Cricket World Cup Opening Ceremony
This is probably going to get some people mad, but I’m going to be honest with you. Yesterday while watching the opening Ceremony to the cricket world cup, I thought I died and went to Reggae Sunsplash.
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| Fireworks Light the Sky |
I was actually a little shocked to see how Jamaican the Opening Ceremony was. Yes it was organized by the Jamaican Local Organizing Committee, but geez and ages, from start to finish it was Jamaican act after Jamaican act. Trinidad was represented by Machel, David Rudder, Boogsie Sharp, Mungal Pattasar and Faye-Ann Lyons who performed the tournament’s Official Song, “The Game of Love and Unity” along with Bajan Rupee and Shaggy.
Barbados fared even worse than us. They got Alison Hinds and Rupee (who performed the official song).
Jamaica was represented by Beres Hammond, Buju Banton, Dean Frazer, Gregory Isaacs, Half Pint, Jimmy Cliff,, Sean Paul, Shaggy, Sly & Robbie, The I Threes (who were part of a very moving Bob Marley tribute), Byron Lee and the Dragonaires, Sanchez (who sang the Jamaican National Anthem) and Lovindeer.
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| Dancers take the field |
The night was also supplied with entertainment from Angelique Kidjo (so they say, but I didn’t see her), Montserratian Arrow, Vincentian, Kevin Lyttle, South Africa’s Lucky Dube and Drum Caf, Scotsmen The Duffies, and an Irish Celtic dancing group.
But oh gosh boy, not a steelband in sight. Yeah Boogsie was there, but that’s one lonely pair of double seconds. No Limbo? The other islands didn’t have much else to offer except Lyttle, Hinds and Arrow? You would swear that Jamaica had all the talent.
This is not an anti-Jamaican post. I don’t have anything against Jamaica, and maybe my list of performers could be incomplete, but I think that the Jamaican LOC could have done a better job of representing the West Indies. Apparently I’m not the only person who thinks so.
19 Responses to “Cricket World Cup Opening Ceremony”
By bandwagonist on Mar 12, 2007 | Reply
yeah that’s all the buzz here in my office too and even when it was going on ppl were commenting on that fact…
I appreciate the GREAT showing of Jamaican culture as I hold Caribbean culture close to my heart but they (JLOC) could have done alot better in representing the West Indies instead of affirming the world stereotype… “What part of Jamaica is that?”
By Mani on Mar 12, 2007 | Reply
LOL, bandwaggonist, daiz the thing self. You said it. Instead of continuing the tradition where every islander is asked what part of Jamaica, why not show the world that the Caribbean is more than just reggae and more than just Jamaica.
By eemanee on Mar 13, 2007 | Reply
you’re definitely not the only one who feels this way. That has been the talk all morning here.
By Afro Chic on Mar 13, 2007 | Reply
It was a HOT MESS!
The TV6 poll question tonight was something like “Do you think the CWC opening ceremony reflected WI culture?”
Mani, maybe you can answer this question for me: which part of WI culture does river dancing represent?
Thanks in advance.
Afro Chic.
By Afro Chic on Mar 13, 2007 | Reply
Also mani…what the hell are stilt walkers?
It too hard to say moko jumbie or what?
By Mani on Mar 13, 2007 | Reply
Eemanee, well I’m glad I’m not the only one. I went to bed last night with that on my chest.
Afro Chic, that would be a big fat no. What were the results of the pole by the way?
River dancing you say? uhhhhh, not mine, that’s for sure. Maybe it’s an obscure part of Jamaican culture that they chose to revive for the opening ceremony.
Is stilt walkers the woman say? Oh loss. You think she would have done her homework.
By Chennette on Mar 13, 2007 | Reply
No, no homework for her! At the end, didn’t she thank Ian Andrews for his interviewing backstage? As in Ian BISHOP…
I don’t mind the contribution of some items by participating nations (Irish dancing etc), but then that just makes the lack of full participation by our own West Indian countries more obvious. And forget just representing the HOST countries, what about ALL the countries whose players are eligible for selection to the West Indies TEAM.
And to watch that presentation would have one believe our culture started from plantation days. Sorry to the Amerindians in Guyana, Dominica etc.
Now, mind you, I do think that parts of the show were great – even just the concert parts. And the bit with David Rudder was all in all the BEST – the presentation at that point, his song and delivery, the joy on the performers’ faces.
By Crankyputz on Mar 13, 2007 | Reply
To illustrate your guys point, my parents came away with the impression that Jamaica was the country and the rest were satellite states…..not good…
By Afro Chic on Mar 13, 2007 | Reply
Mani yuh need tuh read the Express newspaper today.
They asking the man in the street what he thought about the opening…ah man say we (Trinidad) was well represented…they had Machel Montano and Patrice Roberts!!
He was watching the same thing I was watching? LOL. Patrice? Come nah man. If I was that reporter I woulda done the interview right dey!
Ah next one say he didn’t see it but he here it was good.
By Island Spice on Mar 13, 2007 | Reply
Hiya. As a Jamaican and someone somewhat involved in the World Cup [not the opening ceremony tho] I must say I have to agree with you. I thought the ceremony went well all in all but the choice of acts was a little questionable. I was surprised when HD [for whom I am still nursing a carnival tabanca] sang only a part of a song and in fact all the ’small islanders’ were bundled into one performance. I am all for culture but the whole ‘pan-tar’ thing was a lil too sedate for the occasion.. I would have loved to have a rocking performance from All Stars or Desperadoes.. I mean, COME ON! Carnival JUS dun! and I saw Chris Dehring all up in the panyards just a few weeks ago. If they had a good pan performance it woulda made all the difference.
Thankfully Rudder got some respect BUT then the commentator spoilt that by calling him ‘the Bob Marley of Calypso’ .. I mean .. WTF??
Anyway again, it was a good show.. except Sean Paul’s stage performance sucked as did his choice of songs. Fay-Ann [did she drop the Alvarez already or wha?] looked great.
*thought I’d died and gone to Sunsplash* hhaha. Hopefully the closing ceremony will be more integrated.
By bandwagonist on Mar 13, 2007 | Reply
did I miss it or David Rudder didn’t sing Rally Round the West-Indies… even though I believe it should be rewritten to suit the times… its a hell of an anthem…
By Mani on Mar 14, 2007 | Reply
Yeah Chennette, I heard that too. I was like, “Who the heck is Ian Andrews”? But yeah, Rudder was on point.
Oh loss, cranky, don’t say that. I wouldn’t doubt it though, judging from the display.
Afro Chic, a man say that in truth? He was probably confused since Faye-Ann was wearing clothes.
Spice, thank you very much. Imaging they had a marching band and no pan side. I probably wouldn’t have been half as annoyed if they included more pan (by the way, allyuh realize they forgot to put a mike under Boogsie’s pan?). If it was anything that the Caribbean has given to the world it’s reggae and steelpan. Pan was seriously snubbed on that night. I liked how Sean Paul decided to sing his Ode to Weed aka We be Burning. I would have preffered other songs though, like you said. I think the best part of the show was the Bob Marley tribute – it gave me goosebumps actually to see the long-dead Bob up on the big screen like that.
Well Spice I really hope Barbados does better than that in truth.
Bandwaggonist, honestly I didn’t expect him to yuh know even if it was rewritten. I agree is a hell of an anthem, but I think time and place would have been wrong, seeing as it would have still held strong West Indian sentiment.
By Vami on Mar 15, 2007 | Reply
i think so too mani!
By Anonymous on Mar 15, 2007 | Reply
just as we say moko jumbies in trinidad jamaicans say stlit walkers afro chic
By Anonymous on Mar 15, 2007 | Reply
Hottie here. Blogger playing up in dey ass and ah kyah log on.
Well as far as the world is concerned Jamaica IS the West Indies and since most of them think all we do is smoke weed and frolic on the beach whole day you could well imagine how dark we ass is. Anyway, hope to not offend nobody but my experience with Jamaicans up here has lead to me not being very surprised about the opening. Most of them that I’ve encountered encourage that “we is the only place that count” mentality. And before anybody bash meh I writing from MY experience eh and I have dated a Jamaican man and I’ve been to the country plenty. Anybody could tell meh if the Boston jerk people still dey?!
By Hottie Hottie on Mar 15, 2007 | Reply
Testing testing
By Hottie Hottie on Mar 15, 2007 | Reply
FINAL – SHITTING -LY! Allyuh, ah going and post.
By Mani on Mar 19, 2007 | Reply
Hottie, what Boston Jerk people dat?
By Anonymous on Mar 31, 2007 | Reply
Loved the choir (esp the David Rudder bit…a true cricket anthem)
As a Vincentian–with a Bajan father and a Jamaican mother– I’m all too exposed to the intra-regional conflicts. Here’s an excerpt from an October 2006 article on the Jamaica Information Service website:
According to the Jamaica Cricket 2007 Executive Director, the Cricket World Cup would create the opportunity to market Brand Jamaica. “We have a major opportunity at the opening ceremony to brand and to present Jamaica to the world, as next to the closing ceremony, this event will have the largest television audience,” he pointed out.
So that explains it!
Jo