Tobago Brand : June 2015

Hey guys it inevitable that "anything that can go wrong, will go wrong" (Murphy's Law)........now this blog will be in two parts, the first obviously is a well known group felt disrespected. Onto the facts and findings, I will give you two sides of the coin.

The Beginning.

Preparing to go to IHP5 at Shaw Park Cultural Complex my team and I getting ready, going through our paces of what we were going to accomplish at IHP5, our mission was simple to do interviews with the ministers as well as to take photos at the event...Before getting there, one of my sources call me up stating that "Forward D Band" will not be on the cast tonight...my response obviously was WHY NOT? WHAT?...yup I was just confused.....some may ask why people calling you to tell u that? It is very simple I am an advocate for Tobago Gospel Ministers and that is public knowledge..need not say more.

Now back to Forward D Band not being a part of the the cast, my sources told me its alleged that the Band was pulled from the cast because they requested five keyboards, my response was "No you're Lying, what utter nonsense.....but nevertheless i continue doing some digging, and I found out ....the Band released a statement on face-book few hours before the event on Thursday.........Now the joke for me is the last part of the face-book post says "It is time promoters of these events treat local acts with respect"...I was like who is the manager of the band?.....Isn't it the same person who is hosting the show?......wow therefore according to that satement, their own disrespected them....I am assuming......if i am wrong I stand to be corrected......now during my phone conversation my source told me this.....its alleged that the band went to a sound check the night before....in the sound check, the engineer told them they cannot use the Keyboards on stage that was already set-up, the keys are for Positive and Minister Ce Ce Winans, they in turn pursue their manager asking him if they could use the keys.....It was alleged that his response to them was "all yuh need to get all your ting"....their response was ......"the keyboards we use for practice is not working properly it does cut off and they wouldn't want to take the chance of using it" .....the manger response was "I will lend you all two" they both agreed but their response was, we will need a third one so they wanted to pursue renting one....but its alleged the manager responded to them with a hash tone saying "I not giving all yuh no money....I dont have no money for all your...all yuh find money....take out all your money to pay for the thing" but they already took out money out of their pockets to pay for uniforms....my source told me.

Now to my understanding a manager of a band have to look after the well-being of the band, was that done, I don't know...the continued dialogue, it was alleged, after what may have being some heated argument, the manger stated that, "I am no longer all yuh manager as of tonight".........and the response from the road manger telling them, they are off the cast.

Wow look stupidness I dont know if Christianity or the principle of Christianity is out the window cause I am wondering where were they practicing all the time as well as shouldn't a manager know about the affairs of his or her band or artistes?....hmm....

At the Event

My team and I arrived at the venue, now approaching the complex one of the band members saw us and told us to have a good time at the event.......we said we will, but we are like OK? (questionably)......We asked why you not here?.... but before the band member could answer their guardian responded in an uproar "uh see that manager, he is a.....something I cannot write here it was too hash and they drove off.

Now at the event we got settled and we got our instructions as to how the night is going to run, we did quite a few interviews with some of the ministers, we meet with the Road Manager for the Band Forward..he is also the Logistics Co-ordinator for Dominion Promotions ....we ask the road manager about the Band not being a part of the cast....he stuttered for a bit before answering, after we mention of our findings..... his response was "They are a talented group of young people and we know people will be disappointed and have questions not seeing them in IHP5, the situation was way beyond our control and we are hoping to have IHP for 50 years. And he ended off by wishing them all the best in their future endeavors. In my opinion or better yet the question I will like to ask.....Is that the end of Forward D Band having a managerial team?

AFTER MATH IHP5

The event started off with bang at the time the patrons was trickling into the venue the Lights, sound and the ambiance of the venue was overwhelming. Opening the show was the Calvary Road Youth Choir, they did exceptionally well, before such the pastor of the Calvary Road Deliverance Tabernacle CRDT, Pastor Vernon Arthur opening the show with a brief history about Dominion Promotions presentation "IHP" and ended his speech by declaring the start of IHP5.

The platform this year was overwhelming with local acts: M28:19 for the first time in a long while grace the big stage with some of their compositions from the newly released album "The Great Commission......I enjoyed their ministry, the energy, the excitement and good musicianship explode the atmosphere, my view this band.....you would want to see again and again, they will meet that expectation of real ministry. Other local acts were Dj Polo, Positive, Blessed Messenger, J-Prince, Rizon, Calvary Road Dancers, Beacon of Praise Dancers, Joshua Ali and Eastlyn Orr. The complex is a massive venue but in my view the support was good, could of being better.

The Intentional ministers didn't disappoint Minister Ce Ce Winans carry the masses to a hype session and brought them down back as she usher them into a time of worship and she ended it off by leading the masses into the sinners prayer.

Uche Agu no stranger to IHP came back and destroyed the stage with an energetic ministry he was well received by the masses a second time around. My General consensus about the quality of the event is that it was of a high quality event and I must say thumps up to the Director of Dominion Promotions and his Team, contributing to the gospel fraternity by bringing quality events such as these to the shores of Tobago and giving the local minister's the opportunity of being on the big stage.