I was out recently with friends and colleagues and was thrilled with the level of entertainment I found. There was a young woman in particular, whose singing and performance were of the highest class.
Indeed, we have seen in our very lifetime the periodic successes of some of our proud talent in both sports and entertainment – on international stages. Per capita, we are surely one of the most talented territories in the world.
Bankie Banx led the way in cultivating an Anguilla sound that many have come to accept and appreciate from the 1970s. Since then, we have seen so many others, who have gone on to make a name for themselves.
But if we have studied all these individual successes we shall have learnt that most of them have done it on their own – and with help from family and friends. Indeed there is no central policy or initiative in Anguilla that seeks first to discover, and then subsequently to encourage and promote our many talented youth, particularly in the fields of music and entertainment. The entertainment sector is one that is ripe for growth in Anguilla.
The success of Jamaican music, and what it has done for the promotion of Jamaica, for creating an earnings stream for the country and for creating sustainable livelihoods for thousands of people in Jamaica linked with the industry, indicate to us that entertainment can become not just a viable stream of economic endeavor but a major industry. While the relatively small size of our country may be a potential limitation, it is by no means a fatal hindrance once talent meets will.
Here in the Caribbean, we have many repeated cases of the economic benefits that can be had from the success of one major performer. The case of Rihanna and Barbados is one of those. Rihanna’s international success has been a permanent promotion for her native land, and officials there have acknowledged that her brand in the international marketplace has resulted in a boom for the island’s tourism. This is the other facet as to why we should carve out a deliberate policy that seeks to unearth and help nurture talent. It must be seen as part of our tourism promotion strategy.
And, because of our historic and political ties to the United Kingdom, and also because, traditionally, Europe is more open than North America to world cultural influences, we can use this as our own window to a brand new world outside. The amount of press generated by the participation of Deanna Mussington in the UK Ex Factor two years ago provided an insight of what is possible. Deanna was not even a winner of the event – but her impact and the experience was not just positive for her but also for our island.
Omari Banks, the former test cricketer, is now strutting his music across the world and at the same time helping to promote Brand Anguilla. Indeed, we should look towards the likes of Deanna and Omari to officially engage them and formally appoint them cultural ambassadors for “Brand Anguilla”. And the same honour should be awarded to DeAnn Kentish-Rogers, who this year won the Miss UK Pageant. As cultural ambassadors for Brand Anguilla, they must be mandated to use their platforms in the furtherance of the island’s promotions. We can officially feature them at various international events; and we can also, with their agreement, piggyback on their private events for which they are contracted.
At home, they will serve as the new inspiration for the next generation as well.
More importantly, we will create avenues for those who are not so well known, but who are equally talented, to achieve their full potential for themselves – and indeed for all of us. There is a wide world out there that is the marketplace for Brand Anguilla. And there is a whole new world out there that is waiting to hear the next sound from this little rock.
