Barbudans complain of being left out of One Nation Concert

A multiple winning Barbudan calypsonian would like an explanation as to why no Barbudan artiste appeared in the line-up for the One Nation Concert on Saturday.
Culture Officer for Barbuda Vernon “Goldilocks” Griffith expressed his disappointment in not being contacted to arrange for Barbudan artistes to perform in the One Nation Concert organised by the National Festivals Committee under the auspices of Prime Minister Gaston Browne.
“I, as a Barbudan and as the Cultural Officer for Barbuda, myself and others feel left out in Barbuda because no one in the cultural department is taking place in the show. We have a Caribana queen, a soca monarch and calypsonians such as King Montgomery,” Griffith said in an OBSERVER media interview.
Griffith said that since the Festivals Commission took control of Caribana on the sister island, it should have properly liaised with him and added that if it was a private affair, it would not have been a problem.
“The Festivals Commission has been organising it and they have taken over Caribana for the past two years now, so I don’t know how they leave us out,” he said.
He noted that although Antiguan artistes will be seen as representatives for both Antigua & Barbuda, the uniqueness of Barbuda could have still been represented at the concert.
“It is my desire to see our culture being showcased and our performers recognised and an opportunity like that will give some recognition to Barbuda. Although Tian Winter will be seen as an Antiguan and a Barbudan and Claudette and the rest, we have people now who can go and be involved.”
However, Chairman of the One Nation Concert Committee Bernard Percival said that Antigua & Barbuda is one state and as such, artistes from either island would represent the entire country.
“Antigua & Barbuda is one state, so if we have persons representing Antigua, they are representing Antigua & Barbuda. There may not have been a particular artiste from Barbuda but there are a number of Antiguan artistes who could not have been a part of the show.
“People on the show like Claudette Peters, Tian Winter and MnM Music represented both Antigua & Barbuda,” Percival said.
The event, which was held at the Antigua Recreation was also free to the public.