there was also a Bajan contingent and persons were given the opportunity to win an all-expense paid trip to Crop-over. Talk about Marketing.

So we are four (4) months away from the launching of the festival, and there is absolutely no information apart from the program of activities, which just does not change.. I am always amazed at the hue and cry of the mas men who complain about poor sales, yet they continually launch their bands so late.

It is so sad that the powers that be still haven't grasped the true potential of the internet. The fact that I was able to view live streaming of fetes during TNT carnival is enough to make me book my flight for next year's festival. Until we start realizing the true potential of Vincy Mas business wise and as a major tourist attraction, then it will always be business as usual.

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Permalink Reply by Saadiss on February 21, 2010 at 3:38pm

No Femme! PAMPERS!!..LOL...ah aint reach that stage yet...a long long way from that...

BRILLIANT ANALYSIS of the carnival situation in Vincyland....The INTERNET IS GREATLY UNDER UTILISE BY THE "POWERS THAT BE"...I have no idea why the CDC is not using the internet MORE to advertise Vincymas..ah see they using youtube..but ah still think they could do more...anyway, youtube is not a bad idea...THERE IS SO MUCH STUFF THE CDC COULD DO...damn!!...lets hope they folks at CDC get they act together as far as thay website is concern..Femme they need to contact you and ley you do their marketing scheme....the time carnival over last year..the CDC should have a poster up for 2010...ah was reading a letter in the Vincentian and they person was making the case that folks from last year Carnival have NOT BEEN PAID YET!!...WTF...So these are just the things that hinder our progress as a people and the further development of our premiere CULTURAL EXPORT..

Having said that I HOPE THEY HAVE A MASSIVE AND SUCCESSFUL VINCYMAS 2010

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Permalink Reply by andy lavia on February 21, 2010 at 4:39pm

FEMME, SAADISS........TRUE STORY.
A FEW YEARS AGO A YOUNG MAN FROM ENGLAND CAME TO VINCY WITH THE IDEA OF STREAMING VINCY MAS BACK TO A SQUARE IN LONDON WHERE THOUSANDS OF VINCIES WOULD GATHER FOR THE NIGHT TO CATCH THE GOINGS ON BACK HOME. HE APPROACHED THE CDC, TOLD THEM ALL HE NEEDED WAS INTERNET HOOKUPS AND AND HE'LL DO THE REST. THE FIRST QUESTION THE CDC OFFICIAL ASKED THE GUY WAS WHAT WAS IN IT FOR THE CDC.......WTF????? WHATS IN IT????? HOW ABOUT FREE EXPOSURE TO THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE IN LONDON WHO MIGHT SEE THIS AND WANT TO JOIN THE PARTY THE NEXT YEAR.....
UPON HEARING THAT SILLY QUESTION FROM THE CDC, THE GUY PACKED UP HIS EQUIPMENT AND LEFT. THATS THE KIND OF PEOPLE WE HAVE WORKING AT THE CDC.......

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Permalink Reply by Saadiss on February 21, 2010 at 5:43pm

Andy...after looking at that promotional video..your story carry EVEN MORE WEIGHT cause somebody at CDC had to be out of their f#$%ing mind to sanction this video as an official Video...damn.

I posted the first post without looking at the promotional video posted here...It never cross my mind when I was responding to Femme...but after rereading what I wrote..I thought, it make some sense if I did...Let me jsut say this from the onset, so you can brace for the diatribe that I am about to lay down on this video...IT IS ABSOLUTE CRAP!!...

WTF ARE THEY WASTING TIME SHOWING ALL THESE UGLY QUEEN CONTESTANTS?...ALL THEY NEEDED TO SHOW IS JUST A FLASH AT THE PRETTIEST OF THESE LADIES...AS A TEASER...AND THEN THEY COMPOUND IT BY SHOWING THE "TALENT" OF ONE OF THE CONTESTANTS..NONSENSE!!...MICHELE FIFE WOULD HAVE SUFFICE AS THE SORT OF BEAUTIFUL LADIES YOU CAN EXPECT TO SEE AT VINCYMAS... WHY THE HELL ARE THEY SHOWING ME SOME SKINNY ARSE UGLY FACE GIRL..WTF..really?...tell me I am this and that..but I am speaking truth to power people...use Michele Fife's face ON ALL VINCY MAS POSTERS AND PROMOTIONAL VIDEOS...and that will be sufficient to grab your attention..

ON THE CALPSO AND SOCA ASPECT OF THE VIDEO..THEY CHOOSE TO HIGHTLIGHT THE WORSE CALYPSOES...REJECTOR?..PLEASE!!...I AM A BAD JOHN?...REALLY?... JOY-C WOULD HAVE BEEN SUFFICIENT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT COMPONENT OF VINCYMAS...OR AT LEAST PICK SOME BETTER SONGS TO HIGHLIGHT...WHAT THE F#$K ARE YOU TELLING PEOPLE IN THE DIASPORA AND OUTSIDE WHEN THIS GUY IS SINGING I AM A BAD JOHN!!...LOOK..YOU DON'T WANT TO HEAR WORDS LIKE "BAD" IN A PROMOTIONAL VIDEO...EVERYTHING SHOULD LOOK AND SOUND IN A POSITIVE LIGHT...YOU ARE CREATING A FANTASY FOR PEOPLE...NOT REALITY!!..

THEN THEY WENT F#$KING BESERK SHOWING ALL THOSE SOCA ARTISTES...SKINNY FABULOUS WOULD HAVE SUFFICE FOR SOCA REPRESENTATION IN VINCY MAS!!...OR MY BOY PROBLEM CHILD...WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO WINSTON SOSO...HE OUGHT NOT TO BE IN THIS VIDEO IN THE MANNER HE APPEAR...I KNOW ITS NO FAULT OF HIS.. BUT I AM JUST MAKING AN OBSERVATION....Winston Soso deserves his own video hightlight...maybe if they had Soso introducing the soca component of the video..which would have add some sense of professionalism to the production of the video, then its all good...ONCE AGAIN....THIS VIDEO IS GARBAGE AS AN OFFICIAL PROMOTIONAL VIDEO FOR VINCY MAS!!..

LETS HOPE PART 2 IS FAR SUPERIOR THAT PART 1...BUT IF PART 2 HAS ANY RESEMBLANCE TO PART 1 THEN FORGET IT...I HOPE WHOEVER DID THIS VIDEO WILL READ THIS POST AND COME AND DEFEND THEIR WORK...but they wouldn't because you cannot defend the indefensable...to whom it may concern...YOUR VIDEO IS NOT WORTHY TO PROMOTE A HIGH SCHOOL PLAY...whoever you are...you ought to be shame of yourself and someone should take you into a room, tie you to a chair and force you to watch a video call HOW TO MAKE A PROMOTIONAL VIDEO 101.. the Chairman of CDC should be taken outside and be stone with rotten eggs, for sanctioning such a video...Rene also should be taken outside and stone with toilet paper for her participation in this most heinous act.

Let me say this upfront..THE REASON THIS PROMOTIONAL VIDEO IS SUCH CRAP..IS BECAUSE IT IS A CHEAP ARSE VIDEO...let me break it down within computer lingo...GARBAGE IN GARBAGE OUT...this video was done by a NOVICE...WHO HAS NO F#$KING IDEA WHAT VINCY MAS IS ALL ABOUT AND HOW TO CAPTURE AN AUDIENCE WHO KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT VINCY MAS...IT IS THESE PEOPLE WHO YOU ARE TRYING TO CAPTURE...NOT THOSE WHO KNOW VINCY MAS ALREADY...THESE FOLKS DON'T NEED CONVINCING TO THE EXTENT TO THOSE WHO NEVER EXPERIENCE VINCY MAS...OF COURSE THERE ARE THOSE WHO MAY NEED A LITTLE CAJOLING TO COME BACK TO VINCYMAS AFTER A LONG ABSENCE FROM HOME, BUT FOR THE MOST PART THAT SECTION OF FOLKS KNOW WHAT VINCYMAS IS ALL ABOUT; THEY MAY JUST NEED REASSURANCE THAT THIS YEAR'S CELEBRATION WILL BE THE BEST EVER...YOU ARE CATERING FOR A WIDE CROSS SECTION OF PEOPLE...AND PEOPLE ATTENTION SPAN THESE DAYS IS VERY VERY LIMITED...SO YOU NEED TO GRAB THEIR ATTENTION IMMEDIATELY OR OTHERWISE PEOPLE TUNE OUT...AT FISRT WHEN I PLAYED THE VIDEO I WAS HAPPY FOR THE FIRST TEN SECONDS..CAUSE I HEARD MY TUNE MADHOUSE...THEN I REALISED IT WAS JUST THE RIDDIM..I WAS EXPECTING TO HEAR...DE WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE....I WAS WAITING FOR THE EXPLOSION...AND NOTHING HAPPEN...THE VIDEO JUST WENT DOWN HILL FROM THERE...LAAWD..WHAT A PIECE OF GARBAGE..GARBAGE GARBAGE...

THIS VIDEO IS SACRILEGE TO THE VERY CONCEPT OF PROMOTION..ITS AN ABOMINATION TO THE GOOD NAME OF VINCY MAS...I cannot believe RENE put her good name to this video...THIS CANNOT AND SHOULD NOT BE THE OFFICIAL PROMOTIONAL VIDEO FOR VINCY MAS...IT'S ONE THING TO BE A PROMOTIONAL VIDEO FOR VINCY MAS..BUT OFFICIAL?..NOT A F#$%...Now granted I cannot recall seeing or hearing the word "official"...but the mere fact that the Mininster of CULTURE IS ENDORSING IT... MAKES IT ....OFFICIAL...I cannot believe this montrosity is really the official promotional video for Vincy Mas...unbelievable...

I really want to see that Part 2...and see if these fools have lost their F#$%ING senses...that video is 9 minutes long and there is just a glimpse of COSTUME OR PAN...but I suspect those componets would be featured more in part 2...again the strategy is flawed as hell..why put out a PROMOTIONAL VIDEO IN PARTS?...YOU ONLY GET ONE CHANCE TO MAKE A GOOD IMPRESSION...WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU PUT OUT THIS PIECE OF CRAP AND THEN SIGNAL TO PEOPLE THAT MORE CRAP IS COMING?..THE OVERALL STRATEGY IS TOTAL FOOLISHNESS....ALL THE COMPONENTS OF VINCYMAS COULD AND SHOULD BE FEATURED IN LESS THAN 9MINUTES!!...THIS IS NOT INVENTING THE WHEEL... IT HAS BEEN DONE BEFORE...HAVE YOU SEEN THOSE SUPERBOWL ADS..SOME OF THOSE ADS ARE 30 SECONDS LONG!!...AND HERE YOU HAVE A 9 F#$KING MINUTE LONG VIDEO THAT HARDLY CAPTURES THE IMAGINATION..IF AT ALL...YOU KNOW WHAT...LET ME GO AND DRINK A GUINNESS...AH SAID ENUFF!!

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Permalink Reply by Sev En on February 22, 2010 at 1:24am

Saadiss....you aint talk....YO PREACH!!! Two minutes into the video...I had to abandon looking at it. UTTER GARBAGE!!!!

Following is an article that appeared in the Searchlight newspaper of February 12th.

STOP BASHING CDC

Some of the promotional strategies enlisted by other countries selling their carnival products were initiated here. Minister of Culture Rene Baptiste, speaking at the CDC's first press conference for the year, highlighted that a few of the popular tools used to promote the various carnivals around the region were the brainchild of the CDC and spread across the waters.

From view cards to the side screens, Baptiste noted that these ideas were not credited to the local carnival organizers by critics, who prefer to downplay and bash the achievements of the CDC.

"I find it boring, irritating, not intellectually stimulating at all to hear this bashing constantly. I think it is time that we grow up," the minister stated". "We must mention it because we must learn to be fair, but we have a fear of fairness in St Vincent and the Grenadines. We dont like to be fear. We just like to bash the CDC".

Speaking on some of the activities that were initiated here, the minister stated:

"There were countries that never advertised or marketed or promoted their carnival at test cricket; it was this CDC that did it first, next thing we see Antigua and St Lucia and everybody knocking down the TV when we looking at test cricket" the minister remarked.

"We have these view cards and posters, and now it is customary that you will see view cards all over the place now. We were the first to do it".

"There are some countries that don't use big screens, so when we come here (Victoria Park) there are some countries who don't know anything about that".

"We forget, St Lucia came here to these very offices to see what we do for our Carnival. We've also forgotten Barbados has come here to see what we are doing for our carnival, and Antigua's chairman, who has been the chairman for over 25 years, he came as well".

The Minister lauded the CDC for its vision and drive taken, to ensure that the local carnival product deepens and grows through the various promotional strategies.

She called on the critics to give credit where it is due and to refrain from negative criticism. "Why are we so afraid of fairness? Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's".

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Permalink Reply by Saadiss on February 22, 2010 at 3:20pm

I AGREE WITH RENE TO A CERTAIN EXTENT!!...I am not certain the criticism has anything to do with "fairness"...AT THE SAME TIME WHEN YOU SEE GARBAGE LIKE THAT PROMOTIONAL VIDEO, IN WHICH SHE ENDORSES; DESERVES THE HIGHEST CRITICISM.

If the CDC and Rene don't want criticism...why are they sanctioning, implicitly or ortherwise, this garbage video?

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Permalink Reply by Sev En on February 24, 2010 at 2:27am

I am quite certain Rene knows that there are constructive criticism and negative criticism. People criticize because they know better can be done. As a Non-Vincentain, there is nothing on that DVD to entice me to come for Vincy Mas.

I had the fortune of working with the CDC sometime ago, and NOTHING has really changed, so I am at a lost as to what she sees as "their vision". View cards and Posters will NEVER sell a festival.

Here are a few ideas for them:

* Print some Save the Date Cards which will be distributed during Carnival so visitors will have an idea of the date of the next year's festival. We have to start early.

* Make the Internet their new best friend.......Overhaul the website, employ a full-time professional whose job is to update the site all year round. Therefore information from any festival where Vincentains participate, eg Labour Day, Caribana, should be included. The current web master is employed somewhere in the medical field.

* Since so many artiste do not get the opportunity to perform on some of the bigger shows, hold lunchtime concerts featuring local artistes. These shows can also be streamed LIVE.

* Bring back the Road Shows....take it to different parts of the island, including the Grenadines.

* Abandon the Ms Carival Show. It has lost its appeal and is a waste of money.

There is so much to be gained from Carnival both economically and from a tourism point of view, but things have to change. We need new people with fresh ideas. I often wonder if persons are invited to submit their ideas to the CDC.

Finally, over the past few years, we have seen a few artistes seeking medical attention. I would like to see CDC donate at least $1.00 from each ticket sold during the Carnival Season to a Medical Fund set up for these artistes,

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Permalink Reply by Saadiss on February 24, 2010 at 1:17pm

Femme! you are a boss...GREAT IDEAS...yes Ms Carival is one show that can be easily phase out...it seem the orther countries are sending their worse rather than their best...the girls are getting uglier every year..lol...ok I retract that statement...Michele Fife is just an example of how ridiculous that statement was..lol...anyway..I am sure the CDC could find another local show to replace Ms Carival..or even another regional show...what about inviting some of those PAN SIDES FROM TNT to put some ZEST back into the PAN CULUTURE IN SVG...I think the PAN component of Vincy Mas is waning and needs a lot of help to get it back to a healthy state of affairs...

On the issue of the Website...I think it just a matter of the CDC thinking outside of the box...Andy's STORY alluded to how NARROW THE CDC folks are thinking...I know the CDC wants to make money from their show..but sometimes you have to look at things in the long term...give folks the leeway to stream the shows live on the internet and give Vincy Mas more exposure to a wider audience...and things will pay off in the long run...just a thought.

One more idea...its crucial to everything...CDC and the main players in VINCY MAS NEED TO SHOW EACH OTHER THE UTMOST RESPECT...one hand can't CLAP...without CDC; Vincymas would be chaos...without the Massmen, Calypsonians and Pan Men AND THERE IS NO VINCYMAS...LONG LIVE VINCYMAS...THIS IS WE CULTURE!!...WE NEED TO DO EVERYTHING TO KEEP IT ALIVE..and if that means getting scathing criticism to things that is not up to par..so be it...Rene should take the view that all constructive criticism is welcome...and those that are not...then don't waste your energy and time addressing them.

I am looking forward to hearing those calypsoes this year...the calypsonians have a ton load of material to sing about..ah hope they pay special attention to the QUALITY OF THEIR COMPOSITION...we shall see...

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Permalink Reply by andy lavia on February 24, 2010 at 4:06pm

SAADISS, FEMME.....I'VE BEEN SAYING FOR SOME TIME THAT WE NEED TO DO A FEW THINGS DIFFERENTLY. THEY DON'T HAVE TO DO THIS EVERY YEAR BUT IT'S WORTH EXPLORING EVERY FEW YEARS OR SO.

*ESTABLISH A CARNIVAL HALL OF FAME.....LETS SAY WE PUT IN THREE PERSONS IN THE HALL. OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD I WILL SAY BECKETT IN MUSIC, SHEGGY JOHN IN MASS AND 20TH CENTURY STEEL ORCHESTRA IN PAM.........

EVERYTHING FOR VINCY MASS THAT YEAR WILL BE CENTERED AROUND THESE THREEE INDIVIDUALS......

FOR PANORAMA......OUR STEEL BANDS WILL PLAY ANY SONG FROM BECKETT FROM ANY YEAR.

OUR MASS BANDS MAY RECREATE SOMETHING THAT THE GREAT SHEGGY JOHN DID IN ONE OF HIS MANY WINNING YEARS......THEY MAY PUT THEIR OWN SPIN ON IT BUT IT GIVES US AN IDEA AS TO WHAT THESE GUYS DID OVER THE YEARS GONE BY.

THE SOCA MONARCH SHOW IS WAY TOO LONG, 20 PEOPLE AND ONLY 4 GOOD SONGS. THE MAX SHOULD BE TEN IF YOU CAN'T MAKE THE TEN TOO BAD FOR YOU. WE ARE STRIVING FOR QUALITY NOT QUANTITY. ALSO TO THE SOCA MONARCH PARTICIPANTS......BRINGING 20 PEOPLE ON STAGE TO WINE UPON EACH OTHER IS NOT A PROP, WE HAVE TO CUT THAT SHIT OUT. MOST OF THE TIMES IS JUST CHOAS ON STAGE

THERE HAS TO BE A CDC SHOW ON INDUCTION NIGHT TO HONOR THE ABOVE PEOPLE.......IDEALY AT THE START OF VINCY MASS. WITH PERFORMANCES FROM BECKETT AND 20TH CENTURY AND A MASS EXHIBITION FROM SHEGGY.

I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE BEAUTY SHOWS AS LONG AS THEY ARE NOT LONG AND DRAWN OUT.

WE HAVE TO START PUTTING OUT GREATEST HITS CD'S........IT WOULD BE GREAT TO HAVE SOME LOCAL CALYPSOES AND SOCA MUSIC FROM OVER THE YEARS PACKAGED NICELY AND SOLD IN MUSCI STORES AND AT THE AIRPORTS. GUYS LIKE RON POMPEY, SCORCHER, TOUCH AND BECKETT HAVE WONDERFUL STUFF, IT WOULD BE GREAT FOR THE KIDS TO GET A WHOLE OF THEM.

MONDAY/TUESDAY JUMP UP HAS BEEN LACKING IN THE PAST FEW YEARS.....FIRSTLY THERE ARE NO BRASS BANDS ANYMORE SO ITS ALL DJ'S WHICH REALLY SCUKS THE LIFE OUT OF THE THING BECAUSE ALL THESE GUYS DO IS TALK SHIT ALL DAY LONG.

MUSICIANS IT SEEMS ARE A DYING BREED AND THAT'S WHERE THE LIKES OF FRANKIE MCINTOSH AND ADRIAN BAILEY CAN BE OF GREAT HELP TO US.......WE CANNOT SHUT OUT THESE PEOPLE FOR GUYS WHO REALLY HAVE THE TALENT AND EXPERIENCE THESE GUYS HAVE.

AND FOR GOD SAKE LETS NOT WAIT UNTIL FOUR WEEKS AFTER CARNIVAL TO RELEASE THE CARNIVAL MAGAZINE.....BY THAT TIME ALL OF THE VISITORS WOULD HAVE LEFT.....SAME WITH OUR LOCAL GUYS PUTTING OUT MUSIC.

MORE TOO COME

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