Friday, January 18, 2013

Bunji, Fay-Ann pull out of Carnival competitions

Two top stars have decided to pull out of the 2013 International Groovy and Power Soca Monarch competitions - Bunji Garlin and Fay Ann Lyons-Alvarez.

They told local media it's because they object to some clauses in the competitors' contracts.

One condition of competing is that winners must give back 
 five per cent of the winningsto the Caribbean Prestige Foundation (CPF). Another is that the winners must defend the respective titles in 2014; if they fail to do it they would have to pay back 90 per cent of the prize money.

They are unhappy as well with a clause that commits participating artistes to attend the prize distribution ceremony whether it is held in T&T or abroad.

Chairman of CPF William Munro told the Express newspaper that he is "saddened" to learn of the decision by Lyons-Alvarez and Bunji pulling.

"There was never any discussion. They could have even sent a letter, and I would have sat down with them to see how we could work things out. Last year, I had two meetings with many of the artistes at my home, and we presented the rules and they were agreed on," he told the paper.

"Fay Ann topped the Power in the preliminaries and Bunji topped in the Groovy. I am wondering how the public is going to take this news because everybody was so happy when they returned.

"I hope they will reconsider or at least meet with me. I have no malice and still love them. I will bend over backwards for them, but I can't change the rules to please only two people," Munro added.

Lyons-Alvarez and Bunji did not compete last year. They had planned to focus on taking their music directly to an international audience.

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Jai & Sero

Jai & Sero

Our family at home in Toronto 2008

Our family at home in Toronto 2008
Amit, Heather, Fuzz, Aj, Jiv, Shiva, Rampa, Sero, Jai