Culture Held To Ransom

This past weekend, there was a televised cultural event held at Pigeon Point in the North of the island.
A National cultural event.
An event held by a National, para-Governmental organization.
An event geared at raising funds in order to assist the poor, sick and needy on a National basis.
An event worthy of attracting the support of all Nationalistic St. Lucians who love their country and wish to make a contribution to the cause, whether by way of donation of money or of their talent.
In this “democratic” country of ours, one would expect that everyone should have the facility of exercising their freedom of choice insofar as their decision to give or not to give to the project … in whichever form they wish to make their donation.
Several of our most popular and sought-after artistes have been deprived of their right to make a donation to the Nationwide cause.
The donation of their talent.
Deprived of exercising their choice of contributing to their country’s biggest cultural fund-raising-for-the-needy event.
Deprived by a firm with whom they have signed contracts agreeing (our assumption) to perform on their behalf, upon demand … which, it now seems apparent, also takes away their freedom to perform anywhere that the firm does not will them to.
A form of indentured arrangement, apparently.
Bearing in mind that the appearance of any one of the indentured artistes may have inspired one or more of his/her special fans to cough up and donate, be it $1 or $10,000 to the cause, not only the artistes, but the needy people of the country have been deprived.
What stands out here, is that in a country with no oil, gold, or natural resource other than its people, where we spend so much of our budget trying to train and encourage those of us with talent so that our cultural achievements can be showcased and given maximum exposure, that anyone could be allowed to have the power (and we know that that liberty is being taken not only by one big employer) to decide which of out singers, poets, sculptors, writers, dancers, actors, dramatists – any one of our cultural artistes – can or cannot exercise their right to display their talent … moreso when it is in an effort that directly benefits the country.
The Jazz Festival, followed by Carnival, are the next big events at which our young people may get the opportunity to show the world what they can do; however …
Depending on which company sponsors which event, will the choice of who can perform as an opening act for an internationally-acclaimed Jazz superstar … or who can compete in the Calypso Monarch competition, be the decision, not of the talented artiste who wishes to participate, but that of the company to whom he/she may be indentured, who may or may not have good relations with the show’s sponsor?
True, the artistes are being remunerated by the companies for their services and are no doubt grateful for the opportunity to earn some assured money; but should that not be payment for when they perform … and not for dictating that they cannot perform but at the whim of their contractors?
Have the arrangements to provide this country with its next Calypso Monarch been taken away from the Cultural Development Foundation and placed in the hands of the phone (or any other) companies?
Thank God there was, at the time, no one with the power to dictate to Derek Walcott what to write or when to write.
When the expression of creativity of even one artiste is suppressed, the entire country, in some measure, suffers the loss.