"Caribbean people are a melting pot of nationalities bound together by a shared history and a strong sense of regional pride. They have a passion for living life which shines through every aspect of the culture, making them and the region compelling to advertisers, visitors and other consumers of Caribbean culture," proclaims Frederick Morton, Executive Producer of Tempo every time you tune into the MTV Network Station.
Tempo has definitely impacted us in a major way already and according to station officials the best is yet to come. We can hope to see a major influx of cream of the crop tourists, which ultimately translates into more revenue for our small island.
We can also look forward to a higher quality of local artists, greater exposure for local talent and greater organization. However, as a region we have to be wary of being hypocritical and presenting a false, oversimplified representation of Caribbean culture.
With the launch of the new network everyone knows that all eyes are focused on the Caribbean. People from all across the world are now peering at us through the glass otherwise known as the television screen and the publicity is intended to catapult our local artists to the next level by placing them in the same arena as international superstars.~~Adz:Left~~
Station executives hope that it will provide a means of promotion for our local talent to advance their careers by creating a plethora of opportunities for local stars to develop their music. Though reviews for the station have been mixed we all have given it our full appreciation.
However, why is it that we only appreciate musical talent when it comes from outside our region? Every year at Culturama we have a display of our culture and heritage and it is literally rejected by most. Yet when foreign artists come in we all have this newfound appreciation for the art of entertainment.
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| Kassanova Band performing on the Nevis Tempo Launch Concert. |
We want to support all ventures aimed at advancing our region yet if we never embrace our local talent in this way then they can never reach that level of success. Our negative attitudes will ultimately stifle our development as a region.
You cannot put the cart before the carriage and try to develop regional pride before you develop national pride. By developing national pride we need to develop who we are and not the "sun, sea and sand" misconception.
We need to be wary of manufacturing a Caribbean brand instead of presenting Caribbean culture as it is. We are so much more than a "sun, sea and sand" product; we are a diverse people who can create compelling literature, vivid art, touching drama, graphic poetry, decadent cuisine, agile sportsmen and beautiful black queens.
Let us embrace who we are at this time. Tempo is here to promote our culture, therefore let us promote who we are and not just some false concept of what the rest of the world expects us to be.
