Patrons urged to support all Carnival fetes

Live performances are critical if a local artiste is to make money from his music.{{more}}

This view was shared by two of this country’s larger promoters, Heric Horne of Island Network and Luke Boyea of Hot 97 SVG.

Speaking at a LIME press conference on Wednesday, the men said that unless artistes perform at a local events or travel overseas, they do not generate enough revenue from the songs they produce.

Horne and Boyea made an appeal for patrons to throw more support behind events at which local artistes perform.

According to Horne, the avenues to generate revenue from the music industry in St Vincent and the Grenadines are very limited.

Horne, who also manages the LIME Soca Dans, explained that artistes here do not receive much in terms of royalties from their songs, and endorsements are few.

“So, it’s based on a performance industry, where, when you perform, you get paid,” he said.

“We spend quite a deal to prepare for carnival. To put quality music out, it takes proper financing and in order to achieve this, we need to have paid fetes, because that’s where majority of our local artistes earn revenue.

“So, we’re urging patrons again to support all the fetes that will be held this year. Support all the local artistes, because it’s costly on them to produce music each year for Carnival,” he added.

Horne’s comments were supported by Hot 97’s managing director, Luke Boyea.

Over the past 10 years, Boyea and his Hot 97 team have produced some of the most highly anticipated private events during the carnival season, including H2O at which a number of local acts perform alongside top regional artistes.

“Heric’s artistes and other artistes make money out of it and there is a whole industry that goes behind the show that I don’t think a lot of people even realize.

“Probably up to 70, 80 people get paid from one show. From the people that do the sound, lighting and these are all local companies, security, and the people who do the artwork, preparing the bars…

“So, it’s really an income generator for everybody…” Boyea stated.

By hosting more local fetes, Boyea said this also serves as a “practice ground” for artistes here seeking to perform beyond St Vincent and the Grenadines.

“I’ve been begging for CDC years and years to allow more private events and I think we’re starting to see it. I think it’s an important engine if our artistes want to compete on the international scene; we have the music, we have the writers and producers, but what we need now is a kind of practice ground for our artistes.

“The more fetes we have in St Vincent and the more opportunities they get to perform the more chance they have to hone their skills, which can make them more valuable overseas,” he added.

It was also revealed during the press conference that Horne and Boyea will be teaming up with telecommunications providers LIME, who have invested $500,000 towards Vincy Mas 2013, to host a number of private fetes.

Two of the major events to be hosted by the promoters include Hot 97’s LIME and Hairoun sponsored H2O soca, scheduled for June 29 at the Arnos Vale Sports Complex.

This event will feature Trinidad’s Soca Monarch, Machel Montano, along with local artistes such as Fireman Hooper, Skinny Fabulous, Fire Empress, Luta and Problem Child.

On the following day, June 30, Island Network will host the 3rd edition of its Soca on the Beach event to be held at Rawacou Recreational Site.

Headlining this event will be three of the Caribbean’s top female soca artistes: Destra, Alison Hinds and Nadia Batson.

Local performers will feature LIME Soca Dans, Madzart, Fire Empress and Skinny Fabulous.(AA)