14 posts tagged “damion melville”
June 11, 2K9 WACKY EVENT Corpus Christi Holiday rolled around in Trinidad & Tobago once again and, as is the norm, it is time to Lime! I guess come and Lime with Damion was appropriate even though he was not at the station but out on the field of play – that is the motto of the show right… come and lime with ‘Damion and Friends’. Well Pardna, the WACK crew decided to participate in an event that was carded to be a cake walk – easy pickings as Trini like to put it. However, not even the Body of Christ could have prevented the Cut Ass that was forthcoming. Hello, not even the Took-ah-Looks man could have anticipated the flogging meted out on this momentous day and nothing in his arsenal could have cured the cataract that blind-sided the WACK cricket team. This Lime went South and soured the event for the radio guys and gals – it was sour stomach on this day and one that would live in infamy for a long, long-time. So what really happened? Well from all accounts the following was picked up off the air: The WACK All-star Cricketers led by the venerable Kenny Phillips were pummeled today by blind cricketers. Indeed the sighted ones could not see their way even when, through pity, they were allowed to take off their “darkers” to see the ball and more importantly to save face. However, even this did not help as the WACK team humiliated themselves against a group of legally blind cricketers. The Fireman David Matthews was laughing his ass off in the studio because he knew that defeat was near for the proud ones who always boast, on air, about their triumphs on the sporting field. A valiant effort by Damion Melville was not enough to save the WACK cricket allstars from the severe trashing at the hands of the ‘blind merry men’. Kenny Phillips took the most wickets for the WACK team but then again the blind cricketers scored over two hundred runs. Do you think that you could you put a value to that award and would you step on the podium to receive it? Yikes, but I believe that Kenny was bold and brave enough to accept that award. WACK could not even come close to scoring 100 runs – talk about an embarrassing episode - good bowling Kenny ): Oh how the mighty ones have fallen from Glory. Kent was boasting on air today but probably was very happy to end his shift before the final score and sorrowful results were announced on air. At the time of this writing I did not hear anyone from the Titanic WACK Cricket Allstars rise to the occasion and speak on air to accept defeat -good cut-arse have ah way of putting a damper on things; in others words 'dem boi shame fuh so' and ran from being interviewed. But wait, what are we hearing now? REMATCH! Gosh this cut ass was enough … no more please. Addendum: June 12, 2K9 OK folks today Damion addressed the game and after listening to both Kenny and Damion I must give them credit for being fantastic ambassadors of goodwill and champions of great sportsmanship. No excuses were made and Damion admitted that they took the sport and this cricket team for granted. Indeed the game proved difficult and yuh could talk and laugh all yuh want but until you are in their shoes and facing the music you will understand that you could talk the talk but you must practice to walk the walk. Never take anyone or anything for granted folks... Oh and yes, Congratulations to the National Blind Cricketers on a splendid display of talent and sportsmanship/Wack will always have your back!
February 11, 2K9 10:10 AM
Wacky Tuesday – Dem Peeps R Real Wakos Oui
Sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure that everything is real, on the upside so to speak. It has been a long time since I last logged onto the WACK radio page and also a long time between articles posted on this site. OK, so I logged into the WACK homepage to pay for the Wacky Tuesday show on Tuesday February 17, 2K9 for the third edition of the show. A switch went on and I had an idea for a brief write up. The thing is I always enjoy poking at Kenny and his people who follow without questioning his ways.
Now don't get me wrong, I really do admire his push in an industry that is constantly searching for change especially in Trinidad. Kenny has been innovating much but he still needs someone to tug on his coat tail to bring him down to earth. Hey someone has to do it.
Well the first thing that came to my attention was the fact that every show posted on the site had a cost of US $8.00 per event – cheap enough…well maybe. OK, first of all did you notice that there were no discounted package deals? Hold on no packaged programs whatever. I saw four shows on the schedule that included the Calypso Fiesta, Dimanche Gras, National Panorama and Wacky Tuesday … all live paid events and all quoted in US currency. Last year there were package deals that reduced the cost for shows grouped together rather that paying for individual shows. As a consumer this is a step back but could be profitable for the entity selling these shows. Where is the love is these bleak economic times?
So my first gripe is out of the way … what is my second gripe? Hmm, can someone please explain why WACKy Tuesday is given the same importance and the same cost as the other 'Significant National Events' that are known around the World? People mark their calenders and make the trip to Trinidad to be a part of these events. Oh I see they do the same for WACKy Tuesday? You mean the 'shoutbox' fans who attend? There is no comparison here! I am certain Kenny Phillips (CEO of WACK) will be steupsing and cussing when he does get to this article. Yes he will be annoyed when he reads this article ( he will get to it and blast me on his Sunday Show - a good show) but like it or not this is a valid question to ask. He will argue that the National festival prices are cheap – well, maybe and the cost to host this event is the same as the other broadcasts. But then again some of these events will be seen on the WWW for free if you know your way around browsing the sites. Forgive me but I believe that Tigress, the Wajang song lady and the Professor, Black Stalin ("still vex cause dem bois thief and pirate his music/his creativity/his CD") will also be performing at the event - class is class pardna. Can I give Kenny a pass because of these luminaries being part of the show? The question is should I give him a pass? Well if you know me then you already have the answer to that question.
So how do your value the event to price it? As a subscriber (and 'agent in advertising Wack for free mind you) I believe that WACKy Tuesday should be half the cost of the price charged for the National events. Now keep your pants on don't get an anxiety attack. The rationale here is to show the supporters of the station that even though it is costly to host the broadcast WACK values our support. As a result they have discounted the cost of hosting the event to show "their appreciation" for the support shown and for the supporters continually making WACK radio the number one online radio broadcast from Trinidad. Oh and yes I said it... Half the cost of the National Events! Mr. Kenny Phillips is going to broadcast the event regardless of the amount of paid subscribers. Yuh know it has always been said that yuh cyar clap with one hand, can you Kenny?
So am I still going to pay to see the show? Well... Maybe. Everything is upside down as far as I am concerned since the shoutbox representative is not a part of the 'shoutbox' (a shoutbox native wispered that "he is ah bogus shoutbox representative". Well on reflection I have to admit that the person who instigated that statement was wrong to say that. The shoutbox is an international body that is home to anyone who supports WACK even if it is by proxy. So don't get annoyed with SP most of what is written is done in jest and meant to rile up the CEO (for those who don't know, it just motivates him to do better and to prove everyone else wrong). They say he couldn't do it and look at WACK today. So whatever you say and whatever you do please "doh call meh wajang eh". Yes Damion it is really a level of madness compared to nothing else, for real...
So please support WACK and enjoy WACKy Tuesday because you won't see or hear another show like it anywhere else.
What are your thoughts?
September 19, 2K8 1:15 pm
The adrenalin was flowing and the vibrancy of Damion lent a festive feel to this Fire Friday show with his side kick Base 2. It would be a great show with the shout box (chat space) on fire with birthday boy Monty and the crew firing up the Babash and Southtrini cooking up a storm for "child fadder". Calls were coming into the station with the ticket give away segment in progress - then crash. Now, just as the show started with fire and fervor to have yuh chipping in place it died suddenly.
So even though Damion "doh give ah blue tooth" someone got under his skin on the instant messenger. For the record it was not Smartypantz (a favor done on behalf of my good friend). So was it really a case of the presenter getting upset or was it simply a situation created so that they could attend to something else outside of the studio? When Damion, the entertainer is at his best one never knows if he is being serious or just playing to the crowd.
In any event the radio did not sound the same. Music only is good but not for this show. The pride and glory of WACK radio 90.1 FM needs to continue doing his thing - mouth open tory jump out? Well I am saying it Damion Melville is the pride and showpiece of WACK radio - those who have ears to hear take note!
"Yuh only miss the water when the well run dry" - so people leave the presenter alone and let him play himself; ent yuh know if the priest could play then Damion could run the madhouse without ah hitch. So move all yuh foot and let Damion pass – it was ah ticket give away segment and it was going well…so please understand the format of the show or tune in elsewhere.
Ok, let the show go on... Happy Birthday to all the Virgos and especially to Monty today - drink ah stag ok pardna!
September 11, 2K8 It is a shame that it takes a show like this and the effort of someone like Deso to remind us about these classic tracks. Simply put we don't hear these songs regularly enough. To be honest it had been some time since I heard these songs on radio. Enough of that because even though Deso deserves credit for a well put together show his classic moment came at the end of the program with his dedication to Damion and his Friday sidekick Base 2. Who or what is a Maco? Well only Funny can put it to words and Deso loved every moment of it - It seems that Deso's two knees were hurting last night. Let's see how good his mood will be when Damion is finished with him. So who or what is a Maco? Don't worry it is just a person who is knowledgeable about other people's business (laughter from Deso as he related how Damion fits the bill). Surely this is a case where 'Bam See' everything and related it all to Deso. As a public service Deso enlightened the public - it was really a Public Service announcement but one which will take on a life of its own - ah sorry for Deso. But wait one minute Deso did also dedicate the song to Kenny and Heshimu - this macocious neighbor Bam See everything and passed it on to the skin fitting jersey kid Deso. Look at 'comess' Deso start! This has to result in some good picong on the radio when Damion makes Deso regret listening to Bam. Enough of the fun, here is a clip from Lord Funny (Donric Williamson):
Last night Deso celebrated the music of the very humorous Lord Funny (Donric Williamson) on WACK radio. The show was wonderful with many of the selections genuinely bringing out smiles and even laughter because of sharp and witty lyrics that says one thing but definitely relates to something else (that is funny).
September 06, 2K8
"Much ado about nothing… Ent yuh know I am serious as hell! But wait just one minute Albot", a curious Senseless mumbled as if he was quarrelling with someone. “What in heaven’s name have yuh so upset pardna?”
Albot: Senseless this is real Basa Basa stuff – this Sixth Annual Soca Awards that will be hosted in St. Kitts this year 2K8. Ah still mad as hell the way dey used Damion conveniently for the 2K7 Soca Awards show in New York and eh give him ah penny for his efforts. Now they having the show in St. Kitts (in we back yard Senseless) and no invitation was sent – they eh even sponsor ah ticket for the show – steups!”
Senseless: “But wait nah Albot dem two people who hosting the show, wha dey name again?”
Albot: “Yuh talking about St. Clair Liburd aka G Cue from St. Kitts and Suzanne Coy aka ZAN. She could pass she better looking than Damion, but ah still vex – ah wonder if they getting paid. Damion eh even get ah thank you note yuh know.”
Senseless: “Ent that is ah shame boi ah wonder if that is why WACK ent making ah fuss about the award show dis year Albot?”
Albot: “Trust me Senseless WACK could play SOCA, they could Soak her (she kinda nice yuh know) and WACK eh winning that award this year.”
Well that conversation between Albot and Senseless went on with the same feeling being expressed from the beginning of the conversation till dengue mosquito start to bite them and cause them to end the lime. However, I whole heartedly agree with them. It really would have been a nice gesture to invite Damion with a complimentary ticket and hotel accommodation to the show after he saved their ass in NYC. Hell yes.
Most people forget quickly but I remember the event and what was upsetting was that Damion, Kenny and Capshon along with “Cargo Plane” Supersize Dumpling (Damion and Kenny said that last week on the radio eh) were tired and worn out and frustrated with airline troubles then walked into the mismanaged show that Damion saved.
Mark this date down because on September 18 when the results are announced WACK won’t win the Best Online Radio back to back it could be Desmond's belly to bell but they will not cop that award this year – they joked about it too much on radio last year(no pay for the job Damion did not even ah paradise plum and they were six for one cent).
One last thing where did this show/organization come from and what recognition does it have with the international community of Music Award Shows. What are the criteria used to create the categories and the selection process to allocate the people competing for the big prizes?
Does any of this mean anything and how does the “Award” assist the artist/winner for any given category? A Grammy award means something especially with future record sales/notoriety of the artist/winner. So can someone please explain the value/benefit of this 'prestigious' ISA Award? Come on bottom line does it really have an impact and if so please enlighten us.
Hey, I just thought about something. Mr. Kenny Phillips, head honcho at WACK radio 90.1 FM, can you please let us know how winning the most popular online Soca station award last year impacted your efforts/ratings? Say what Kenny, credibility?
Oh well before I forget and get ahead of myself let me take this opportunity to thank Albot and Senseless for their participation in this venture. It was a priceless session with some Babash and dengue mosquito bites. Next time I will walk with a mokoto coil for the buzzing blood suckers or maybe ah flambeau would do (good idea dem Flambeaus full ah pitch oil) - not a good idea. Oh well just ah thought...
Damion I feel for you pardna!
September 02, 2K8 It has been said that
faith can move mountains and for some reason I felt the weight
of "Wackos" around the World weighing heavily on my spirit … it
was a day where I found myself in a sink or swim situation – I chose to swim! Indeed
it can be a challenge to stay afloat with so many nay Sayers waiting for the
moment that you capitulate and admit that you were wrong about something. Then
again you can be someone who simply stands on the sideline and claim ignorance
because you came for the game not to support either team in the field of
play. Well here I am in a position where several persons expect me
to state my position and come clean regarding the WACK radio Independence Day
music marathon. Let me say this, it was a glorious recognition of 46 years of
independence with an abundance of local music to support their claim of being
the champions of our musical culture on air. What do you think? Did
they live up to your expectations? Well here is my take… Culture Krazy: Yes, yes and yes! There
is no competition at home or abroad when it comes to playing the music of
Trinidad and Tobago – no competition in sight or that can be heard at home or
over the internet. Granted there are sites that have lists of local music for
sampling and to be played on demand – indeed there are but there is no station
or media house that plays the variety of music that WACK radio 90.1 fm
broadcasts on a daily basis. Now yesterday was quite
different and to be honest I did not expect such an organized and well
presented programming that was presented as a gift to our now middle aged
nation. It all started with Ebony and Amber and concluded with Dr. the Right
Honorable David Matthews. However, the surprise presenter of the
day, none other than Kenny Phillips the aging captain of the WACK presentation
of chune after chune after chune who came on and hit the mark. So
how did Kenny do this? Well my friend Sharon aka South Trini insisted that I
let everyone know that “Kenny was the man yesterday”. Damion would
say that all that I am doing is sucking up to Kenny. If that is the case I have
to ask, “Why? None of that matters but the fact that Kenny really dug deep and
brought back memories of elementary school says a lot for the job that he
did. The ladies did a great job and the middle of the show
simply kept the championship flag flying high. David (I have to take the word
of others here now) did a great job. I can say he had the toughest assignment
because a song could only be played one time and if he did as good as I am told
he deserves kudos for a job well done. Pet Peeve: Ok my pet peeve with
WACK radio is that they don’t really live up to the Culture Krazy claim that
they boast about. Well I have to admit for one day they came a long way. What
is my complaint? Not enough Chutney selections but then again there are many
other genres that don’t get equal play or fair play when compared to Calypso
and Soca. Indeed Rapso and Folk music aficionados can complain
likewise. I have always said to Kenny Phillips that we play everything and even
though Pan has its segments on the weekend the tracks that Kenny played during
his segment cries out for more steel pan music. So really, what
about my pet peeve? Wikipedia states: “At
the same time, chutney became a massive force in Trinidadian music, arising
from the island's Indian population. It has now become 'mainstream' across the
islands and elsewhere in the Caribbean, and has spawned its own subgenres,
including ragga chutney, chutney-hip hop. Soca-bhangragga and chutney-bhangra.
The article also went on to talk more about Chutney Soca and dhut-kai-pang (ie
chutney, Parang and Calypso mixed with Venezuelan-derived rhythms. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_Trinidad_and_Tobago Indeed there was
Pickacharee and Chutney more so than is usually played on the station on any
given day – let’s see how this unfolds in the days ahead. Was it a one day
appeasement or part of change to come – only time will tell! Diversity: Diverse = many and
different. Simple enough… “Celebrating our diversity Wack style” Right back at
you Kenny and that also brings to mind the lack of play of many genres on a
“regular basis” not just when a holiday comes along. Indeed we are as diverse
in our tastes as we are cosmopolitan in our makeup but don’t you dare claim to
be culture crazy and not include the total fabric of the society. Indeed your
financial success may hinge on the demographic that you subscribe to but then
again you may need several knocks on your balding head to understand that some
change is indeed good. Conclusion: So what really in the
verdict? Ok I must admit that the
station did an excellent job yesterday ... kudos to everyone concerned. Do I
need to take a chill pill? Maybe but then again I am not the type of person to
sit idly by on the sidelines and watch the show go on. Am I to be
labeled the devil’s advocate at all times … hell no for Jesus’ sake (father
forgive meh)! Most of the persons who dislike my take on things have
nothing to contribute and continually slap the Fannies of the WACK brass for a
job well done. Ok that’s ok, but one must realize that the product can always
be tweaked and fine tuned to reflect a new vision for the musical culture of
our country. Should we simply sit on our laurels and brag and boast about our
gifts to the World … pay attention to Machel and his approach to the art form -
he collaborates with other artistes and innovates his musical concepts moving
Soca into the mainstream that even Hot 97 in NYC plays his music - so change is
good. The people at Billboard magazine have taken notice and are
beginning to track his efforts. So my friends keep at
the staff at Wack and give credit when credit is due but also give them a sense
of where they are at and where they could and should be heading. You may be
right or dead wrong but no one can blame you for trying. So let me conclude by
saying congratulations to Mr. Kenny Phillips and his staff on a job well done.
Culture Krazy champions with no other station in second or third place. They
are that good at that which they do – promote the music of Trinidad and Tobago
as no one else can. Congratulations to the management and staff!
Mar27, 2K8 It is quite apparent that most of the listeners of WACK radio are fervently biased in their views of their beloved Culture Krazy station. A tease in the morning IM chat between two picong prone persons led to a Bassa to remember – “Do you think that WACK radio plays a ‘true blend’ of music that is representative sample of Trinidad and Tobago?" Hey that is easy to answer, WACK radio plays the most local music of all the radio stations broadcasting in Trinidad and Tobago. Correct, well that was not the answer to the question that was asked. Hold on just one minute, the question was not if WACK plays the most local music or if WACK’s content is 100% local, no, no, no, pay attention because we are talking about a ‘true blend’ as claimed by the advertisement that was/is still aired on WACK. Do you understand the difference? Again it is not about simply playing local content but the blend,’ fairplay’ of the varied musical genres that our music is comprised of – ahh now we talking about something different. Ok what types of music do you regularly hear on WACK? I hear Soca and Calypso as the majority of music played. By the way, what are the top 10 most requested songs on WACK or the top 10 songs in T&T, do you know? The WACK website does not address this (so it is a good thing to question things it could lead to positive change). Deso gives you the big band music and the really smooth music from back in the day – no one can fault Deso – he is number one for the niche market that he addresses. During the day it is Calypso and Soca. Now give WACK credit for playing parang out of season – nobody else does it. One thing that we are not privy too is the choice/selection of the music played on the station. Is it the station that provides and puts the selections on rotation or do the DJ's have the ok to bring in and play whatever they deem fit? If it is the second option then it is the musical taste of the DJ's that we have to accept and not that of the station's brain trust. What does that mean? It means that it is the DJ's concept of Culture Krazy (true blend) that we have to contend with and not that (the policy) of the station! People made fun of me for mentioning pichakaree and some of the silly people in the Shout Box advised me to go to Masala radio to hear chutney and pichakaree. The entire topic of discussion was lost and it became a question of listening to “Indian music” – I felt the acid fill my stomach. I was upset because those persons did not listen to that which was being discussed. One last thing for those of you who think that Masala only plays Indian music, you are wrong and one can hear several mixes with reggae/soca/chutney that we don't get an opportunity to hear on WACK. Do you think that the indigenous music of Trinidad and Tobago get an equal share of play on WACK? That is not possible because the market demands certain types of music should be played; if you want to hold on to listeners and get new listeners one has to provide the content that draws them to listen. That means more Soca because Kaiso is for the older listeners (the purists) and during the carnival period – if you control the youth you are in a good position to secure more advertising dollars. Advertisers always target the youth. However, we are talking about the “true blend” and that means that you do play chutney, soca, ragga soca, rapso, parang, pichakaree, calypso that are indigenous to Trinidad but the other genres are also part of the consumer market. What are the other types of musical genres that are representative of Trinidad Society as CEO Kenny Phillips referenced on air? Well now we have to talk about local reggae, big band music, gospel, best village music, African drumming, East Indian drumming and a host of other musical genres ... even local rock! Yes my friends, local rock, local country music, have you heard these? Hold on I believe last year Damion played a local country track … not sure but it is possible. Am I nit picking, of course I am but for those of you who bassacared me on air and in the box take note and reflect on the question that was asked not that which your heart guided you to believe. Victor and Rambo … wow, I am a firm believer that ignorance is bliss so be happy! "Ignorance is bliss because it's easier to support something blindly than exploring all the options. It's also easier to act on instinct and learned behaviors rather than to think about what they're saying/doing. http://allphilosophy.com/topic/show/1658." Listen up people, not because you love something it means that you should not examine it and do some tweaking to make it better. We do it all the time with our relationships so why not WACK. Don’t think of Smartypantz as a villain but as someone who always likes to take another look. I don’t accept things because it is the norm – hell no. For those of you who do not know i'll let you in on a little secret, Kenny and I go at each other all the time – we call a spade a spade , but take note of this, we get along. That is the key to it, we get along. He lets me know when he disagrees with my comments and sometimes I apologize (right Kenny). Just understand that we are all entitled to our opinions right, wrong or indifferent but we still need to learn to get along with each other. Herein lies one of the biggest problems that our country faces. We must learn to disagree about certain things yet still like each other. This is in direct reference to the way I was treated by those who called in to support the station and at the same time take cheap shots at me. How many of you yearn to hear some of the classical pan selections but mostly have to listen to panorama selections played? The Lady on the Hill was listening and she made the point. Triniricky and I don’t always agree on things but he always says hello to me. He jokingly wrote in the box that he wanted to hear more opera. Does anyone remember the classical version of Kitchener's music that was played last year and disappeared from the play list? Wack has to keep an eye on the business end of their product but at the same time be careful with statements like “true blend” even though they only play local content and are the only station that truly promotes the talents and culture of Trinidad and Tobago. I listen to WACK but recently I have taken the opportunity to listen to radio stations throughout the Caribbean region – you would be surprised listening to these stations. However, I always come back to WACK, not simply to listen to the music of my country but because of the wit and intelligence provided by the radio hosts like Damion Melville, Amber and Ebony. We all want the same thing so stop the hating and start understanding. Nuff said.
Mar12, 2K8 For those of you whom are too lazy to ready the daily newspapers but curious enough to see what Smartypantz is up to, here is something that you may have missed! Newsd@y featured an article about Damion’s first concert promoted by Randy Glasgow Productions. Damion Melville in concert will take place on April 5 at Guaracara Park, Point-a-Pierre. Pass the word around... Here is the link to the article on Newsd@y.
Mar07, 2K8
Bassa Bassa today (03.06.08) introduced a juicy topic that I salivated about - I had every intention to add my 2 cents and was on speed dial to get in on the conversation. However, the lines were on fire and I was frustrated listening and not able to get in on the action. The situation got worse when the audio stream started to buffer big time ... no not now because I wanted to listen to every detail of this juicy topic. Damion was setting fire left right and center with callers following suit and expressing themselves - everyone has a right to their opinion right, wrong or indifferent and that is the beauty of living in a democratic society. However, something happened along the way.
Just when the gravy was thick a ready to be eaten someone called in and made the most asinine comment that came not from left base but from a baseball field all the way in Boston, USA. How in heaven's name could someone equate nuts and doubles with race? Talk about confusion and more importantly lacouray ... ignorance is bliss and sometimes it is a good idea to let people waddle in their own poop but Damion would not stand for that and even though he knew the caller he did not reveal the persons name on air. He remarked: "I know that voice". However, the Shout Box knew and the name was passed around via IM.
So my vocabulary has increased today because of Bassa Bass, I have learnt that Doubles and Indian are synonymous while nuts and African are the same. We need a third word because the Dougla population needs to become part of the conversation ... "no child must be left behind".
I tried to sing my way through that sordid episode of 'severe bad taste' by this individual but as bad as my singing was... la, la, la, lal, I just could not wipe those distasteful comments out of my head. It is also interesting to note that something else also surfaced from the monkey wrench that was tossed in the fray. People became defensive and chose sides. Our love and friendship for each other seemed to have dissipated like the morning dew, and in a rush. Lawd dis ting could get nasty I thought at the time, but Damion calmed the storm.
I was very disappointed with one of the callers from Canada who started off well but went down the same road of race discontent as the Boston caller. Eh eh don't go there, it was not ST (she can't get involved in those dealings because half of her will get vex with the other half ... ha ha ha ST). Some of the local callers from back home had fun with the call but others went down a path that should never be trekked on again. Heshimu said something that somewhat confused me (buffering problems) when he remarked about "check who owns the supermarkets" or something like that - someone has to help me with that one.
I have no intention on throwing fuel on this fire or maybe I already did with my singing. However, we really need to heal this wound and get back on track with our race relations. It is amazing how much we have not changed but and all that it takes is one comment to start a firestorm. I guess it is true that once a dog starts to suck eggs nothing one does can effect change. In other word once a racist always a racist.
Now here is what I wanted to say about the plane ... Do you remember the plane?
First of all, I don't have any issue with the introduction of an Executive Jet service – I think that it is a good idea. However, the Prime Minister seems to have initiated the idea and his test flights attest to this fact – for heaven’s sake the same company that the test plane came from got the contract. We did not hear about any tendering process and the selection of Bombardier, the Canadian Company. So that is where the lacouray started. As Prime Minister he should have said that the government is getting a jet to use for government business but we will have CA use the aircraft and lease it out when we are not using it – no big deal.
Now we have to hear about all the suffering taking place in the country. So let me add this … the Government, the opposition need to get their act together (they both conduct the business of the country in Parliament) and get the San Fernando Hospital some beds and doctors. Point Fortin needs a hospital with a burn unit for the Oil industry and start doing something about crime and criminal activities.
Damion did a good job today but we all need to stop and reflect before we put our feet in our proverbial mouths.
Jan31, 2K8 I’m late with this post because I’ve been so busy. However, let me take this opportunity to congratulate everyone who had input into WACKy Tuesday. The show was a resounding success and should continue to grow in the years ahead. However take it easy guys, I heard that there was talk about a clash with one of the established tents ... take a deep breath, take it easy, ok. Now to the business at hand, I posted what I considered to be a fair assessment of the results from the performances viewed. The people that I selected won individual categories so it was not all that bad. However, as with all competitions people may have something to gripe about … I am no different, so here goes. First of all coming into the show I knew Damion was the man to beat not because he was the defending champion but because of his experience and comfort on the stage that is an invaluable asset for shows like these. If you ever had to do any type of public speaking then you would understand that many ‘big mouths and braggers ‘wnees get kneak’. Even though I feared David for this competition after seeing his performance I knew he was an also ran for many reasons but mostly because of the style he adopted and giving the guest artist so much singing room. It was no longer David’s performance… enough said because he really does not care much about this Shout Box citizen! I have a problem with Kenny Philips’ high place and more so that he finished in front of Diane Saunders and Ebony Paul. It is a case of, “they thief, they thief, we want to see the score sheet but the judges only seeing CEO … Maestro has to be turning and steupsing in his grave oui boi. Ebony really surprised me and it is like comparing apples and oranges when one compares last year’s performance with her contribution this year. She looked great, she had a smile and 'presence on the stage’ that exuded confidence and yes indeed it was a big ‘chune’. Heshimu gets the prize for doing so much and for having the most fun. I stated in the box that he sounded so much like Cro Cro (that tells you what I think about Cro Cro right). I wondered and stated in the box, “What de hell is Heshimu doing, he can sing so what de hell is this?” They placed him in the third spot … so much for the caliber of judging that night! Damion Melville and Diane Saunders had the best performances that night. Damion did his thing but Diane Saunders really impressed me. Damion had the best presence on stage but Diane used the stage well. She did not wine and grind and conducted herself with class as she sauntered across the stage. She has a beautiful calypso singing voice and her song was delivered like a professional. Damion is the flagship of WACK and entered the completion with an edge. Diane is a relative unknown and the fact that she performed early in the first half may have been a disadvantage. I have no problem with Damion winning the competition (even though I put him in second place) but how in heavens name did Kenny and Heshimu come in at second and third places respectively? The answer to that is just as Wacky as the show but I can’t complain it was well worth the $10.00 I paid for the streaming audio/video feed. I thought about this and here are my thoughts to Mr. Kenny Philips the CEO of WACK. The show was a missed opportunity for the station. Indeed it was … you see readers this show was the ideal vehicle/opportunity to show case the station. The feed should have been free, that is what I said free. Regardless of the cost to stream the show it should have been advertised as such. Eat the cost and reap the increase in viewership that would have occurred. Tell people to come and see for free, see why everyone is in love with the station. Spread the word, give out the address and no one should have had to sign on to see the feed. It was a missed opportunity and Kenny you could steups as much as you want, this is the truth! Let me finish by saying Congratulations to Damion … well done Sir. There was so much to enjoy in the show and the entire gamut of music was on display. Cowen Borneo, Cowen your prize was well deserved. I hope to see you back next year to defend your title. The Chutney songs were fun, fun, fun. The guest artistes were indeed a surprise, Brian London, Rooplal G. and Marvelous Marva added class to the night’s belly-full of laughs proceedings. Now that was value for the money spent indeed. I enjoyed watching Marlene interview Carl Jacobs (one of my favorite singers). Congratulations to the contestants and to all those who had an impact on the show especially the Shout Box crew that was at the show!
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