Beache not happy with Labour Day show

Minister of Tourism Glen Beache has made his displeasure with the performance of the Vincentian truck at the Labour Day festival in New York known.{{more}}

As in previous years, the Ministry of Tourism this year commissioned the Carnival Development Corporation (CDC) to put a truck on the road for the festival on the Eastern Parkway – investing the sum of US$12,500. “I think it has a lot of potential but I can say that I wasn’t quite happy with it,” he bemoaned. This being the first time that a representative from the Ministry of Tourism had been present on the truck, Beache was also disparaging of the entire festival. “I think that Labour Day is the most disorganised Caribbean festival that I have ever come across!” he exclaimed.

Beache lamented the fact that there had been no uniformity in the revellers’ jump-up and the majority of the trucks on the Parkway had displayed poor signage and design.

As expensive as the Vincentian sound system had been, Beache related that the Haitian truck’s music had drowned out that of our own. He also spoke of the Vincentian truck’s tardiness in getting on the road and the incurring of a fine because some persons had defied the festival’s rules and gone up on the roof of the truck. Then, to add insult to injury, the truck was prematurely pulled off the road by the authorities at some time between 4 and 5pm. Beache also criticised the Disc Jockey’s use of Vincentian soca music from previous years when, in his opinion, there was sufficient music from this year to be played.

Beache admitted that he fully understood why some people would say that the money being spent is not worth it, but he believes that it gives the Diaspora a sense of pride to see their country represented on the Parkway. He further pointed out that St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ is the only country that has its truck funded by its Government. He hinted that members of the Diaspora and the private sector should contribute to the event in order to make it a success because the Ministry of Tourism can only afford so much. Beache conveyed that there are other festivals that require funding and promotion and their budget needs to be set to include them all.

Moreover, Beache questioned whether the money spent on a Labour Day truck would be better spent on a truck for the Caribana festival in Toronto. “Caribana is the largest Caribbean festival outside of the Caribbean!” he noted.

To avoid a repeat of this year’s poor performance, Beach stated that the Ministry of Tourism will be taking charge of the design and signage of the truck in 2009. He also said that the numbers of persons allowed on the truck will be minimised. (JSV)