Fri, Jun 13, 2014

Editor: It is Vincy Mas again and we are looking forward to the usual mas and music; but in all this celebration, I cannot help but highlight some changes I have observed taking place within our entertainment landscape, especially when “big people” party is disguised as fete.{{more}}

Yes, I mean fete. If you were born over four decades ago, your experiences would have informed you that fete was reserved for young people and sance for the older ones. It was within this entertainment landscape that children were allowed to express themselves without the excessive influence of adult and adult themes. Put another way, they could have party themselves and drink a School boy (mauby) without being harassed by a drunken adult.

In the spirit o f togetherness, ‘block-O’ replaced the fete and dance. This offered tremendous benefits to people with low spending power, but allowed for the unpleasant sights where adults partied alongside children. In this form of entertainment, patrons didn’t have to pay an entrance free nor were vendors excluded. That was then, but now it’s the era of big people party, where all-inclusive parties, particularly ‘wet’ fetes, are dominating our entertainment landscape.

Certainly, we call it the spirit of entrepreneurship where “free riders” are left out and only paying patrons can enjoy the benefit of the party. Vendors …sorry, it has been paid for. More and more the economic benefits to be derived from Carnival entertainment activities are captured by entrepreneurs using business models from other small island states.

As Vincy Carnival advances, we are expecting more and more paid entertainment packages replacing the old model we enjoyed at Ricks Bar and similar spots decades ago. As things change, so must we. It’s all about big people party, so just pay your big money and come.

Neri James