Two Dominican music entrepreneurs in the persons of Leroy Wadix Charles and Gordon Henderson have put their resources together to promote Dominican music abroad.
A road show titled “Dominica Cadence-Lypso Festival” has been put together to be performed in at least seven cities of the global Creole music starting in Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean.
Established artists such as Ophelia, Chubby and Co, Janet Azzouz and Derrick Peters of the band Mammouth, were asked to join the revue which is meant to be a showcase of Dominica’s talent mainly from the glory days of Cadence-Lypso.
According to Charles, who hosts popular, Creole music radio shows and is a leading proponent of the development of Creole music in general, explains, “The idea is to expose all our artists of all our genres such as Cadence-Lypso and Bouyon and get them working around the world in a professional circuit.”
Henderson adds, “This first initiative is meant to showcase a few acts on one stage with the hope that these artists will create a demand and we can do our job as booking agents.”
The Indian Ocean show is carded for early March 2020 with another show in Paris, France on the way to, or from, Reunion Island.
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We all need to come together to create and be creative in UNITY.
I love music. Check out Sharon Musgrave and Derick Musgrave and Thomas James and John James.
My passion are old hymns. I want to put it to Caribbean music and African music and other combinations. I am patiently waiting for God’s provision.
Prayers being lifted right NOW for provision for all with talents to have opportunities and venues and support and encouragement.
The idea is 40 years old. About 40 years ago, about the time when the Jamaican gov’t cultural Dept understood this and started funding ‘Reggae Sun Splash’ to travel and spread Reggae to markets worldwide; local musicians were begging our gov’t for help to do just that. They, Mamo gov’t said ‘NO’. Musicians were left to scrunt on their own, then came Zouk together with visa restrictions to the French island, and Cadrnce Lypso almost totally died. Here we are today, missed investment in youth opportunities. Sad.
I am totally disappointed in Wadix. Instead of taking Buoyon music with our young artists to the world you taking artists who have past their best on tour. Big respect for Gordon, Ophelia, Rah et al but this is just nostalgia. Promote artists like Michele, Benji and Asa.
Cadence-Lypso is the dinosaur. We can’t recreate history
Use your head for a moment. Wadix is a private entrepreneur. He must invest on product that can be sold in order to make a profit. That’s business.
Why don’t you ask the government to assist Wadix in promoting Bouyon on that tour. Take advantage of the opportunities that the old heads are still offering…
Much props to these guys trying to showcase their talent on a Global scale but something doesn’t settle with Rasta,,,
Reunion Island in the Indian ocean is probably one of the most remote destinations on this Planet,,,
If Marn had communication with Gordon like DNO authors Marn would ask them what promoted them to promote their talent at such a remote destination and to what Global Audience they are attempting to attract all the way there???
According to Google Maps
Reunion island is behind Madagascar which is behind Africa,,,
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Réunion/@-16.185969,49.4790658,2402218m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x2178778110b8e43b:0x4a7f8e89ecdbeaf9!8m2!3d-21.115141!4d55.536384
That means Reunion Island in the Indian ocean is further than it takes to get to Behind God’s Back so what kind of publicity Dominica Cadence-Lypso music going to get from that distance???
Population over 800k they may have a large diaspora in france and located close to Madagascar and Africa. They may be thinking why are these musicians from a tiny remote Caribbean island come all the way here. 😊😊😊😊😊 . Gordon Henderson has played to huge crowds there several times and this should tell you how far the music of Dominica can spread through the franco world. There is worldwide market we once had.
Ok Den thank you for the clarification,,,
That’s one of the locations where Cadence Lypso has sold the most still big there. They seem to think it’s from Gwada, until informed by musicians who know better. Past powers-that-be missed the boat on that and let it die instead of investing in it. The Internet makes it a shrinking world – time to show them who we really are..
umm people live there right? and they are willing to pay???
This is absolute nonesense. Reunion is larger and more populated than Martinique and Guadeloupe combined. It is a French overseas department with all the infrastructure as metropolitan France…
Have you been there?
Go on YouTube and watch the EXILE ONE channel.
You will notice that Reunion has been a market for Cadence-Lypso since the seventies.
So have been the neighbouring islands of Seychelles and Mauritius.
Anthony Gussie has made his home there for over ten years now…
Australia is not too far…
It is probably the best Creole market better for Cadence-Lypso than Trinidad has been for Bouyon.
Inform yourself…
I would suggest touring the frankaphone countries and creole cities like New Orleans. I hope the slant will be to promote Dominica as a tourist destination.
Our culture can be promoted with performance to include dances like belaire, mazook and cordrille. Also our carnival caylypso could be included especially those that are entertaining without conflict and contention.
Reunion island is far from Dominica and indeed near Madagascar but not at all behind God’s back.
It is the most developed and populated of the French overseas departments and way more developed than Dominica.
Go to YouTube and see the infrastructure of that country rhat has supported Cadence-Lypso since the seventies.
Have you been there?
I had the opportunity of listening to the media day of the show in Dominica and learned that Ras shortie “I” worked on song Ou pity. That’s amazing info to me as a Carribean classic music fanatic. I suggest making cadance the official music of Dominica with all rights and privileges thereof. Like the sisserou and boi carib. I must admit we have almost lost a class at form and ecourage folks to continue to raise the standard it represented in terms of musical arrangements and playing skills. Not just synthesized but actuall human and instrumental interactions. Eg midnight groovers has a style that is pretty distinct and unique with a bellaire pitchey roots and a guitar style that only come from CO. We cannot afford to loose. We should have a guitar solo tournament see who can play best Co impression. All these help spread and share whats uniquely Dominica for generations. Music is not just about wilding up but enjoying the satisfaction a well arranged composition and rythym evokes.