DEBATE THE PRICE artistes were paid,
but don't label them

as "foreigners."

This admonition has come from Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Community Development and Culture, Senator Irene Sandiford-Garner, in an exclusive interview with the DAILY NATION.

Speaking against the backdrop of the continuing debate concerning the line-up of last Sunday's Cockspur Red Hot Cohobblopot, she said: "If people want to debate the price [of what artistes were paid], fine;
but it's an open market, you can't call an artiste from a CARICOM
country foreign."

The senator was at the time at the controversy-laced Euphoria show which also came off Sunday night.

Sandiford-Garner,
who made it a point to patronise both Euphoria and Cohobblopot, said: "We have an exchange,
we don't have foreigners
. . . I wanted to pay my respects to both.

"At the end of the day, they are all artistes and I support artistes. There is no true Bajan thing."

In the midst of her birthday celebrations, and in support of local artistes she said: "One of my gifts to myself was to see
Alison [Hinds] perform."

However, Jabae manager Dwayne Grazette came out strongly against what he saw as a snub of local talent at one of the crowning events of the Crop-Over festival.

"I don't think it is fair to spend over $90 000
for non-Barbadian artistes when we have people like Alison here," he said.

"Cohobblopot should showcase national talent, especially since it is at the end of our festival . . . . The soca queen was left out of the event.

"Alison Hinds is on the same level standard, internationality, as Machel Montano; her name means something.

"This is the time
to show the world our local artistes." (ABB)