Spin D Music - Entertainment News

Crop-Over costs jumping

Bridgetown, Barbados: May 9th 2008
Source: nationnews.com

CROP-OVER COSTS will be rising in keeping with the current economic trends in the market.

The cost of costumes are up; perhaps that of calypso tents; and even the production costs of studio music have risen.

Already the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) has said that a $5 increase was likely for its events and while a number of stakeholders are trying to keep costs down, price hikes seem inevitable as new sponsors have not been lining up to get on board.

Crop-Over band Berger Boyz has had to raise the price of its costumes now to between $380 and $450. Last year they started from $275.

Other bands are starting packages at $400 for locals and $600 for visitors.

Paul Rowe, Berger Boyz band leader, said at a media launch on Tuesday at Club Extreme that the price of appliquŽs was up 25 per cent, the music truck was 20 per cent more and the other trucks, due to the hike in diesel, would now be 40 to 50 per cent higher.

He explained the Boyz were trying to mitigate some of the costs by offering group rates and a discount for early registration.

Rowe said, however, he did not believe the high cost of living would deter a lot of people from masquerading.

"If you look at the numbers at Reggae On The Hill and some other events, people are still going out. Some people go out and enjoy themselves as a way to express themselves when things get hard . . . . The cutback is not coming this year," he added.

Meanwhile, Anderson Blood Armstrong, who produced the compilation Blood Ties CD, (Reddhead Records), the first to be released for Crop-Over, on May 1, said owning a studio meant he could bypass the cost of producing the recording, which could have run to at least $42 000.

The mixing and mastering was a further additional expense, he added, along with the labels and pressing of the CD.

"This year, the lack of sponsorship for the CD itself has produced some challenges that we are still trying to overcome. Almost everyone has to be paid upfront before we can put a CD on the shelf for sale and then, after that, we don't get paid for those CDs sometimes up to 30 days.

"It is hard, but we are committed to bringing a quality product for the masses and to the development of the festival and the music industry of Barbados."

Blood said a few corporate partners did assist them with weekly radio programmes, and sales had also been going well so far.

Calypso tents have also been feeling the pinch, stating that sponsors were crying out that they either couldn't give more, had less to give or sometimes nothing at all.

Behind-the-scenes production for Bacchanal Time, for example, had gone up. Kevin Hinds, creative director and tent co-ordinator, told the WEEKEND NATION suppliers were not interested in whether there was a recession or not; they saw the tent as being successful and wanted it to pay more.

"In the past years we have changed suppliers; because if we can get the same thing for $1 000 cheaper, then we will go. Most of the cast has been understanding and loyal so there are not many changes there," he said.

Hinds said Bacchanal was happy to welcome back artistes like Supa D, Romeo and Alison Hinds to the tent this year.

He said the sponsorship profiles had not increased as sponsors were complaining about the market.

The tent would cut back in some areas and the entrance fee might change, he indicated. "We are thinking of raising the price from $20. It will now be $25 and one cent."

Hinds said that in the past the tent videotaped the judging, a recording, and then the Best Of Crop-Over Versus Bacchanal Time. However, they would be doing two recordings this year.

"This year we have an option to do Party Monarch and Pic-O-De Crop separately and we may form a show around those two entities."

Hinds added there was nothing to suggest that people would not come to the tents, as the public was already expressing an interest in the satellite shows and the tent dates. The tent opens on June 28.

David Kid Site Piggott, of the United Artistes of Barbados, said there were likely to be 15 tents this year with two new ones coming, one of which was gospel. This was in addition to Experience tent.