Let’s get Vincentian music on Tempo
EDITOR: The introduction of Tempo, a BET sub-television station which was instituted to capitalize on, and promote Caribbean music, should generate tremendous excitement in St.Vincent and the Grenadines among the thousands of musical and performing arts talents that exist in the home of the blessed.
Although when the BET executives sat down to put together the idea of a Caribbean music television station, St. Vincent and the Grenadines may have been far from their minds. But we must now take this opportunity to let the whole world look up and take notice by capitalizing on such a wonderful outlet for our people’s talent. It is not that we cannot do it. {{more}}It is whether or not we have got the tenacity, the guts and the stick-to-it-tive-ness to get it done.
Many of our seasoned talents may have to reinvent themselves (put an old product in a new package). People like Winston So-so can breathe new life into some old songs such as “Come Let Us Go in the Back and Fool Around” etc. with a well produced video. Many old songs from Touch, Becket, Age, etc. can truly make it big (financially and otherwise) internationally.
Our song writers have got to write songs with an international appeal and learn how to give local issues, slangs, and terms an international flavor. But most of all we must remember that we are ambassadors not representing ourselves, but our families, and more so our country.
As I write this article my television is playing the music of the Caribbean, I have heard “umpteen” songs from Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Bahamas and from our Latin sister countries. Unfortunately I have not heard one song from St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Is it that the people from these countries are more talented, more creative, have more and better resources, than us? No they don’t. But it is possible that they have a greater desire to succeed than we have.
Now, do I have to be the first Vincentian to have my music played on Tempo on a regular basis? I don’t want to be, but if no one is willing to, I will have to get it done. And don’t doubt it.
I am not going to call on the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, but instead I am going to encourage my brothers and sisters to take their future and success into their own hands and make the necessary sacrifices that are needed to make it on the international scene. Let’s light the fire called desire and conquer the Tempo, by releasing the Vincy Tempo to the world with quality, class and taste. And then, to the more mainstream music television stations MTV, VH1 etc.
Allan Palmer
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