Dominicans have a tendency to adore winners in any field of endeavor. Our football, cricket and domino players, volleyball, basketball and many other sporting disciplines have been revered and even idolized on returning to Dominica victorious or even runners up. Sportsmen on a regular basis are given time off not only for practice purposes, but for periods when they have to camp together for team building purposes and even for tours to foreign lands. But for some reason, our musicians, many of them still young have not been able to attract any such favor, or even an acknowledgment of the role they play in the scheme of things.

Regional sporting competitions but for national pride, provide no direct benefits to the country and in some instances even drain the limited resources available for other disciplines. Not that I would discourage the utilization of those resources in the support of sports and sporting initiatives. My concern is, all these concessionery assistance is given to sports, while scant regard is paid to musicians, who contribute not only to national identity, pride and promotion, but contribute significantly to the economic lifeblood of the country.

Musicians who sacrifice sleep, relationships, and a significant amount of their time to advance the cause of national pride and contribute to the economy receives none of the concessionary assistance accorded the sportsmen. Imagine a member of a band like the WCK, First Serenade, Effex, Rough and Reddy, Partners in Kryme or RSB would have to request leave to make a foreign tour with their band. On that tour, not only would he serve as an ambassador to his country, but will return with much needed foreign exchange to be spent in Dominica, and will promote Dominica to all end sundry at no cost to the country. On a number of occasions I have been aware of groups having to turn down opportunities to tour, because the members do not, cannot or will not be granted time off work to facilitate a tour. This begs a question, ‘Why are our musicians treated so badly?’ Is it because we do not yet appreciate the contribution that they make? Do we even now not appreciate the contribution that Ophelia and her music has made ensuring that many citizens of the French countries, see Dominica as the place to visit? Can we not see the impact that Bob Marley has had on Jamaica?

The identity crisis of Nasio Fontain should not be allowed to plague our talented Dominican musicians. Should all our musicians have to go the way of Jeff and Gramacks, Gordon and Exile One, or Nasio Fontaine? Shouldn’t they be allowed the freedom to be based in Dominica, without restrictions on their ability to travel for performances not on their ability to hold down a reasonable job? We cannot allow the creative resources of the country to be drain through lack of support! Should the police officer, teacher, customs officer, technician be hindered by his job from being able to contribute to national development in all the ways they know how?

I make this appeal to all those who set the guidelines, please revisit the treatment being meted out to our musicians, they have a vital role to play in the economic advancement of our country, we should no treat them as poorer second cousins.