Vincy mas shelved
on whether Vincy Mas
2020 should be cancelled or
postponed to a later date this
year.
“I deliberated for a while,
taking all factors into consideration,”
he said. “After so doing,
I came to the conclusion it
would be best to cancel and
start preparations for 2021.”
In a letter to the Ministry
of Culture in St. Vincent and
the Grenadines by the chairman
of the Carnival Development
Committee (CDC), Richardo
Adams, Adams said that
the CDC has been “monitoring
very closely the progress
of the coronavirus (COVID-19)
pandemic, and its effect on
the local, regional and international
community.
“With this in mind, the
CDC has had discussions at
the board level with the representatives
of the three main
components of Vincymas, Pan,
Calypso and Mas, as well as
with some of our other stakeholders
in Vincy Mas,” Adams
wrote.
“After discussions with their
own memberships, the three
component governing bodies,
the Youlou Pan Movement
(YPM), the SVG Calypso Association
erwise known as PlaybookMG,
has produced many Caribbean
stars throughout the past decades,
with her “dedication and
hard work.”
Driven said her resume
and current rosters feature
“an impressive and extensive
amount of talent from the
islands.”
That list includes: Remy Ma,
Papoose; Kranium; celebrity
stylist Kidear Youmans; Dancehall
Queen Spice; Tara Wallace;
Chef Patrick; Stevie J; Tony
Sunshine; Future Fambo; Alexus
Rose; QQ; Mr Lexx; Cham;
Ricky Blaze; Peter Gunz; Wyclef
Jean, Jr.; Reid; Marian Hall,
previously known as Lady Saw;
Kranium; and Mr. Vegas.
Driven said she has also
“helped the islands with influencer
marketing,” stating that
she “bridges the gap between
influencers and companies in
the islands on a daily and rapid
rate.”
Entering a new decade, in
2020, Driven said she is also
working “to continue bridging
and closing the gap between
the Caribbeans and mainstream
culture.”
She said her intuition is
serving her “greatly,” adding
that she strives to achieve her
goal “more every day.”
As the face of Playbook Media
Group and co-founder of the
company who got her started
as a celebrity publicist, Driven
said she is “a recognized player
on the entertainment scene.”
She said she represents
“what it means to have a pulse
on popular culture while also
narrowing in on establishing
a presence in emerging markets.”
Playbook Media Group was
formed in 2014 when Jean
Jones and Driven joined forcopinion
Caribbean L 20 ife, April 17-23, 2020
(SVGCA) and the Carnival
Bands Incorporated (CBI)
have written to the CDC recommending
the cancellation
of Vincy Mas 2020,” he added.
Adams said among the
issues that guided CDC’s decision
were the physical distancing
guidelines as recommended
by health professionals;
reduced build-up to Vincy Mas;
lack of sponsorship; closure of
regional and international suppliers;
economic impact and
uncertainty of travel restrictions
imposed on regional and
international source markets;
reduced disposable income
of nationals; and the possible
harming of “the excellent
international image of St. Vincent
and the Grenadines.”
“We are acutely aware of
the potential economic and
social impact of the cancellation
of Vincy Mas 2020, but
believe that, with the continued
uncertainty surrounding
COVID-19 and the importance
of the health of the nation,
we can work with the GOSVG
(Government of St. Vincent
and the Grenadines), the components
and the stakeholders
of Vincy Mas to ensure that
we come out of this with a
rejuvenated product that can
make all Vincentians proud to
proclaim Vincy Mas as ‘The
Hottest Carnival in the Caribbean,”
Adams said.
Bennett said that, even as
his association recommended
cancellation of Vincy Mas 2020,
“we are cognizant of the fact
of the adverse effects that this
decision will have on scores of
our nationals inclusive of calypsonians
(kaiso, ragga and soca
artistes), who depend largely
or solely on Vincy Mas for an
income.”
In this regard, Bennett
recommended, in a letter to
Adams, that a stimulus package
be offered to full-time calypsonians
(those who are unemployed);
songs that are already
released be eligible for Vincy
Mas 2021; the CDC continues
to put plans in place for Vincy
Mas 2021; and “systematic and
methodical developmental
work be done in all facets for all
three components with a view
to enhancing the quality of our
product – Vincy Mas.”
A statement from the Office
of Prime Minister Dr. Ralph E.
Gonsalves stated that Cabinet
accepted the recommendations
advanced by CDC through the
Ministry of Tourism, Sports
and Culture.
But, in announcing the cancellation
of Vincy Mas 2020
last Thursday, Gonsalves disclosed
that Cabinet has “left
open holding a popular festival
at a later date in the Summer
of 2020, should circumstances
permit,” according to THE VINCENTIAN.
The paper said Gonsalves
also assured that the Economic
Review and Stimulus Package,
which was expected to be presented
to Parliament on April
7, would contain provisions “to
assist persons who are actively
engaged in carnival and the
cultural industry.”
Continued from Page 19
Haitian American publicity
guru, Marie Driven.
Marie Driven
Continued from Page 20
Caribbean sensation Alkaline
and Kranium, who are vivid
supporters of the platform, use
it to have fans from all over
the world to engage with their
sound,” Marie Driven, the Haitian
American managing partner
for the Brooklyn-based
entertainment company, PlaybookMG,
told Caribbean Life
on Wednesday.
“In their words, it’s not only
a platform that connects them
to their fans easier but also
allows them to track their progression,”
she said. “Being from
countries where it’s difficult to
adjust to modern technology
due to contemporary resources,
Audiomack has mastered the
art of simplifying complicated
concepts to understand easy-tograsp
tools for artists to follow.
Driven said Alkaline and
Kranium have “raved” about
using the platform.
She said Alkaline loves Audiomack,
“because the application
allows him to see how fans
perceive his music.
“Also, since his music is featured
in many fan-uploaded
playlists, it will enable him to
view how to cater to his future
music towards satisfying the
ears of his fans and where he
should go with his sound,” Driven
said, adding that “Audiomack
gives direction to artists.”
For Kranium, she said the
narrative he can illustrate with
future music is due to a “huge
thanks from the team over
Audiomack – for allowing him
to track his progression seamlessly.
“Something that the platform
does wonders for him and
his team is making his target
audience easier to pinpoint,”
Driven said, “thus, lowering
Karanium’s overall stress level
and making going after his
career much easier.
“Audiomack makes the most
complex applications simple,”
she added. “From Audiomack’s
capabilities — to translate your
music to other languages, spotlight
particular songs for target
exposure, an advanced creator
dashboard to track music analytics
and intuitive to expand
into the Caribbean islands —
the streaming platform is perfect
for musicians of all genres
and regions to grow their audience,
too.
The newly-elected executive of Brooklyn-based Dynamites
Calypso Tent of New York. Seated from left: Delahanty Isles,
Errol “D Man Age” Rose, John Dougan. Standing from left:
Hilford Hurst, Atiba Williams, Garnes Byron, Dennis Bowman
and Carlos “Rejector” Providence. Missing from photo
Jose Juan. Dynamites Calypso Tent
Haitian guru Alkaline,
Jamaican singer Kranium. PlaybookMG / Marie Driven
Continued from Page 19