Nation News: 7/28/2009.
by Michelle Springer
A SECOND Crop-Over controversy is brewing.
Just a week after an alleged "leaked list" of
semi-finalists for the LIME/Banks Pic-O-De-Crop, comes an
announcement that there will be a clash of shows, since a major show
is being planned for the same night as the Cockspur/DIGICEL Red Hot
Cohobblopot to be held at Kensington Oval.
The omission of Edwin, Krosfyah and the Pyramid Entertainment fleet
of artistes for the popular show staged on the eve of Grand
Kadooment, has prompted the management of Pyramid Entertainment to
host a counter-event - Climax.
Climax, aimed at rivalling the "Red Hot" show, has come
about, according to Santia Bradshaw one of the directors of Pyramid
Entertainment, after unsuccessful attempts to negotiate with the
National Cultural Foundation to have Barbados 246 featured at the
Kensington Oval show.
"Discussions took place directly between Edwin Yearwood and
both Andy John and David Jordan, separately, prior to 10 June about
honouring him at Cohobblopot.
"Edwin was told he could put together any band, or use Krosfyah
if he so wished, but that he was the act which was being booked for
the event," she said.
Bradshaw said the day prior to the June 11 launch of Barbados 246,
two of its directors met with John who informed them it was
"the intention of the NCF at this year's Cohobblopot to honour
Edwin Yearwood".
"Andy John expressed keen interest in the 246 package and also
in booking Barbados 246 for Cohobblopot. He advised that contact
would be made as soon as possible after the official launch
(scheduled for the following day) for all parties to discuss the
booking fee," she stated.
Bradshaw said however no formal discussion had taken place with
Michael Agard, manager of Krosfah at any time, to secure or discuss
Edwin's inclusion on the card or about honouring him.
A series of e-mails between principals of Pyramid Entertainment and
NCF officials, copies of which were obtained by this newspaper
ensued.
On July 2, the NCF wrote:
"[We] have been trying to get in touch with Edwin for over 6
weeks because it was our intention to honour Allison and Edwin as
the King and Queen of Soca in Barbados.
"To date he has promised to contact us, but this has not yet
materialised...[since] Edwin never responded we had to go ahead with
an alternative plan for this year where we approached a number of
newer artistes with a view to working with them to lift their
performance to another level.
"Therefore [we] would not have the budget nor the show-time to
consider the 246 package for Cohobblopot 2009 without disappointing
many of those artistes contacted previously".
Speaking to the DAILY NATION at Farley Hill National Park on Sunday,
Corporate Communications specialist of the NCF Wayne Simmons stated:
"We extended an invitation to both Edwin and Allison to be
honoured and we got a response from only one."
He said he was not privy to any of the negotiations between the
entities over the event.
David Jordan, co-ordinator of the event declined comment.
Yearwood told the DAILY NATION yesterday via cellphone he had been
on an extended trip to the Virgin Islands where communication had
not been possible at the time. He stated however that he was not
unduly stressed by the outcome.
"NCF does not owe Edwin Yearwood nor krosfyah anything,"
he said, "It is not my show or krosfyah's show. It is the
people's show, however, which is supposed to feature the cream
performances of the crop," he said.
