At least one local artiste is expressing open disgust at the Dominica Festivals Committee (DFC) on claims that artistes are being short changed.
Last evening the committee held its prize giving ceremony for winners and participants in DFC-organized events and competitions leading up to Dominica’s Carnival 2011.
But according to Daddy Chess, the winner of this year’s Power Soca Monarch Competition, artistes are being short-changed because the DFC has removed 20 percent of what they were suppose to earn.
“This is a slap in the face to remove 20 percent without any indication or communication from the DFC that this was going to happen,” he said in an interview with Dominica News Online.
Financial reward for participants in the Soca Competition has decreased over the last three years. In 2009, the winner of the competition got a reward of $15,000. In 2010 the champion was rewarded $10,000 and a bike.
This year, according to Daddy Chess, the DFC promised $5,000 for the winner of the Power Soca Monarch but when the cheques were opened last night, after the ceremony, it reveal less than expected.
“We putting our hand in our pocket to put on a good show, we have to pay for costumes and dancers and for them to get inside,” Daddy Chest complained.
Concerning the cost of preparation for the show Daddy Chess said, “We are all in the red.”
The Former Calypso King now Soca artist said attempts were made to contact the DFC for an explanation on the matter but to no avail.
“We going to fight this, we totally not accepting that, we not going to back down and let this continue,” he vowed, indicating that local artist are currently trying to revamp the now dormant Association of Music Professionals.
DNO is trying to reach the DFC for their side of the story.
do i sense a partern here?
2009 $15,000.00
2010 $10,000.00
2011 $ 5,000.00
2012 $ 0.00
looks like they will be competing for FREE all the upcoming years………..
i just hope they doh raise the gate tickets (lol)
zaw toe sort
The artistes of DA have to take a serious stand on this matter…a no nonsense approach….that is why i love the cultural division, when they have their shows All artists are paid on time and in full…and hey DFC what happen to sponsors money?
Why all this personal unrelated stuff, Dominicans are just embarrassing. Grow up people. Daddy Chess stick to your guns, what the DFC did was blatantly wrong. If you had a contract and I am hoping you did take them to court.
It is high time for our artists to be treated with respect.
This is an unacceptable practice and there should have been some dialogue with the artist before an unilateral decision was made. A few years ago he did the same to the persons providing accommodation and security for the World Creole Festival…. The major problem is his arrogance in the way he conduct business because of his false perception of his intellectual abilities….
It is so sad that we are bashing Daddy Chess like that. It look like that tables has turned. If it was de bull we would say so many thing and we would want to bury him alive. I find Dominicans are to hypocrite!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. The coin has flipped
Sounds like a clear case of “breach of contract”. Follow Tony’s mantra :” take them to court”!
once a country doesnt have any standards across the board what are the results..
dont dominicans see that they come up extremly short in all levels…
dominicans have sold their souls for lies and greedy practices so we are repeating what we sow!
Only in Dominica can these things happen. Only in Dominica is highway robbery allowed. Only in Dominica it will take you 10 years and thousands of dollars in lawyers fees to get what is rightfully yours. I have read some very distastefull comments about wedding bills to pay and understanding the show was poorly attended and working with DFC.
People, understand one thing; a deal is a deal and a contract is binding. When organizers put on a show, they need to take into account all the things which can go wrong. It is called a contingency plan. You need to anticipate the show may not be well attended. You need to anticipate unexpected expenses. With that said, you need to draw up a proper contract where people who are participating know before hand that their pay is based on the success of the show. In the absence of such a clause, if you agree to pay $5000 you must pay $5000. The organiser must face the loss!!
Can you imagine working all month and month end your boss says to you, ‘well, the store did not make much money this month so I am cutting your salary’. Ah ha! How many of you would agree and say ‘let me work with my boss’? Not one of you. You will say you have your bills to pay and your children have to eat. Before making ludicrous comments, put yourself in the place of the individual. These artists take loans and borrow money to put on a performance with the promise of a certain amount of reward. The organizers have no right to change that; period!!
YOU HAVE A LOVELY WIFE……………….
I Glad…… I remember a few years ago when Dice was not pleased with his prize Dominicans had so much to say about him.
Now look it in all you face…..Father head!!
I dont agree with u Daddy Chess u know d show was poorly attended u should try to work with d DFC. When u take part in d soca Monarch in Trinidad how much do they pay u who pays ur flight ?
ok fine so wat u saying for the others they did that. so all the shows where poorly attended no they saving for wcmf or their pockets i wont be on DNO nor Matt but i will get my money i have a contract it well safe so DFC it coming just wait
Typical Dominican,
While it might be true that the shows do not get the patronage that is expected, Chester is right in saying that the DFC should communicate with the calypsonians and let them know that they will not be able to award what was promised. Then both parties can sit and deliberate. DFC cannot say they will award something and then amongst themselves make changes (whether or not they had no choice, again, because of the poor attendance), without informing the parties concerned. I think it is unprofessional. The remark about Trinidad is uncalled for. Whether or not he pays his passage to go to perform over there has nothing to do with what happens in the DFC situation. That is the problem I have with us Dominicans. We always want to bring other things into the discussion instead of dealing with the issue as is.
DFC should have told them and they should inturn sit down with DFC and come to a compromise.
No one is saying not to pay less if the show didnt make it but if you do have financial difficulties call the winners into a meeting and explain the situation, not throw a less than agreed checque in their face. And bringing in Trinidad’s soca monarch in here makes no sense. If he had won he would have receievd his 2 million TT dollars. The fact is he won that show and expected to get his megre $5000 and they still short change d man. And is not he alone all the other artists as well. And also the DFC just so ridiculous. They want a world class show and if you ask them to bring in 10 dancers they telling you pay for 5 to enter, pure rubbish with those people.
boycott the dfc they are pocketing the profits,but that is dfc total disrespect to the artists
Chess is right. Its not fair they are putting on all these great shows and are not getting what they were promised, espeically with no warning. Thats not professional business.
Daddy Chess to damn O-sha if that’s what them people can afford now. What about the payments they need to make for holding the show in the 1st place. You should be happy for the $4,500 you got, already I don’t think you deserved it there!
A PROMISE IS A PROMISE. THAT IS Y DA PEOPLE WILL ALWAYS BE IN PROBLEMS. THEY TOO DISHONEST. THEY WANT EXTRA MONEY IN THEIR POCKET. VOLEH, VOLEH. DOE WORRY DADDY CHESS MONEY EARNED DISHONESTLY.. U KNOW WHAT D BIBLE SAY ABOUT THAT. LEAVE THEM…..
20 % of the total not 10 % go and do your maths…
what is urs is urs every body got cheated of their money. Is his dam money DFC i want my 1000 dollars and ill get it for sure
You suffer from a disease called IDIOCY and i hope you get treatment fast!
“DNO is trying to reach the DFC for their side of the story.” Way to go.
LA LA LA WEEDING BILLS TO BE PAID
comments such as these should be disallowed. Some of all you Dominicans not easy eh. To be in the public eye like Chess really takes guts with how all you tongue always ready to lash out with some personal crap!
Dumb
damn a**
Don’t know what some persons get from making senseless comments.
is not wedding bells for chess nuh they talking bout. i glad for allu. and the person that probly bring it up is a person that working inside there. loud and iggnorant. start form the core, dont just blame the organisation.
ALL DAT GOOD CAUSE DURING ELECTION TIME MONEY IS NO PROBLEM AFETR ELECTION IS A DIFFERENT STORY….I WONDDER WHERE ALL THE MONEY COMES FROM…SO NOW ITS A T DADDY CHESS DOOR STEP LEMI SEE HOW THE GOIN TO HANDLE IT……FARMERS AND MUSICANS ARE SCUMB OF THE COUNTRY IN DOMINICA…..PPL ALWAYS WANT THE SERVICE BUT THEY DONT WANNA PAYY ……I CALL FOR BOYCOTT OF NEXT YEAR CARNIVAL CELEBRATIONS….AND MAKE OUR OWN EVENTS….NOT ASSOCIATED WIT DFC
there are alot of talented young event organisers and groups that can hold and host a good show. is either dominicans boy cot the carnival and do thier own thing or DFC STEP UP!!!!
Why is it that everything in Dominica has to run like a disorganised club????? You guys should request written contracts from now on…then take them to court
agree on that all the way
I doubt that the deduction is for VAT or Income Tax. If qualified as a service provider for tax purposes the artist would have to register for VAT, if he has met the registration requirements/ threshold, e.g. $60,000/ $120,000. He would then settle VAT obligations by charging VAT for his services and pay that amount over to the Authority net of VAT on expenses (Input VAT). I do not believe there are special arrangements for prize money, and do not think that it would qualify for VAT via simple deduction/ withholding…but I could be wrong. For Income Tax, I believe it would be up to the artist to make the disclosure of prize income as part of other income and pay associated taxes based on their tax bracket, when filing returns.
I am very disappointed in the DFC for the way they handled this matter. This shows a great lack of professionalism. I’m just curious as to how this will affect the show next year. Do they really expect the artists to participate again? Shame on the DFC….
i glad dfc doing that
if over the years all you see a decline in prize money, all you should know jolly well is pay they doh want to pay……..and all you still putting on show from all you own pocket…..
and only ONE artist that speaking out?!?!?!?!?!
dfc do right
people like to wait for the LAST moment to take action……………
they should never pay all you………….
chupes
Well is one on DNO that speaking out.. But most of the other competitors that placed were complaining.. eg; Anwar, Carlyn, Delly.. etc
all them performers were upset. but chess representing. if they ging chess is 20 percent then all will get… too much noise in that dfc will cause confussion. Dfc need to get a fresh new vibes, something wrong.
dey have to come out everywhere and as a single block
not just complain to theirselves
next year they still going and put on the show like a**
Pa y the artiste their money! If it was a foreign artiste they would have gotten their mony already….
they would have to be paid before the show
VAT is not paid on income – but on expenditure
To deduct income tax the artistes would have to be employees of DFC
And I totally agree – the artistes should get together and sue the pants off DFC for that nonsense
We too like to treat our locals like shit and give the foreigners the royal treatment
I strongly agree with the artist for speaking out. It has always been this way and if they don’t stand up for their rights this will never end. Foreign artists are always treated with respect, never the local ones.
Dialogue goes a long way. They could have least discussed this with the artist before the ceremony. Total disrespect. No man is better than the other. And all this is going to do is anger the artist to start demanding ridiculous clauses in their performance contracts like some of the Jamaicans are doing now.
If it is VAT they paying (without so much as a letter or memo saying so), then send the income information to IRD so the artist can pay his VAT on his own. As for the other 5%, they cannot say is income tax because they don’t know what tax bracket the artists falls in. They would still need to send some figures to IRD for them to assess.
iMan you are right on the ball. Well said. DFC should really discuss with the artists beforehand. I am sure this would not escalate like this if there was some dialogue among the artist and DFC.