Minister for Tourism and Urban Renewal, Robert Tonge, has revealed that an additional $1-million has been budgeted for the improvement of the 2016 World Creole Music Festival (WCMF), which will take place from October 28 to 30.
“Traditionally, the Discover Dominica Authority gets a subvention of $780,000; but, we knew that this year the show had to be bigger, better, and a lot more exciting…” he said, at the launch of the WCMF, last night. “So, the government of Dominica has approved an additional $1-million to ensure that the vision of this event is brought to fruition.”
This was partly because of the cancellation of WCMF 2015, due to the government of Dominica not wanting to “send the wrong message” to benefactors by hosting a festival while the country still suffered socially and economically, after the devastation caused by the passage of Tropical Storm Erika, in August.
He stated that the significant improvement in the financing of the festival will “allow for better and timelier organization of the activity, as well as provide more effective negotiation with the artistes when preparing for the line-up.”
Eighteen artistes were revealed for the line-up of WCMF 2016. The line-up consists of a mix of Zouk, Compa, Soca, Bouyon, Afro Beat, Calypso and Reggae and Rap.
Tonge explained that the Dominica Festivals Committee (DFC) will be “raising the bar” for WCMF 2016, with an excellent line-up of artistes, and “superior” stage, sound, and ambience.
He remarked that the event provides an opportunity for bands and artistes who have been scheduled to perform to showcase their talents, thereby increasing their chances to be considered for greater prospects elsewhere.
Meantime, the Minister urged Dominicans to be proud of their Creole culture and heritage in its entirety, particularly as October—dubbed ‘Creole Month’—approaches.
He encouraged citizens to have national pride, as we have “come a long way as a nation.”
“Let us not downplay the significance of the month of October, currently known as ‘Creole Month’—a month set aside to remind us of our common heritage. We need to recognise that a nation which loses its heritage, loses its existence,” he commented.
I think the festival should attract a diversity of cultures. We should not be satisfied with a repetitious audience. The primary aim of WCMF should be to ‘Market DOMINICA’, and that by our music. This is why it is so essential to utilize ‘LOCAL’ talent and skill foremost. We should endeavor to enhance the existing skills and talent of ‘OUR PEOPLE’. Sponsor special training courses in a variety of disciplines in order that Dominicans can become sufficiently competent to operate and perform the festival. We encourage visiting performers, but we MUST equip Dominicans to showcase their skills at competitive levels. ‘DOMINICA has lots of unused talent and potential’ Invest in our people, send them to study sound engineering, directing music, lighting and electronic technology/engineering, send the boys on the block to recording studios etc. I’m not very technical oriented, hey, but these are ideas.
Dominica Government, what are your PRIORITIES?
Minister Tongue wants us to believe that the WCMF needed an extra million dollars to ensure ‘that the vision of this event is brought to fruition’.
What exactly is the vision of WCMF?
After several years of government funding and backstopping of the festival’s annual losses, is there any significant evidence of tangible improvements in the operation of the festival?
After all those years of losses, has there been an objective evaluation of this annual event? If so, have the results been made available to the people of our nation?
What we do know is that for this year there will be $1 million less available to support agriculture and other important segments of our economy.
One million dollars? Is that an investment? So many schools are not properly furnished. not enough ventilation, classrooms are very hot, teachers still have to buy their own chalk and markers, computer labs are near shut down and one million dollars for a fete. I tell you this country boy! We are moving by back.
Here lies D/ca’s problem… always Government’s handouts no buoyancy in Private Sector intervention because it’s almost dead; nothing at all if excitement happening in tbat area.
Another crucial point… why’s the WCMF not self-sustaining? Where are the self-supporting/revenue generating activities?
buh waitttt,,,,hospital needs equipment, roads not fixed, what about the bridges, you made the erica homeless victims get kicked out cause you did not live up to your promise of payment and now u have money one milionnnnnnnnn dolllasssssssssss for SEWO?? Mannnnn you self not ez eh beh weh!!!!
Is dat, Give them money let them sewo and when they fall sick let them die cause our hospital not up to date….. I dont know but something really wrong with dat man deh!!!!
Can some of the profits go towards at least covering the stinking drains you dodge every day in Roseau? Please? Begging.
Who vex lost….All YOU(UWPites) can do is HUFF and PUFF….Not even God knows how to please YOU ALL…and SATAN fed up with ALL YOU.
“This was partly because of the cancellation of WCMF 2015, due to the government of Dominica not wanting to “send the wrong message” Mr. Minister, you and rest of the DLP send the wrong message,” each day that a local or tourist must traverse the broken sidewalks and dirty, smelly drains in Roseau. You also send the wrong message when we’re using open dump trucks to collect garbage. In the 70s we had yellow and burgundy “Bedford Trucks” with manual covers. In 2016 we have open dump trucks, but here you are talking a bunch of crap that was spoon-fed to you by your DLP bosses. You guys are simply shameless.
So in other words a festival for international consumption is getting a budget of $1,780,000.00 ECD?
We not serious yet in this country
Wait…is that…Madea…I meant….Tyler Perry??? I love your movies, Sir! What are you doing in Dominica? Will you be filming here? Our Government can give you money from our lucrative passport sales to promote our Island in your movie. Oh sorry…someone just informed me that this is actually Robbie Tonge (Tongue) my old pal! (Just poking fun Robbie
) Hey, but Robbie did I just read that the (one man) Government did not want to “send the wrong message” to benefactors by hosting a festival while the country still suffered socially and economically? My God, Mr. Tongue…I mean Tonge, isn’t the Country still suffering both socially and economically TEN long months after Tropical Storm Erika? I’m confused… has all the roads been fixed, temporary bridges replaced with stronger permanent bridges, dislocated residents relocated? Is the economy now stable and all the funds available to meet the 1.5 billlion dollars assessed to bring the Country back to normalcy?
Not quite, but the DLP Pappy Show wedding must continue.
Rather take for this and you need a hospital in Marigot but look shit where our priorities. You putting monies for celebration and our health department is down slowly. Shame. More sewo.
I support just that. positive comment
One million dollars for the festival – OK how much will be spent on getting visitors to the island? How much will be spent on promotion overseas? How much will be spent on improvements and cleanup in the town of Roseau? SMH – this guy is useless!
Fed Up: it is actually XCD1.78M for 2016 WCMF. One million more than the usual annual subvention. DA is a wealthy country – evidenced by the amount of money this gov’t has been dishing out recently. It is just that the priorities of this gov’t are skewed. Sickening!
lol
Why do we have to subsidize an event like that when so many free-loaders get in on a vip pass? That is a nonsense. Make these people pay for their tickets.
You guys are nuts. $1miion is what was promised for the Marigot hospital for two years now and not a penny spent but you that money for siwo? Rome is really burning and Nero playing his fiddle.
I hope he meant Soca and not calypso that has been dead and forgotten all over the world, except Dominica where calypso is all anti gov’t blazzay songs visitors not interested in. And no, I am not a Skeritt fan, Linton “may” do just as good a job, not my point here.