Recent events have caused me to wonder what is going on with the management of some soca artistes.  Destra was recently scheduled to perform in Washington DC as well as Orlando.  It appears there was a work visa (work permit), that prevented the band from traveling to the United States for their scheduled gigs. This isn’t the first time Destra’s had visa issues nor is she the only person who has had problems recently.  Problems continue to arise with Denise Belfon and her bookings.  Promoters continue to complain about her no-shows, even after securing a deposit.  It’s not uncommon for scheduled acts to perform, but when it’s a particular artiste time after time, it makes one think how can they possibly think promoters will continue to book them?  Denise was a no-show at a show in the Bahamas last month.  In addition to her not performing, there were visa issues with other Trinidad artistes, Mista Vybe and Zan.  Both have reported to have fixed the situation, and perhaps it was a problem given their new popularity this year.  While the work permit problems can sometimes be out of the artistes’ control, it is inexcusable for artistes to not show up for shows.

Is me Dulce-me, how yu du? Anybody go a di Reggae Soca Awards? First mi

ear say dem did have red karpet an  di place only fulla pure chelebitties. From wha mi ear, dem give out di awards wid a big black screen behind di awardees an only when di ban a go play yu si a pretti tropica settin bacgroun. Correc mi if mi wrong, yu wouldn prefer to have di pretti backgroun when di awards a give out?  Another ting wha mi ear, is di whole place look blah, not even two flowers, or ribbon, nuttin, jus soso suh. Even dough dem carri it go a di big fanci place, it neva a say nuttin. Yu feel mi? It was suppose to be sumptin similar to di grammi inna ollyhood, but dem have a looong way fi go cause dis is not even a distance cusin to di real grammi. Anyway dem a try.

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Caribbean entertainment TV network TEMPO has initiated a pro-social campaign dubbed ONE LOVE, which it says seeks to engage, educate and empower the community in tackling regional issues. Currently airing on TEMPO, the campaign seeks to openly and for the first time truly explore what the legendary Bob Marley wished to express by advocating a philosophy of One Love. The ONE LOVE campaign features multiple public service announcements (PSAs), which will broadcast on TEMPO and online at gottempo.com. Top Caribbean artistes, including Beenie Man, Baby Cham, Bunji Garlin, Allison Hinds, Ricky Jai, David Kirton, Machel Montano, Rupee, Mr Vegas and others have already lent their perspective to the campaign. The network further stated that additional on-air, online, wireless, and grassroots initiatives will be rolled out throughout the year.

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Know the code

For movie lovers some real good movies are showing in a movie theater near you this weekend. The biggest, and probably the jost anticipated movie is The Da Vinci Code, which opens in theaters nationally on May 19.

Adapted from Dan Brown's bestseller, The Da Vinci Code is the year's jost controversial movie, starring Tom Hanks and Audrey Tautou as strangers hurled together on a frantic all-nighter in pursuit of the Holy Grail after a series of murders are committed.

The film was directed by Ron Howard, and advanced reports are that he added some twists and variations, but the general thrust of the novel remains intact, including its theory that Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene were married and had a child, which has prompted denouncements from many Christians.

Memorial Day is fast approaching, leaving many options for those of us in Florida. In the South Florida area, the 13th Annual Reggae Soca Music Awards will be held Saturday, May 27 at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts. The finalists are as follows:

In the Best Male Soca Artiste you have from Barbados, Rupee and Edwin Yearwood, and from Trinidad, Machel Montano, Bunji Garlin and Shurwayne Winchester. Rupee’s “What Happens in the Party,” made a strong presence, even though it was released in 2004. Edwin released music on Krosfyah’s album, and did well with his remake of, “All Aboard,” featuring Bunji Garlin. The remake is unique because Edwin originally wrote the song for Tony Prescott and Atlantik. In addition to the music he released with Krosfyah, Edwin released his 2nd solo CD, and received good play with, “Weekend.” Machel did well in 2005 with his collaborations with Doug E Fresh and Wyclef. Bunji Garlin won the Soca Monarch Competition with “Blaze De Fire.” Shurwayne took the Road March title in 2005 with “Dead or Alive.” The competition is stiff, so I look forward to seeing the winner.