Minister flip-flops over carnivals
(CNS): Despite insisting that government wanted Grand Cayman’s rival adult carnivals consolidated into one weekend, Dwayne Seymour, the minister responsible for culture, has announced another change of plan. Now Batabano will be held on Saturday, 9 May, CayMas on Monday, 18 May (Discovery Day), and the carnival on Cayman Brac will take place as planned on Saturday, 16 May, creating what the minister described as a “Carnival Week”.
In a press release issued Thursday, Seymour described negotiations about when the street parties would take place as “hard work” involving “many hours of meetings”, which was “not an easy task and required many proposals and counter-proposals with stakeholders and vested parties”. He also stated that he had asked the Cayman National Cultural Foundation (CNCF) to play a more active role in handling what he clearly found to be tough negotiations.
“We have sat through many hours of meetings with the purpose of discussing decisions about how Cayman Carnival could best model from the successes of regional partners in hosting a unified carnival and creating a bar none experience,” Seymour said in the release about the carnivals, which he said were “near and dear” to his heart.
When CNCF got involved, they formed a steering committee involving the representatives from the rival revellers and were able to reach an agreement about dates, which has seen the carnivals remain as two separate events despite the efforts to claim otherwise.
The leaders of the three carnivals all claimed to be satisfied with the outcome in the release. Batabano Chairperson Donna Myrie-Stephen said she was also pleased that Junior Batabano will still be held on the first weekend of May, followed by the main parade on the second.
Brent McLean, Chairman of CayMas, said he believed the changes had the potential to position Cayman as an attractive carnival destination, while Ventisha Conolly, a member of the Braccanal Committee, said she was pleased no other carnival would compete with their street parade.
Despite arriving at a deal, not all participants were pleased. Hurley’s Media has announced that their Mas team, which has supported and jumped with CayMas for the last three carnivals, will now switch its support to Batabano so that those taking part will enjoy a full weekend of revelry. A spokesperson said that moving CayMas to a Monday will have a detrimental impact on the event, even though it is a public holiday.
“Having the road parade on Monday will have a huge impact on attendee numbers and their experience for this year’s carnival,” said Brydie Phillips, the PR and marketing manager. She also said it clashed with one of Hurley’s major annual events, the Cayman Billfish Rundown, an international fishing tournament that has already been scheduled to start on that day.
“We have been working to ensure CayMas road parade remains on the Saturday of the Discovery Day long weekend and we are incredibly disappointed with the decision that the road parade for CayMas would move to a Monday and that government officials were not able to see the value in holding it on the Saturday,” Phillips said.
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Category: Community, Local News
Ministers without a backbone and integrity……………..almost all of them
The MLAs love to see the big booty, big booby girls. Just check out who follows who on Instagram. Trust me, it’s localized porn for them.
Why on earth on a small island like this we need two parades is beyond me. Utter nonsense. Dwayne Seymour your incompetence never cease to amaze me. Well I would like to know if Eden will be attending because there will be a lot of sinning going on, he can catch them right in the act. I guess as long as they are not gay then its ok …….carry on!!!!!
I still do not understand why there is not more of a “fall in line” approach. Is there still not an issue with having to have roads closed for two days? Yes, this may cause less strive with the Brac, but it is still detrimental to businesses, including the hotels that I have heard have to drop their guests off and walk them to the road because the roads are closed.
Just make CayMas for in line. There only objection is because it’s Mother’s Day? Im sure no one in that group cares about it being Mother’s Day, it’s just a convenient excuse because they want to do things their own way.
Sometimes as the Minister you have to make hard decisions that not everyone will agree with, but you have to make a call.
Carnival on a Monday…employers please be prepared for all the “sick” calls on Tuesday….
I have scheduled my day off already ….. I got dibs for being off, everybody else gonna have to call in sick and do some serious ducking on Monday 🙂 🙂
I will be off too….off Island. What a joke.
Dat where you see Coronavirus boy.
In action
We need an entirely different type of government. Not just with new people, we need (deserve) much higher criteria for eligibility, with democratic consultation from the people. The era of shooting from the hip “on ego-driven ideas”, using public money, has to stop. It bleeds money and time we don’t have, on a scale we can’t even quantify due to the lack of transparency and record keeping, but we can roughly estimate from every headline, that it’s colossal. We wouldn’t run our households this way, why do we allow the business of the territory to be run like this?
This Minister cant even get Cayman Carnival right ? Jesus help us. He proves his high level of competency each and every time.
I have never written in defense of an MLA before but I dislike the way people will find any excuse to go on the attack. Mr. Seymour was elected as a represented for the people of Cayman. He has access to the facts and figures relating to his decision that I am sure the people posting comments (and those who like the comments) do not have. I have had first hand experience of working with Mr. Seymour and I found him to be honest truthful and willing to take action to get things fixed. Let him do his job as the people elected him to do.
Oh, thanks for that. Did Bodden Town vote specifically for his all-knowing directives in regards to waste management, health services, and cultural wisdom, or because he was flying the PPM banner? I think the latter. That’s why our dual party, debate and consultation-free paradigm is so broken. I can’t think of any other democracy where a full time paid Opposition is actively prevented (barred) from shadowing the government and serving some kind of the public interest worthy of the salary and benefits packages. There are no district councils or even polling. My MLA doesn’t even bother to maintain a suggestions box.
He ran as an independent. A PPM candidate ran against him at the time.
He may have ran independent but it’s still a PPM/UDP government.
Please share some of the things that he has managed to fix, as the rest of us can only see (or in the case of garbage collection and the dump, smell) the things that he has not. To say nothing of his apparently changing position on the carnival from only one parade, to two parades but on the same day (using the same route but in opposite directions!), to this.
Sweetie, why didn’t you put your name on this if you love him so?!
Can I suggest they change the name to Braccival? The current name just doesn’t sound right.
The name is a reflection of Cayman’s cultural heritage. It is intended to echo “Bacchanal” which is a word for a drunken festival in honor of the traditional pagan god of wine, Bacchus. It is fitting and proper that Cayman should name a festival in honor of one of Cayman’s gods, as a reflection of the religious and spiritual values of Caymanians on the Brac. Mr. Seymour should be commended for continuing to honor this god by name.
I thought it was just a combination of the Brac and Carnival
Yeah, actually, this was never a government event. It was created by Rotary in 1980s, sanctioned by successive governments, to be a racey, perverted colonialist, Caribbean-style skin-baring tourist attraction. The town party/bar sales was one of the big Rotary-activity fundraisers for the year…for Rotarian pleasure and purposes.
It was originally — at least on the Brac — a family event, with kids in the parade and wearing costumes and such. That was — so I am told — the original Rotary vision.
I went to Braccanal last year, and what bothered me the most was seeing children “humpin’ and bumpin'” in emulation of the adults around them. This used to be a family-friendly event. If it has morphed into an adult event, it should be held out of the public eye. I don’t personally have a problem with what goes on, but I don’t think anyone participating should be considered role models for our children.
Don’t get me wrong — I had a good time there. Just don’t think chillun should be involved, and that includes scantily clad teenagers. That’s just wrong.
I hope to see Anthony Eden, Julianna, Tara, actually ALL MLAs and the Ministers Association at every parade in May in support of our display of our Christian values that we cherise and hold so dear
You win the internet today!
All dressed in costumes.🦹🏽♂️🧛🏻♂️🧟♀️🧝♀️🧝🏾♂️🦸🏾♀️🦸🏽♂️
The dump, garbage collection, healthcare, carnival…Dwayne Seymour need I say more….he’s building quite an impressive resume….
Dwayne sounds like Commandant Lassard: “We sat through many many hours of discussions and we had many many proposals”
All of that “work” just to arrive back to the same frustrating situation that existed before his many many discussions.
Dwayne is more than a speed bump, he is an actual U-turn
CNCF…? These silly excuses for drunken displays have nothing to do with Cayman culture. CNCF is only interested in throwing expensive cocktail parties in any case.
Just like 28 person committee led by Tara Rviers to produce nothing then brag about it on her gov.ky page.
“how Cayman Carnival could best model from the successes of regional partners”
You might start by going back in time to be settled by the French or Spanish, for whom a pre-Lent Carnival of some sort is more culturally relevant many generations on, instead of inventing a fake “culture” of getting drunk and frotting in the streets to show Jesus how heterosexual everyone is.
👍a good one!
This is definitely not our culture.
Will homosexuals be allowed to participate?
and dry hump on the streets?
Who’s gonna stop them?
The homophobes and Legislative bigots?
Minister Eden?
boy I hope they wont be allowed!
No complaints. We have a full week to view what lays beneath the weekday business attire.
All of those in any decision making capacity has just historically become dunces and messed up what could have been a huge money maker for Cayman. Neva mind da fun and unity that true Carnival exudes. Unna just killed it and allowed politics & ego to rule.
Thankfully I Still got my Xodus family to jump with in Jam. Selah
They couldn’t organize a topless car wash
To be fair, everything they touch does seem to go tits up, so they might manage.
Is not being able to organize a carnival on a Caribbean island the West Indian equivalent of Brits not being able to organize a piss up in a brewery?
Carnival was never part of Cayman culture.
It is just an overt display of sexuality.
I am not sure this event has positive conurtations for the people of Cayman.
Of course, our degenerate political echelon would beg to differ, and they probably won’t complain unless it is their daughter being abused or their son found out taking advantage of some poor victim.
Carnival is disgusting, demeaning and unnecessary.
The human body is a beautiful creation and should be respected as such.
Men should abandon this garbage as a sign of respect to women and women should abandon this garbage as a sign of respect to themselves.
Can we not celebrate something else?
I’d really like to hear what the Minister for Tourism and his Boss have to say about this.
Cayman Culture is not about respect for others Bobo. Just like Caymanian Christians is a religion only for and about Caymanian Christians. Not all Caymanians are embarrassed about this. Seems very few are. Maybe you can start your own Culture.
Let me tell you all something. Lots of people calling in sick for that Tuesday Morning work. LMAO!
Good Idea ! Thanks.
Like they need an excuse to call in sick. That’s part of the culture.
Brachannal is, is, I don’t know what to say. A disorganized mess. An embarrassment.
Like the Brac. One only has to look at the leadership……or lack thereof.
man look yah go sit down!
just cuz it brac una want talk S***!
try go sit down and read a book!
It REEALY doesn’t matter. It’s just a little bump in liquor sales. Literally no one is attracted to Cayman for this attraction.
Yup, no one visits Cayman for Carnival…
Lol top 10 dumbest comments I’ve read on this site
May is officially “Half Naked Month”
Right before Gayprel opps April sorry, not sorry” lol this guys is just as lost as a kite with out a string.
I really don’t think the minister has a say in this since he’s in the business of promoting entertainment himself, but who am I to point out conflicts of interest with our MLA’s.
What Business? (Asking because I really don’t know, thanks.)
Mogul Entertainment
VOTE NO!
Tuesday we duckin’ then.
The ministers whole political career is a flop.
What would Jesus do?
Jesus would go to Trinidad Carnival instead.
@6:45pm – Best comment!!!
Haaaa! Nice one!
Please bring back your LOL button CNS!
Jesus would counsel them.
Jesus would
Turn their water in to wine.
I wonder if Jesus gon’ jump this year…
Was Jesus gay? Just asking.
Every chance. He surrounded himself with men. All 12 apostles were blokes.
What would Eden do?
All that T&A in such a short period of time. I think they should call it Bounders Week.
Better than a peeler bar
Can we legalize sex toys so we can stop dancing half naked intoxicated in our streets.
Grown adults we say?
I am a Caymanian and I doubt our grandparents would approve of this.
This parade stuff has nothing to do with actual culture it was created years ago by rotary to promote the island.
Lets close the roads and cause mass traffic so we can behave irresponsibility.
Stupid…
Sex toys aren’t legal? Whoops!
Cucumber
Zucchini.
Corn on the cob
They’re legal to own and import for private use (although technically if customs is feeling particularly puritanical and they come across your package they could seize and destroy it)
They aren’t legal to be sold (hence the massage debacle from a couple years back)
Its all part of the concerted effort to control every facet of human life that is the modern aspiration of religious nuts
Our grandparents wouldn’t approve of a lot of things…
4:54 you can bring”personal” sex toys in for yourself (i think). But it is illegal for them to be sold on island.. Ridiculous really.. Prude’s ruining life for everyone.
Actually you can’t – importation is illegal whether for personal use or sale. But a little more obvious if you try and sell them in a shop ( unless you claim they are – ahem – personal massage devices.
You are allowed to import 2 sex toys for personal use but not for sale.
Please post the legal terms saying this?
I guess the powers that be missed that guy in the wheelchair!
You don’t know my grandma very well.
“Back in my day, we had key parties….”
If you don’t like carnival then don’t go, it’s something fun to do, and Cayman’s already boring as it is, imagine not having any event to look forward to.
Similarly, if you don’t like gays, don’t be gay. Right?
Gonna bring my emotional support blow up womanikin to wine upon in the next parade. That should shake things up.
The mighty CIG can’t even arrange for carnivals to happen on the same day, keeping in mind the carnivals aren’t legal without proper government authorisation meaning the CIG holds literally all the cards and somehow managed to not actually resolve the issue
Sit the organizers down in a room and say “integrate the events or neither of you will have them and we can try again next year, when you are feeling more sensible” its literally that simple
Don’t worry though, they can totally be trusted with the cruise port
Laughable, utterly laughable
And the Minister responsible is …….
someones cousin