Tobago
Corey Connelly
ENTERTAINER Marvin Lewis is demanding that the Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP)-led THA come up with money to pay Tobago artistes who performed during the inaugural October Carnival, which was held from October 28-30.
In an emotionally charged video posted to his Facebook page on Monday, Lewis, who sang at several events during the festival, claimed local artists have not been paid. He said that this issue had brought him to tears.
“Allyuh (THAT) now come in but allyuh don’t touch…alyuh really don’t know what allyuh do,” said an angry Lewis.
“There are many people (suffering). Are they crying ah, not me, they can’t pay their bills because they can’t get their carnival money.
“We’re in the second week after carnival and many of them, except me, are still waiting for carnival money.”
Newsday contacted two Tobago artists who performed during the carnival, who said they had not yet been paid.
“No, not yet,” said a female calypsonian.
“But I’m not used to them. They pay two and three months after you perform.”
Another artist said she only received her check at the end of September from a performance in July.
“So we might have some time to go get the carnival check.”
She asserted that payment delays have been a trend for years, even during the former PNM administration.
Lewis, a Tobagonian, claimed that many people, outside of those in the cultural fraternity, are also being neglected by THA.
“Allyuh really ah be careful. It’s across the board allyuh doing it inno. It’s not just inno artists. Allujah treats his people like dogs.”
Lewis added, “I care who bothers me because I’m a proud Tobagoian selling Tobago. Right now, my fellow artists, starving men and women, we suffer from the misbehavior of allies and others. There are people who can’t pay their bills.”
He claimed that all foreign-based artistes who were contracted to perform during the carnival had been paid.
“Alliuh people let them in, Alliuh paid them and left. So it’s not a processing problem and they get paid a lot more than us.”
Lewis said the PDP, which won the December 6, 2021, THA election with an overwhelming majority, could just as easily be removed.
“The same way Allyuh could go in Allyuh could go out.”
He said he has no allegiance to any political party.
“We in reality. I don’t care about the political party. Right now allyuh have me really bitter.
“THA buck up and if Allyuh can’t pay, we’re getting rid of Allyuh.”
Referring to Burna Boy’s October 27 concert that closed the TOMAC Festival, Lewis said local artists were disrespected.
“It’s the first carnival I know where the focus was an outside artist. It is the best they brought Machel Montano. He from Trinidad and Tobago – and he would make the country more. We would jump into the rain.”
On the Tobago Updates morning show, THA Minority Leader Kelvon Morris said he was surprised by Lewis’ video.
He said local artists should be respected as much as their international counterparts.
“The international artists that came, whether from Trinidad or abroad, they were paid up front. But our artists themselves, who are here depending on those contributions to survive, have to wait a long time,” he said.
“Two weeks have passed since the carnival and we know that 17.5 million dollars have been allocated, yet our artists are crying asking this administration to have the heart to pay them. I say how can we pay those artists from abroad upfront, why can’t we also pay our own artists upfront? Aren’t they so appreciated? Aren’t they so precious?”
Morris said Tobagonians should be treated with dignity.
When contacted, Tourism, Culture, Antiquities and Transport Secretary Tashia Burris said she had not seen Lewis’ video. But she said that if he was contracted to perform he would be paid “according to the norm.
“If a contract is signed for his performance, like everyone else, the contracting entity will have to abide by those terms and conditions set by the artist,” Burris said in a statement on WhatsApp.
She said the Tobago Festivals Commission was responsible for the execution of the carnival.
Newsday tried to contact the commission’s CEO, John Arnold, but was unsuccessful.
