Some calypsonians unhappy with Botanical Gardens

Some calypsonians are still not in support of staging the Pic O De Crop Finals at the National Botanical Gardens.

They are asking the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) to pick another venue for the pinnacle Crop Over competition.

Reigning monarch Adrian AC Clarke spoke about some of the challenges artistes and patrons experienced while attending finals night. 

“At the present moment, I just don’t see it as a place for competition. I listened to what my fellow competitors said and to what the crowd is saying. They always complain about the amenities. You’ve got all the people coming and they’re not comfortable with the terrain and people complain they can’t see or they can’t hear,” he said. 

Clarke was not convinced that the sound issue was solely a technical matter.

“We’ve got very good engineers here, but there’s got to be something happening that people can’t hear in the audience and that’s what’s been happening,” he said.

He stressed that it was important to also listen to the patrons, who were investing their money by attending the show.

“I didn’t have any issues on stage that some might have had, so my issue is not on stage. The issue is who is paying the bills. 

“The patrons that are coming in, paying to see a show, and they’re leaving disgruntled because they can’t hear this or they can’t hear that. You’ve got a paying audience who will be very disgruntled if they come back in the third year and that happens. They ain’t coming back for the fourth,” he said. 

AC won the competition with Going Fuh Crown. 

Finalist in last year’s competition, Colin Spencer, also said he experienced issues at the venue.

“The challenge last year was in relation to there being no electricity in the space that was chosen for the male members of the All Stars tent. There was no electricity for quite a while,” he recalled.

Spencer, who placed 14th with Fear, also said the colder temperature at the Waterford, St Michael venue was not always compatible with his voice.

He said too much work was needed to transform the area into a competition stage.

“I am not sure that it is a good place for a calypso finals considering the amount of work that has to go into it to get it ready. In the couple of years it’s been held there, it’s never quite ready when you get there to perform; there is still a lot of work going on,” he said.

Tent manager for Kooyman All Stars Calypso Tent, Eleanor Rice, also said the venue was not suitable for artistes because of the muddy conditions.

“We were faced with a lot of water and mud. I remember seeing a calypsonian having to put plastic bags on his feet to go to the stage. These are things we have to consider as it relates to Botanical Gardens,” she said.

Pointing out that the competition is held during hurricane season, she said the issue could recur.

“If it was a different time of the year, it might be a really good venue, but as long as it’s hurricane season and the rain is persistently coming, we may be forced to keep dealing with this challenge,”
Rice said.

She acknowledged that there could be booking issues surrounding Kensington Oval, but suggested the competition could return to that venue.

“I do know that the Kensington Oval is usually booked for another event and therefore we may not be able to use it, but it certainly is a better venue because you have better walking areas going to the stage and there is good coverage for dressing rooms. So, hopefully, the authorities will look into it and see how best we can fix the situation,” she added. 

Paul Billboard Murrell acknowledged that there were issues at the National Botanical Gardens on finals night last year, but said they could be ironed out.  

“I don’t have a problem with the finals being held at the Botanical Gardens once they work through the challenges. There were some challenges last year – the production, the sound system weren’t very good and the backstage area . . . those are things that can be worked out easily.”

Billboard placed fourth last year with War.

Although some of the performers said the mud was also an issue, he said that condition came with the territory when staging events at outdoor venues.

“It is what it is in terms of the mud. Any other event at an outdoor venue, whether that is Farley Hill or Botanical, you’re liable to have that.”

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