Making a splash in Anguilla

AFTER three attempts of trying to get to Anguilla for the much talked about Moonsplash Music Festival, finally got here this weekend – and after the first night of music – it was really worth the wait.

The crowd could have been better, but I am told the real bumper session is Saturday night, when the likes of Gramps Morgan, his son Jereme and Stephen Cat Coore of Third World take to the stage.

The three-day event ends on Sunday with an open air session on the beach, which I am told by the folks here, is one of the most look forward to “limes” of the year.

By the time an entire night of music ended near 4 AM Saturday, I was falling asleep on myself – but it had nothing to do with the night’s music that featured a eclectic mix of local stars, plus Junior Jazz (who had a stint with Inner Circle) and David Hinds (the voice of Steel Pulse).

The last time I spoke to Junior Jazz, it was in Miami three years ago – and we were speaking about his new gig with Inner Circle as its new front man.

I went back to Circle House earlier this year and noticed that the group was promoting a new front man – and wondered whatever happened to Junior Jazz.

Well there he was last night, as the frontman of his new group Chronic – his vocals crisp as usual and his lead ‘guitarship’ still from the top draw.

I was pleasantly surprised how tight his new band is – and I thought they outshone David Hinds who closed the night singing some of Steel Pulse’s classics such as ‘Rally Round,’ 'Blues Dance Raid' and ‘King James Version.’

There was some useful local talent onstage last night too – but the undoubted highlight was the appearance of Omari Banks (the former West Indies cricket now turned reggae star) and his band Eleven.

Omari, who was well known for going on cricket tours with his guitar in hand, showed that he is actually an accomplished lead guitarist, and his vocals were convincing as he did his own songs, including his first single “Move On” and the upcoming one 'Africa', and covers of Bob Marley and some of his father’s greatest hits such as Inspector and Prince of Darkness.

There was a nice mix of the locals and visitors on the opening night, and I had a fascinating conversation with a graying man from Maine in the USA, who flew in for the festival – and said he has been coming here for six years.

I was impressed with his remarkable knowledge of reggae music – the real vintage stuff.

There were folks from Miami and Los Angeles and London as well as next door St Maarten who confessed of being regulars to an event that over the years have received great reviews in the international press.

It is just a real cozy jam close to the beach that is set to continue tonight – the main feature being the appearance of Gramps Morgan, as well as the host Bankie Banx, who only this week released his latest album Just Cool – the title track of which as just grown on me such big time in only a few days. (Take a listen here).

It’s been a long night at the start of a very long weekend – and I suspect there won’t be a lot of rest for this ‘wicked’ until sometime Monday.

But other than the music, it’s good to be back in Anguilla, where the hotels are top-class, the sailing is great, the coconut water is aplenty – and where I have to keep constantly running away from a ceaseless supply of rum and coke.

Selling passports version 2.0

IN A VERY quick stop-over in Grenada last weekend – I had the pleasure or mishap – to run into Chris De Riggs who was complaining bitterly about an article I did not write.

Through further inquiry, he was apparently referring to an article about the newly proposed Grenada Economic Citizenship Programme that was published on some website called Caribbean News Now.

Now this site has nothing to do with me, or me with it – and I don’t even have a clue who they are and where they operate from.

The truth is I have not commented on this so-called Grenada Individual Investor Programme (GIIP) – because in spite popular belief – Grenadian affairs are about 10 percent of what occupies my time – and I have been just too busy on other more pleasant beats lately.

I will reserve substantial comment on the proposed programme for those reasons, except to say that in principle, I don’t have a problem with the concept.

Now the devil in many of those things will, of course, be in the detail of its execution.

The other challenge this government will face on this matter is one of a public perception of hypocrisy – given the stance the National Democratic Congress took while in opposition on the NNP version.

To spin that one now, will require some skill.

Given the context, I understand the unease of many people inside the government, who are normally very supportive of the Finance Minister, about the proposed programme.

Though, however, all of this might be mute, given the fact that cabinet eventually rejected the idea floated by Finance Minister Nazim Burke.

Now Glen Noel was all over the media on Wednesday denying that the whole idea was rejected – saying they had just paused for consultation.

All of this is spin – though some people might have a harsher term for it with a word that starts with "L''.

In Burke’s presentation, and in two public utterances, he had expected the programme to start in April – after the passing of the budget.

Now it is not a measure in tomorrow’s budget – and it won’t come into effect in April.

And here is some other news --- it won’t be in next year’s either.

Let Noel call it what he wants – but this is the end result of what this Tillman Thomas administration has decided on this issue; that (a) they won’t promote the idea; not between now and next year’s election because it will be a tough sell politically, and (b) the math and projection about how much money the proposal will bring was in their view, in the first case, faulty.

Having subsequently spoken to some technocrats in the Ministry of Finance, I am leaning towards the view that the math was not just faulty, but perhaps deliberately misleading.

When we hear tomorrow about what the budgetary shortfall is, be prepared to take out the "M'' word again. (Here is a clue – whatever figure said– the real total figure is closer to 180 million; the overdraft and unpaid claims alone are near $120 million. And, that’s not even counting the Taiwan loan – which is another headache in itself).

On another note, the other thing that piqued my interest about the management of the now “rejected” GIIP economic citizenship programme, is/was the firm earmarked to manage the scheme.

The legal firm Henley and Partners is also run by the same people who manage SLC.

For the unsuspecting Grenadians, SLC would not ring a bell. But what they are is a campaign finance-raising and election campaign management outfit.

They worked in the last election cycle for the United Workers Party – the opposition in Dominica; as well as the New Democratic Party in St Vincent to help defeat the Ralph Gonsalves referendum and on the NDP’s last unsuccessful general election campaign there.

They have also worked in St Kitts – where I had the opportunity to watch them up close and personal – but for confidentiality reasons, not at liberty to discuss.

But SLC helps raise millions for campaigns – which for them is like an investment because of the potential for “business” on the other end of the campaign.

They have ties with some deep-pocket right wingers in the United States and have consistently raised funds against any party their interests deemed as “progressives”. They also worked for the United Workers Party in St Lucia and lost against Kenny Anthony’s St Lucia Labour Party.

I have not had the time to dig deeper because of my schedule – but I just have a sneaky feeling in my bones – that this new proposed “engagement” in Grenada is not coincidental to the fact that general elections there are about a year away.

And, one final thing, for those promoting Henley and Partners, as a good yardstick for management of such a programme.

Before going out on such a limb –ask your friends in St Kitts some pertinent questions.

Here are a few to start with: (a) Why has the St Kitts programme in recent months come under such international scrutiny? (b) What is the issue about the funds that have been collected re the sale of the passports and (c) Why is the ST Kitts government now trying to get out of the deal?

I agree that a well managed Economic Citizenship Programme could be a good thing.

But given where we have come from, this could just end up being an updated version of the old discredited NNP programme.

Remembering “Uncle Briz”

THE FEW TIMES I had to write articles critical of George Brizan in his short stint as Prime Minister, it always had an awkward feel to it.

‘Uncle Briz’, as I had called him from childhood, was a close family friend, who had a lot to do with my return to journalism after a short six-month stint as a teacher – one term each at the St Joseph’s Convent St George’s and the Holy Cross RC in Munich.

And so, it was always difficult – given my role as a journalist – to refer to him in political terms.

I first knew Brizan, as maybe a six year old, visiting my father in Munich. He was one of the best friends of my oldest brother J.T (a circle that included Crotty Antoine and James deVere Pitt).

In fact when I passed common entrance as a 10 year old, my father brought me to meet ‘Uncle Briz’ in town (we had to meet up close to the old Pitchpine Bar) to go book shopping.

By the time I had gotten to the A-Level stages – two of the three subjects I chose – History and Economics – were largely because he was the teacher.

I had returned to Grenada in December 1983 from East Berlin – when my young journalism career was put on hold, when I reported to the radio station and Jerry Romain, in the aftermath of the revolution’s demise, told me my services were no longer needed.

I went on to the Convent as a History teacher (Brizan’s old subject) for one term and then Holy Cross R.C in Munich.

Teaching was never initially on my radar, but I had really begun to surprisingly enjoy it, when my principal Loftus McMillan one Friday afternoon said Brizan (now Minister of Education in the original NNP government), had called, and wanted me to take charge of the then relatively new party newspaper, ‘The National’, from the following Monday.

So over a weekend, I turned from being teacher to journalist again.

I returned to the media business after a six-month break -- and Brizan was the one who initiated it after I was beginning to settle down nicely to my “alternative” career.

Of course I spent about a year and a half with ‘The National’ – and had some good times with Leslie McQueen and Mark Isaac – before going “mainstream” by joining the Grenadian Voice.

For the most part during his political years we kept our respectful distance – except for the odd “How is Fefe (my father’s nickname) doing?'' And “When last you heard from JT” – when we would have crossed paths at some event.

But I always remember two out-of -the blue calls.

One about two days after himself and Francis Alexis left the Herbert Blaize administration.

He wanted to (a) reach my father and (b) told me he was going to form a party and wanted my ideas.

In a strange way, looking back at it, he sought of co-opted me without I realizing it.

I had joined those early strategy sessions that gave birth to what is now the National Democratic Congress (long before any current leaders, except Jerome Joseph, was a member). In fact Jerome Joseph reminded me of that last year – and I was surprised because I did not think he remembered me from back then.

So eventually the party was formed – and they set about doing what politicians will do; and I went on with the rest of my life and returned to my writing – and doing what writers will do – being critical.

By the time Brizan became Prime Minister in the lead up to the 1995 general elections, he had stopped taking my calls (I suspect he was upset about a few reports we did).

Those were the EC News and YSFM days -- and no matter how hard we tried and how much I tried to use the old family connections – we did not get to interview him one-on-one for that entire campaign.

Then the other out-of-the-blue call came the night before the elections. In fact I was so surprised at the call, I thought someone was pulling a prank.

He had called to ask me my views on the poll, and if I think they can pull off Munich.

I was comforting in my words – but by then deep down I knew -- and I suspect he did too – that they were out of it.

Once he had lost those elections, of course he became more accessible as the old family friend ‘Uncle Briz’.

But strangely we never spoke a lot about politics – but mostly about family, about whatever research he was doing and about writing.

He always said to me, “Mark, men like you must begin to write books.”

It is an advice ‘Uncle Briz” that I will soon take.