Controversy Surrounds the Cancellation of Baje To The World Talent Show and Developmental Showcase

Baje To The World will be a no-show this year, and Government and the show’s producer Dwayne Grazette are not singing the same tune about why the talent competition and developmental showcase was cancelled.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office with responsibility for Culture, Senator Dr Shantal Munro-Knight, confirmed that they decided to go in a different direction and will be lending more support to the Richard Stoute Teen Talent Competition.

However, Grazette is pointing to a strained relationship between him and management of the National Cultural Foundation (NCF).

Baje To The World was first staged under the Ministry of Youth, Sports & Community Development, but was transferred to the Culture Ministry and the NCF was expected to be heavily involved in the production.

When contacted yesterday about the status of the show, Munro-Knight said: “After review of the programme and discussions with the substantive Minister of Culture, we have decided that we will not host the Baje To The World this year. However, we will be putting our support behind the Richard Stoute Teen Talent Show to expand that.” When asked about Grazette’s claims, she replied: “We are focused on our objectives. We are not focused on getting into any controversy, anything that obscures the opportunity for young people or in any kind of personal vendetta or whatever is going on. We have a clear mandate and we are going to deliver on that mandate.” Grazette, who is an artiste development consultant and event specialist, has been working on the show for three years. “I recommended that programme be transferred to Culture because I always thought there should be a link between Culture and the programme, to take the performers and integrate them into the cultural landscape.

“This year going over to the ministry which I’m a consultant in, it fell in my lap again. But this time they wanted [NCF chief executive officer] Carol Roberts to have oversight over me and the project, which I objected to.

“There is nothing set in stone that says if something is being done through the ministry, that the NCF has to have oversight over it . . . . I said I am not doing it and because of that they decided to cancel the show,” he charged.

He said he gave numerous reasons as to why he would not be comfortable working under this arrangement and also gave recommendations on how the event could still be successful under a different ministry.