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.

The RAM tour has started!  The RAM tour consists of three soca heavyweights.  Rupee, Alison Hinds, and Machel Montano have begun a tour starting with Barbados.  This past weekend had major events in Barbados including Bunji Garlin and the Asylum Band, Destra and Atlantik as well as Lil Rick, Peter Ram, and a host of other performers.  Unfortunately for the RAM tour, Rupee was a no-show, but at the fault of the airline he was taking to reach Barbados.  While it was a disappointment to the fans, they still had Alison Hinds & the Alison Hinds Show as well as Machel Montano & Xtatik.  The tour heads to Germany this week for the World Cup events.  Other scheduled artistes in Germany include Soca Warriors #1 Fan (well it seems so anyways), Maximus Dan and Dawg E. Slaughter.  Maximus is sure to hype up the Trinidad fans with his song, “Fighter.”  I’m not much of a sports fan, but I would love to see how hype the fans get with the chants of, “I AM A SOCA-A-A-A-A-A WARRIOR!” Good luck to Trinidad’s Soca Warriors and best wishes to all who get to attend.  I know the performances will be wonderful.

Cropover events are underway in Barbados.  Aside from the RAM tour there will be a number of all-inclusive events that are typically seen in Trinidad during their Carnival.  One event scheduled is Brian Lara’s ultra-inclusive fete.  For those who have been to the one in Trinidad, I’d presume it would be similar as far as the offerings of food drink and music.  While I think it’s nice to have something for everyone, all-inclusive events are not always what they are cracked up to be.  In the United States, having an all-inclusive aljost always assures you a better deal for your drinks.  In the Caribbean however, drinks are rather cheap.  Fetes in Barbados several years ago ranged from $10 USD to $20 USD depending on how many acts you got.  Now with the addition of all-inclusive fetes or VIP-optional tickets, are you really getting a good deal for your money?  As someone who works in the United States, I can afford to go on vacation and pay my $35-45 USD for a fete ticket.  Add this up over a period of a week or two, it doesn’t do me much harm.  My main issue is the cost of living in the various islands and those ticket prices don’t change.  I hope promoters in the Caribbean keep this in mind when hiking up their fete tickets.  I’d hate to see a fete with a fewer turnout of locals because the cost is too high.

Broward Caribbean Carnival is launching next Sunday, June 18^th.  Yes, I know Father’s Day is that day, but it’s a family event.  Bring the whole family out and have a great time.  Admission is free and there will be live music by Code 868, Roger George and Leon Coldero.  For more information, log onto http://caribbeancarnival.org. As usual, have a wonderful week and be safe.