People not happy about the display of flesh — Premier
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley said some persons are unhappy with the amount of skin on display during events for the Emancipation Festival and may choose to berate him for this unfairly.
“Things have changed a great deal in the BVI and some people might be looking for somebody to blame for that. Some people might even want to blame me for that,” the Premier said recently.
Dr Wheatley pointed to various developments in technology, lifestyle and culture that have taken place within the Virgin Islands and said some of these things have led to rapid change within the community.
But he also reflected on what some persons have seen as an erosion of elements of the local culture and the infusion and acceptance of a new order that many older persons in the community have frowned upon.
“We have many people in our community who are lamenting and bemoaning some of the changes in our culture,” Premier Wheatley said. “You have persons who, they’re not pleased about when we have our celebrations, the display of flesh that you wouldn’t see in the past. Some people are not happy about that.”
Dr Wheatley urged, however, that persons should not give up on the heritage, history and culture that has made the territory what it is.
“Our culture and our history is a big part of the reason I am who I am today, and you are who you are. It’s a big reason why the Virgin Islands is a successful place,” he said.
The Premier also called for some amount of introspection on the part of persons who have sought to blame others for the erosion of the local culture, urging them to take a look at themselves instead and to make choices that reflect the changes they want to see happen.
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You happy with it though because that’s all you studying.
Sorry if I offend but I must say, festival has really changed. All I can see are people who thirsty for lawlessness. Ravellers enjoying getting drunk and disorderly, fighting, injuring one another, women and little girls almost naked flaunting what should be kept away from the sunlight,foolish men who in 9mths time will regret the past because of that 1% between the legs. Over priced food and drinks and when the end month comes, broke can’t even pay for your children’s school books and uniform. Emancipation as of this time only promotes lawlessness and poverty. Leaders will only say we all got we asked for!
Have you truly become this insecure as a leader that you worry about criticism of how our people celebrate their emancipation?
Yes, the dress (or lack thereof) was tasteless to most, but I do not believe that they would have listened to you if you had said “dress and celebrate appropriately”.
For the love of God, grow a backbone and lead this Country or step away, because if you are going to cry about this then you’ve already fallen a long way down a steep slope!
People need to just shut up. These people don’t travel? It’s not just here it’s almost everywhere. I do believe it’s too much skin but it’s everywhere. Everything is changing I mean listen to the music today.
Those salty people lucky carrot bay don’t have a jouvert today.
Look at the colorful costumes instead of the gyrating bodies.
Natalio, as you may not be aware…. The BVI is a democracy and not a dictatorship as you like to operate it.
If people want to show their skin, they can.
If you don’t like it, you can look the other way.
Stop forcing your sole opinion on others, you are not a dictator.
The BVI complain complain complain. every Caribbean Islands are skin less and we here in 2023 still complaining. complain about cost of living, poor roads, low salaries and minimum wages, march and take a stand. jeeze.
The August festivities ,specifically Jouvert is not at all representing of the BVIslanders ,their Emancipation
,and most especially their women. This culture represents the upper Caribbean Islands and the moral character of it’s people. They have been that way since I know myself and I am beyond middle age, They have always practiced open prostitution,boys, girls women bar life,killing,thiefing, routinely. Currently sex tourism is an industry in that cursed strip of God’s World. While they here demonstratng their well earned Bs and Wh titles,same time and day,3 men were beating raping and killing a 15 year old girl in Trinidad.All in the life of Black on Black exploitation and brutality as a culture.
The gynamous amount of up de is lun humanity seen publicly flaunting the lewdness in the faces of VIslanders was the only way they know how to show gratitude for being on our soil,rather than in the bowels of hell in their country. Pity these varmints.
Thank Andrew Fahie and VIP for the invasion and the decay of all that made us shine and for their personal enrichment. This too shall pass. The VI is a Blessed country. Don’t give up.
Please READ the article again…reading is fundamental
The large presence of these garrots is an eyesore and a downward trend in the quality of life within the VI.
Iam hoping the economy here continues to decline and they are forced to migrateto to greener pastures.
The schools have been infected and our future is looking dark.
@Island Man. We don’t have to live the way you or anyone else lives this is the Virgin Islands some of you bring your nasty ways with you. There is a way to stop this make it law that we won’t stand for this pono shit in public WITH CHILDREN AROUND in the BVI. I like women I like to see some skin but not the way these women were dressed and carrying on. WE DO NOT HAVE TO EXCEPT YOUR WAYS. AND YES THE PREMIER LIKES IT OR HE WOULD HAVE THE POLICE PUT A STOP TO IT.
No quality at all in the costumes and the appropriateness for the people wearing them. There is no beauty and culture being displayed at all. TOTALLY DISGUSTING!!!
Well said. This man do not even have a stance on culture and he was minister for culture for how many years? Omg, leave!
That is all.
Only men would enjoy the jouvert and parade because they don’t have to pay to see what you have anyway just remember not one man alone seeing what you displaying. It’s not the older folks alone talking young people too. This day and age you seeing where the woman start to shave or wax that pubic area should be covered ladies. As for the back hmm that was just there for everyone to see. Get the schools in parade again and we will have decency again not a strip club parade. Kudos to all those who dress well and showing everyone their franchise.
FRIEND REVELING AND CULTURAL TRADITION WILL TAKE YOU AND YOUR GENERATION TO HELL. REPENT AND TURN TO CHRIST NOW!
Start locking um up for indecent exposure
Festival/carnival a display of art and culture. Look at the pink and royal blue wings. Not everone naked. Don’t worry auntie they could go naked for jovert. They would complement “victoria Secret. I was an original farmer with caribbean gold. “Sugar cane”. I had fun with all genre of music. The donkey stole the show for BEST Photogenenic. He did not respond to theGo sign. We know jackass win de race …
I find the gyrations of these men & women (and young girls & boys) disgusting.how mothers and/or fathers can allow their children to dress as such tells us what has happened to the celebration of emancipation in a dignified manner. Females in thongs who are bent over so far their * are almost exposed with males & females pumping them from behind. Just because other nations do this doesn’t make it right or mean that the BVI must follow suit. There is so little self respect left in the this generation . The BVI can still celebrate with beautiful costumes, floats,, troops, music, food, etc.. without the thongs and pumping on each other. Why can’t the BVI SET THE EXAMPLE for this type of celebration where all who attend are not embarrassed by the lack of self esteem by individuals.
Example of what does not bind us to the garrots. Nastiness is abhorrent to some Black folks. We are not all female dogs and hungry low lifes. Soooo yes the schism that is manifested between BVIslanders is warranted. Fear of their violence and disgust of their lack of morals and decency.
OMG, BVI people will complain about ANYTHING. If people didn’t participate in the parade they would have complained – people participate, it is now what they wore. Look, if you are complaining, you are part of the problem not the solution. Yes, some of the costumes were not for my taste, but I wasn’t wearing it – so why complain. If he or she was comfortable in said garments, let he or she be themselves. The parade isn’t about cultural display (that is Carrot Bay), it is about having fun, bright colors, and be entertained (and that we were). I was proud to see the parade rebuilding itself after years (pre covid) of a dry parade. Looking forward to see what everyone bring forth for the 70th.
Part 2: Also, the BVI culture is a mixing pot now of many other cultures, so what you are seeing on display in the parade is evident of parades in other Caribbean islands. Again, I am not a fan of all the skin, but here is where we are when we have so many different cultures in one small country.
What you are saying is truth but the negative behaviour is attributed to one and only one demograhic out of several hundreds that are now thrown together..the updeislun sector that is, unfortunately,the dominant immigrant population and predictably a detriment to life and pursuit of civil existence, as they have caused,in their countries and wherever they roam.
These VI have thrown their ” pearls ” to pigs. A sin for which they must pay..
Mathew 7:6 Mathew 7;6
Eileen Parsons and a few other old ,sour bags including Cline always in the news criticizing everything, especially around carnival time. If ayo don’t like the display. Just stay t.f home. I’m surprised that the Cindy ain’t had a say in this.
Ezekiel 16:43 “Because you did not remember the days of your youth but enraged me with all these things, I will surely bring down on your head what you have done, declares the Sovereign LORD. Did you not add lewdness to all your other detestable practices?”
I cry tears that just cannot be shed…my heart is overwhelmed! Just to think, our enslaved forefathers, especially women’s dignity was literally stripped from their bodies while on the auction block, being flogged and raped. And now this is the way we as women honour them by debasing their memory with so little attire that brought so much shame and disgrace to them?
I add my voice and appeaĺ to the Festival and Fairs Committee, let us as a Virgin Islands people not go down in history as a people who dishonoured our ancestors by placing no value on the blood they shed, rape they endured, and inhumane treatment suffered!
May our ancestors as well as the God who was their strong tower, forgive us.
A native Virgin Islander to the Nth generation
The parade was missing the indians, steel pan music, and the twirlers. Please include them next year.
The sassy lady with all that jazz hanging out and over she costume needs to fix up
My family stopped attending the parade because I found some of the outfits and behaviour to be absolutely disgusting. I refused to have my young children to be exposed to that behaviour, It’s just a shame that things will only continue to decline. This lawlessness is the new norm for the BVI. We pride ourselves on accepting other cultures so No rules will be put in place.
In plain simple Tolian lingo, who run things and mek laws hey, we oh dem?
Well, if tis we, den mek some dam laws to govern how far freedom of attire will be allowed to beh/go.
Ebery (salute to meh North Sound Brethen, i fron deh waleh, lol) society hawe rules an laws that govern ebery thing. Carnival, especially should beh the same, especiall whenit comes to the denigrationof the values of the society and ancestral linkage…
As Down2earth succintly and truthfully wrote:
“I add my voice and appeaĺ to the Festival and Fairs Committee, let us as a Virgin Islands people not go down in history as a people who dishonoured our ancestors by placing no value on the blood they shed, rape they endured, and inhumane treatment suffered!”
Did anyone feel the pains and tears in those words? i did!
This wreckess demise and disrespect of and for the the true meaning of our Emancipation can and must be stopped, even if it means sabotaging every parrade and event, until law makers and organizers get it.
Respect our ancestors, especially our/their values or don’t have an event. Just ban it!
Maybe those people should be the change they want to see and bring troupes that exhibit the “cultural costumes” they prefer to see in the parade.
Maybe those people should be the change they want to see and bring troupes that exhibit the “cultural costumes” they prefer to see in the parade.
The Caribbean are skinless perhaps. But why so many Caribbean persons migrating if skinless is the thing!
The Parade is in Jouvert mode! Skinless
The parade was meaningless.
Lets get back to the way we were!Having Festivals!!!
Carnival versus emancipation celebration/festival. There’s a place for everything.
If the premier has nothing positive or constructive to say, he needs to keep his mouth shut. Every time he opens his mouth he further confirms the fact that he is too weak and incompetent to be a leader
Unloving unlearned Christians afraid to see what the lord made in his likeness.
Adam and Eve were naked. They ate and saw reality anew tainted with imaginations of good & evil rules laws and embarrassment. Original sun.
Go back to godliness and we will not fret to see gods creations in all their forms of happiness.
Empathy love and care for each other is natural. Love god love each other.
Concepts of good & evil came from a forbidden fruit.
Go read the f**king article before you criticize the Premier! Dumb can’t read past the headline sk**t!! But commenting F**kery!!
We want to see more skin…who dont like it, HAUL YA SK**T
If you want to read the Bible and stay home – Fine.
But we are free from Slavery. Free to do whatever we wish on this day. You are trying to put the chains back on us?
Lighten up man! Celebrate Freedom! This is a BIG deal
For those persons who have an issue, there’s a solution STAY AYO A** HOME or TAKE A NICE FAMILY VACATION!!! it is festival time and its a time for us to enjoy our freedom, regardless of how it may look to you church going people ( most secretly enjoying the view) Let us live and enjoy ourselves as we are not hurting anyone!! every other Caribbean country or states is ok to enjoys their Carnivals without all this negativity why can’t we?? our Festival parade is already dry and boring as is. AYO SICKENING MAN!!
when the slaves were emancipated, they had a celebration of freedom. Let the people express themselves. After all its only for A DAY.
THE WORLD HAS CHANGED. You have to keep up with the changing tide or you will be left behind. How often does Tortola celebrate its culture? Live and let live. As long as the people are not disorderly Let freedom ring.
I am a proud virgin islander living abroad. I have friends who save their money all year long just to come to Tortola with their family for a week to enjoy the festivities. Let’s never forget where we have been or how far we have come.