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TEMPO in Grenada!

On Saturday March 3rd 2007 was the first ever TEMPO Concert in Grenada. It was held at the old Drive-In Yard on the Maurice Bishop Highway, a pretty good spot for an open air show. Listed to appear were Richie Spice, Gyptian, assorted local artists, and the finals of the Grenadian VJ Competition. Showtime as stated on the ticket was 6pm.

So of course I get there at 6pm.

Wrong move. The show finally began somewhere around 8:30-9pm. I wish the TEMPO people had indicated on the tickets that were going by Caribbean Standard Time and that we shouldn't seriously expect them, as a professional organisation, to actually start the show at the advertised time. Steups. Silly me, huh?

While waiting we indulged in some good food..


.. and drinks...


Meanwhile, we start hearing chat about how Gyptian is a no-show, and that TEMPO secured Rupee as a replacement performer. By now I was starting to have serious doubts about TEMPO's ability to pull this concert off successfully.

Anyway, when the show finally started, close to 9pm, first up on stage was Keith Simon singing the national anthem. Keith has participated in the Caribbean Song Festival and the Digicel Rising Stars, and his rendition was excellent.


Zingo on stage


West the Cowboy singing Wild, Wild West


Elo - Block De Road


Soca Banton says to wave your flag Over Yuh Head


Flag Party by Sheldon Douglas


Reigning Grenada Calypso Monarch Scholar


My favouritist local calypsonian of all time - The Inspector. Madness Time!!


The BabyKilla Hollis Mapp rocking the place - Balance Yuhself!


Spontaneous tired go Fuh Crown


HoneyLaLa, Jeanille, Nishka and Gary "Mr Smooth". Gary is a local radio DJ who was co-hosting with HoneyLaLa. Frankly I felt that they should have scrapped the VJ Competition and just offered Gary the job. He was fabulous!


The TEMPO chairman or vice-president or whatever. You know the guy - he's always featured on the channel. Yeah, came on stage and mistakenly refered to our island as Jamaica. Twice. Hmph!


Rupee (seXXy!!! but boring) filling in for the missing Gyptian




Now I wish I was able to show you pictures of Richie Spice on stage, but I finally left the concert at about 12:30am, while Rupee was still singing. As of that time I had been on my feet in the Drive-In Yard for over 6 hours and still no sign of the headline artists. From reports I have heard Richie Spice didn't perform until around 2:30-3am. Totally and utterly ridiculous! As far as I am concerned, the line-up of local singers was worth my EC$40 ticket, and I would certainly have paid that to see them alone in concert. (Actually I would pay that to see BabyKilla alone in concert. His stage presence and performance is really good.) However, that does not excuse the TEMPO management for a poorly planned and managed show. The 3-hour delay, during which the TEMPO big-wigs were allegedly eating dinner at The Beach House, was unacceptable.

Shame on you TEMPO. Boo!

Labels: hollis mapp, soca, Tempo

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