Festival becoming less Emancipation & VI Culture- Natalio D. Wheatley
Wheatley made the remarks during his talk show ‘Things to Talk’ on ZBVI 780 AM, on Wednesday August 17, 2016.
While he gave kudos to those involved in the VI Festival and Fairs Committee for their work, he pointed out that there were some suggestions that he wanted to be put forward, since he feels they are not being done in the right manner.
“I’m disheartened by the fact that Festival has nothing to do with emancipation and it is increasingly becoming less and less about BVI culture and I am disturbed by that,” Mr Natalio D.Wheatley aka Sowande Uhuru said.
He noted the model that is being adopted is that of a music festival to get people to come to the village, and various artists are imported with the expectation of persons from the islands that the artists come from to come out to support.
“When they come, they come with their flags, waving their flags which I’m not sure it is appropriate at somebody’s emancipation celebration just as it would not be appropriate at somebody’s independence or anything like that. And then when the artist finishes their performance they [expatriates] leave the village and they go home because they pay their money to see the artist, because they didn’t really come to celebrate emancipation. I think that’s a mistake, I think emancipation should be the centerpiece of the celebration.”
What’s more, he noted, no mention is made of emancipation during the performances.
Local culture should be in forefront
In addition, Mr Wheatley thinks that during the celebrations, the VI culture should be placed high on the agenda, with local competitions like the peas soup completion, junior calypso competitions, among others, to stimulate local involvement.
With regards to the international acts, the talk show host said he is not proposing that it is completely eradicated, rather, have one night for international acts.
“It should be about emancipation and ask people to come out to celebrate freedom as opposed to hearing a band,” he noted, adding that the government should invest in their artists to reduce the dependence on international artists.
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35 Responses to “Festival becoming less Emancipation & VI Culture- Natalio D. Wheatley”
It's so easy to get on the air and air hot mess!! Volunteer, become a member of the committee ,lend your voice and understand yours ain't the only one leaders need to listen to.
I sick of you and alllllllllllll the others , just talking a holding tank full of FECES and not doing a dam thing to make things any better!!!!!!!!
I need to go to the bathroom.
The stuff about putting the emancipating in the forefront, I very strongly agree. There is little to no mention of it being an emancipation festival, save for the mention of the name. Nobody says anything about when the proclamation was read, by whom, where, nothing. I'm in partial agreement about the flags bit, simply because I wouldn't want anyone telling me not to wave my BVI flag anywhere, but I also agree that if we're celebrating our emancipation, it shouldn't be anything about representing your country.
These are some really valid points he's making, it's just for the powers that be to show some gumption and at least open it to discussion...knowing our leaders, and dare I say, the people of the community, you're going to write off this article and the details of it, simply because of who made the comments publicly. And that's not right, cause Sowande speaks with a lot of passion and truth. Even if there are times we differ in opinions, I respect him a great deal. And you guys should as well.
1. Many of them are Christians and are fed up with the nakedness, vulgarity and dry sex that is going on around this time that certainly has absolutely NOTHING to do with Emancipation Festival!
2. Some people leave because that is the time their children are on break from school and they take them away from all the muck that is going on to a place of peace and tranquillity instead of sticking around here to listen to music (especially if you live nearby the villages) pounding in your ears all night! Silly music that has no real meaningful lyrics like what Jam Band, Eddie and the Movements, Burning Flames, Imagination Brass used to have in the 80's 90's. When last did a band win Road March? when last? because these bands have no kind of education or common sense but just blurting out all kind of filthy lyrics on a big truck full of beats and these vulgar men and women having dry sex for jouvert morning is DISGUSTING!!!
Do you all know the real reason behind the Emancipation celebrations? It is when our forefathers were freed from the bondage of slavery and the church and community marched through the streets singing hymns of praises to God who had freed them from the hand of their slave masters! That is what it was all about! Not this Nakedness, smoking, drinking, swearing and vulgarity! Sowande is correct! The country has strayed away from the real meaning but I now have to look at it from a spiritual side because these things must be as we are nearing the end of the world.
WHERE THEIR nakedness, vulgarity and dry sex smoking, drinking, swearing Emancipation celebrations WHEN Jam Band, Eddie and the Movements, Burning Flames, Imagination Brass WAS PLAYING ?
DO YOU THINK Emancipation celebrations COULD'VE REMAIN THE SAME LIKE IN THE 80's 90's ?
YOU said Emancipation celebrations is about church and community marched through the streets singing hymns of praises to God who had freed them from the hand of their slave masters!
DID YOU AND OTHER TEACH UR CHILDREN WHAT Y'ALL Forefathers TAUGHT Y'ALL ABOUT Emancipation ?
I THINK NOT BECAUSE Y'ALL RATHER TRAVEL WITH UR KIDS THAN STAY HERE,SO THE KIDS WILL OBVIOUS GRAVITATE TO WHAT THEY SEE ON TV AND FB AND THAT IS CARNIVAL..WHEN OTHER ISLANDS HAVE CARNIVAL PPL LEAVE AND GO NO MATTHER WHAT STATE(HOW) THEIR CARNIVAL IS...
The booth owners will cry more if you reduce foreign performers