Some people would say it was inevitable. Others might wonder why it took so long.
We are referring to the controversy that seems poised to erupt in the 2012 Crop Over Festival, thereby continuing a tradition that has become a virtually inherent part of our annual exercise.
It all has to do with the announcement by the manager of Crop Over, the National Cultural Foundation (NCF), that performer Edwin Yearwood had been added to the 16 other artistes originally selected by judges to advance in the Sweet Soca contest.
According to the NCF, this surprising development arose because its internal system had failed to send forward for judging, songs reportedly submitted by Yearwood, performing under the name Edwin.
We readily understand why the NCF would want to ensure that Edwin was not disadvantaged through an error admitted to by the organization.
However, we would wish the NCF to comment on reports that six other performers had works that suffered at the hands of the NCF’s flawed system, giving rise to questions about what process was used to evaluate Yearwood’s submission, when it is alleged that those judges who chose the original 16 were not involved in the activity that brought in Edwin.
Our information is that the five other disadvantaged contestants and others in the entertainment community are calling on the NCF to be open and transparent about how Edwin’s exclusion/eventual inclusion was handled.
This is in light of the fact that NCF’s announcement of this development made no mention whatsoever of the fact that others had suffered the very same fate but yet there had been no indication that the works of the excluded six had even experienced the same last-minute consideration.
Some people are wondering whether the swift redeeming effort by the NCF on behalf of Edwin was in any way influenced by an appearance on radio earlier in the day by the well established performer, reportedly making complaints about his not having made the 16 for the semi-finals.
We are sure the NCF would have had very good reasons for the remedial action it took concerning Edwin, but in the absence of a fuller account by the NCF, it is natural and understandable that entertainers and members of the general public would require other information and have questions that need to be answered.
We also believe that in the interest of nipping this controversy in the bud, the NCF should call a media conference, at which it can fully explain its actions and be subject to questioning to ensure that lingering doubts are erased and that the Sweet Soca contest can proceed in a manner that will maintain full confidence in the integrity of the process of judging.
To do otherwise would be to court public suspicion about the Sweet Soca contest and by extension the NCF and the whole Crop Over Festival. Such a situation would ensure that the festival would not truly be the “sweetest summer festival”, at least not for all concerned.
