Barbados Today

Local entertainment promoter FAS Promotions is being accused of promoting prostitution through song during last night’s Digicel Barbados Reggae Beach Party, a charge the company denied.

A self-proclaimed prostitute known only as Natalie performed the now popular song Dirty Harry with singers SK and Pummydoo during the early hours of the show.

The song, which Barbados TODAY understands has been pulled from rotation by one of the leading radio stations, openly promotes prostitution and parades it as the norm.

Following the performance, many in the audience stood in shock and openly questioned why the promoters would allow such a song to be performed on a public stage. Some even asked openly, “this is what we promoting now?”

Others who did not attend the event but heard of the performance, also expressed their displeasure, with some asking if “this is what we have come to”.

One woman who opted not to be identified asked, “How all of a sudden it’s cool to be a prostitute?”

Senior Pastor of Restoration Ministries David Durant today chastised the promoters, saying the decision to have the song performed was in “very poor taste”.

Durant complained that Barbadians seemed to have departed from their Christian values and needed to reevaluate themselves.

“Our values have fallen significantly in Barbados in the last several years. Our spiritual morals and values are gone and it seems as though we are just on a road of pleasing ourselves and doing what seems good in our own eyes and just fascinated by enjoying the pleasures of the world,” Durant, a Government Senator, told Barbados TODAY.

Durant added that adults needed to set good examples for the children, who were looking on and recording the adults’ every action.

“We need to set an example for our children and grandchildren who are very young and they are in their formative years. What we display before them they will copy, they will follow. And then when they get older, what have we raised? So I think adults have to be cognizant of the fact that we have a responsibility to be good examples to our little children. That’s our responsibility and we need to teach them the way to right way to go. And we don’t want to be setting bad examples for them. If you teach them vulgarity and so on they will become vulgar as well. If you teach them good morals and good behaviour and respect and love for one another then they will try to imitate that.”

He called on FAS Promotions and other promoters at large to be careful of the acts they book and the message that it could send, not only to locals but to those abroad.

“I’m sorry that the promoters went that route. Since it’s something that’s banned from some radio stations means it had to be some reason that it was banned. The mere fact that ruling was given then I think the promoters would have had a responsibility not to try to promote what had been ignored by radio stations.

“We all live in this small island so we want to respect each other and we want to share good values with our children. I would just ask promoters to be a bit more careful when they do these things. It’s not all just fun and play. When all that is done what instructions have we given to the younger ones who are viewing it? What example have we set when it’s all said and done? It’s not just for the moment. These things have long lasting effects,” Durant stressed.

In a statement today, FAS Promotions Director Al Gilkes said Natalie was not booked by his company, but was brought on stage by SK.

However, Gilkes said all performers were made aware of the profanity laws of Barbados before they went on stage.

“FAS Promotions booked SK among a number of Barbadian performers for the Reggae Beach Party event. While Natalie was not contracted as a performer for the event she appeared on stage as a part of SK’s act. As a matter of course for ALL FAS Promotions events, all performers are advised about the profanity laws of Barbados and the liability attached to the breach of these laws and this was done for the beach event. FAS Promotions does not condone the breach of any of the laws of Barbados and regrets if any patrons were offended by any of the performances on Sunday,” the statement said.

davandrababb@barbadostoday.bb