Two local band leaders who’ve played the Rotary Central’s ‘Extravaganza’ show for the last several years were surprised to learn recently that their groups were being left off the card for the upcoming 29 November performance.
Henry Leslie of Footloose said he found out his group wasn’t going to be part of it after spotting a poster advertising the show at a petrol station.
“Anybody can hire whoever they want,” Mr. Leslie said. “But they should have notified us we weren’t playing.”
Los Tropicanos band leader Burmon Scott said he was also not contacted by Rotary Central about being left out of the show, and said it was wrong not to include what he considered “traditional Caribbean music” in this year’s line up.
“I am disappointed that Rotary (Central) did not put a local Reggae/Soca band in this,” Mr. Scott said. “It doesn’t represent the masses.”
Rotary Central President Neville Smith said he disagreed that certain acts on the card, such as Sea ‘N ‘B (Chuck and Barrie Quappe), were not capable of playing traditional Caribbean songs. He also said the Rotary had a great chance to bring in Grammy-award winning country music artist Paul Overstreet for the event at no cost.
“Anyone who’s heard Sea ‘N ‘B knows they can play just about anything,” Mr. Smith said. “And Mr. Overstreet has a good following over here. We just couldn’t turn him down.”
Mr. Overstreet and his band will be the first foreign act ever to play the Rotary Central show, which has been held as the major annual fundraiser for the club for more than a decade. Rotary Central has obtained permission to bring in an outside act from the Cayman Islands Music and Entertainment Association. The Immigration Department has approved the entry of Mr. Overstreet’s group for the one-night show that it will not be paid for.
The third performer on the card is Gone Country, another long-time local act that has played at the Extravaganza for many years.
Mr. Smith said Rotary Central wasn’t able to host more than three bands at the performance.
“It’s just a timing situation,” he said.
The Extravaganza raises money for Rotary Central to help support its community aid projects throughout the year. Mr. Smith said one of the major efforts this year will raise money for hurricane relief efforts on Little Cayman and Cayman Brac.
“We want to make a profit,” he said. “That’s where we get a majority of Rotary Central funding…that goes to finance community projects.”
Mr. Smith apologised for not notifying members of Los Tropicanos and Footloose about the show this year, though he said there were never any commitments made to either band about performing in 2008.
He also noted that local acts still will make up a majority of the show.
“We can’t exclude local acts even if we wanted to, and we don’t,” Mr. Smith added. “This is the first time we’ve had a non-local act, and he’s even a part-time resident here (Mr. Overstreet owns an apartment on Grand Cayman).”
Mr. Scott said several local musicians were planning to get together at his house on Sunday to discuss forming a separate music association because of concerns about what happened with the Extravaganza.
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