SXMElections.com

Dear Editor,

I read in the newspapers some days ago that SCDF has decided that from Carnival 2016, international bands will no longer be allowed to play on the road during the Jouvert Morning jump-up parade. This will be left for the local bands only. As a matter of fact, they intend to have two Jouvert morning jump-ups. At first this may sound like good news for the ears of all Jouvert lovers, and one might even think that we are moving forward, but we are simply putting the horse at the back of the cart again.

First of all, depriving the international bands from playing on the road during the Jouvert morning jump-up leaves less choice of bands for the revellers to jam with. This means that the crowds jamming with the bands will increase even more, and we know what the consequences of that can be.

Then, two Jouvert morning jump-ups in which no international bands are allowed on the road means: more work for the local bands and musicians. Great! But, wait a minute! Playing on the road Jouvert morning does not bring in revenue for the bands, it creates an expense. While the bands play for free, they have to hire trucks and drivers, rent generators and comply with all the regulations and requirements to play on the road. Nobody hires them to play, so nobody pays them to play.

So, we keep the international bands out of the Jouvert morning jump-ups. We let the local bands suffer the expenses, while we decrease the revellers' choice of which band to jam with and we increase the number of revellers behind each band. Makes little sense to me. But, that was the horse; let me now deal with the cart. The international bands are, however, allowed to play in the Carnival parades, where they are hired and paid by the troupe for whom they play. So, we exempt them from Jouvert where they play for free but secure work for them in the parade where they are paid. No international band should be allowed to play in the Carnival parade until every local band has secured a job. Then, and only then, will international bands be allowed to play during the Carnival parade.

Then, there are a number of un-asked and un-answered questions in this matter. Do the troupe leaders, who hire and pay the international bands, have to seek work permits for the band and its members? Are the troupe leaders required by law to make the down payment at SZV and Tax Department for the band members like promoters have to do when they bring in artists from abroad? Is Turn Over tax collected when such transactions take place? Promoters are obliged to pay these fees, so I wonder if troupe leaders, who hire international bands pay this too.

I do not want to open a can of worms here, but we have to take steps to protect our locals, not abuse them, while we secure work for others. What we are doing here is surely putting the horse behind the cart again.

Fernando Clark