Brukdown contest offers big prizes
It’s a type of Belizean music that everyone claims to love but precious few Belizean musicians want to play. Now they’ve got some extra incentive in the from of a competition sponsored by NICH and its Institute of Creative Arts. ICA’s director William Neal says there’s good reason to enter.
William Neal, Director, ICA
?Brukdown has definitely been dying out in terms of the new materials being produced. Most people when they think about Brukdown still equate Brukdown with solely Mr. Peters. I think we have a number of other artists out there. While Mr. Peters is a great artist in his in own right, I think you have a lot of people who are experimenting with Brukdown, but have not received the kind of popularity that Mr. Peters has. I think it is a great opportunity to push people to actually come out with and do some new pieces in Brukdown music itself.?
Stewart Krohn
?Why not let Brukdown just disappear if that?s what the people want??
William Neal
?I don?t know if we can just–music evolves. That?s my take on it and I think if we don?t allow or provide the opportunity for people to experiment at least, it will die rather than evolve and I think that?s what this competition is trying to do to show that the music can evolve and whereas it may not stay in it?s traditional form. It might develop in something new and uniquely Belizean.?
Stewart Krohn
?Are you suggesting that just how Punta became Punta Rock, Brukdown might become Brukdown Rap or something like that??
William Neal
?It could, it could. It think music and the art in general are very dynamic and the handle change very well. I think Brukdown music could evolve and could survive.?
Deadline for entries is December third and Neal is asking anyone interested to please come by or give a call. Prize money totals over seven thousand dollars, with cash for both songwriting and performing.
In related news, the management shake-up at NICH and the Institute of Creative Arts continues this week with the departure of Artistic Director Greg Vernon. Reasons for Vernon’s dismissal are not clear although sources indicate several long simmering differences between Vernon and NICH management.
