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   St Lucia police are investigating an aggravated assault on two female British nationals. The women were reportedly ambushed by six masked men on Tuesday evening (May 10), shortly before midnight, at Grande Anse Beach.
Reports indicate the women were on an environmental expedition which entailed camping at the location. The women had been camped out near the beach since Monday May 9, a day prior to the incident. Further reports suggest that on the night in question, the women returned to their camp site to find their belongings had been tampered with. Police sources reveal that the women began making preparations to depart from the area when the men brutally attacked and raped them both. Reports are that the men fled the scene when they noticed the headlights of an approaching vehicle.
While investigations are continuing into the matter, the St Lucia Crisis Centre has spoken out on the incident. Counselor Ashley Rae noted that people need to be more cognizant and aware of their surroundings, especially in unfamiliar or secluded areas.
“It just highlights how anyone has to be careful when they’re going to the beaches at night, even if you are in a car. Sitting in a car does not make you safe,” said Rae.
“It is never pleasant to hear situations of rape happening. The Crisis Centre wants women to know there is a place to go to receive care and counseling services. Our services are free. We do have sexual assault group for women and there’s also a 24/7, seven days a week, Crisis Hotline. The numbers are 7127574 and 4536848,” encouraged Rae.
Director of Gender Relations, Charms Gaspard, revealed there has been an alarming rate of aggravated rapes in St Lucia based on the size of the population. She went further to say the situation is not confined to St Lucia. The Caribbean as a whole has been recording increasing trends of sexual assault.
Given the problems faced in data collection and research on island, Gaspard says “it’s been difficult to pull out these areas to follow, access records, because the frontline institutions do not necessarily have the capacity to be able to get the kind of data that would be able to give you the kind of information you would require. Also, because agencies want to protect their data, it is difficult to access for research purposes.”
Considering the high incidents of sexual abuse and sexual violence in the region, UNIFEM have funded a project for Caribbean territories centered around increasing state accountability and the level of response in cases of sexual violence against women.
In St Lucia, there is a draft national strategy for gender based violence but it is not ready for public dissemination at this point. It looks at strengthening the state’s mechanisms and the state’s processes.
Unfortunately, St Lucia does not have a Rape Crisis Centre. Gaspard indicated there is a Vulnerable Persons Unit within the Royal St Lucia Police Force specifically aimed to assist victims of sexual abuse. However, as it stands, the unit does not have the capacity to counsel victims.
Meanwhile, the British High Commission in St Lucia has expressed its sympathies to the victims.
British High Commissioner Karl Burrows described the incident as a “dreadful crime” saying “we are in touch with the St Lucia police force and they are confident of a successful outcome.”
For Burrows, his major disappointment is that news of the incident reached the High Commission via the media. He said, “That’s not the way things work and we are disappointed we were not contacted directly by the police but hopefully we will be able to put procedures in order or remind the St Lucia police of what sort of procedures should be followed.”
He continued, sharing his thoughts and giving safety advice for visitors to St Lucia. Burrows said, “As far as all crimes are concerned, we obviously have a particular responsibility for British nationals in St Lucia. To put it into context, we have about 75,000 British visitors to St Lucia each year and the vast majority of visits are incident free. Our advice to British nationals is that common sense rules apply. There is crime as there is everywhere but St Lucia is a friendly and welcoming country. Overall crime rates are low but common sense rules do apply. We advise against being in isolated areas after dark.”

The STAR has been reliably informed that police are now questioning at least four men in relation to this incident. Update in Wednesday’s STAR.

   A caller to Radio St Lucia’s The Agenda on Thursday had this to say: “I am a bit disappointed with what has been going on between you and Mr Chastanet, this tit-for-tat thing. It’s like when you were minister of tourism every time he would complain about something and now he is minister it’s your turn. I was especially disappointed when you said you were not talking to him because we need you to talk to him and him to talk to you. You are a management consultant, you are a former minister of tourism; it is he that you need to engage. You need to be talking to him because that’s how we’re gonna learn and be educated. You need to question what he is saying and vice versa. That is the problem we have with politicians. You guys go on the platform and on the radio and say things but you all tend to be very reluctant to go to the parliament and discuss and argue the points . . .That’s what we want to see coming from you politicians so that we can form opinions.”
The caller was addressing the guest on Thursday’s morning show, former tourism minister and Castries East MP Philip J Pierre. The MP and Minister Chastanet had sparked their longtime feud again this week when the now Tourism Minister was a guest on the show on Monday.
Pierre called that show and challenged host Dave Samuels to give him “the right to respond.” Pierre claimed that Chastanet had been a guest on the show at least four times since the former minister had appeared.
Chastanet and Pierre then commenced a back and fourth and finally Chastanet suggested that he would be happy to be guest on the show along with Mr Pierre where they could debate issues one-on-one.
“No, no, no. no,” Pierre could be heard trailing off as the host excitedly said: “That’s an idea, wouldn’t that be a great idea.”
Said Chastanet: “We can bring out all the facts and that way we don’t have to go back and forth, we can bring out all the facts, I will be happy to do that.”
Asked again whether he would be a guest on the show along with Allen Chastanet, Pierre said: “I want to have the right to reply like he has. He has been on there four times.”
The host then decided to bump his guest for Thursday to accommodate the Opposition MP.
“When he had the show all to himself on Thursday morning a caller suggested that Mr Pierre had chickened out on the invitation by Mr Chastanet to debate issues.
Asked directly whether he would debate with Mr Chastanet, Pierre said: “I am a member of an institution, of a party. I said I would discuss it with my party. You see, these things have repercussions. When you take these decisions, you have to seek guidance and advice. I will respond at the appropriate time as to when and if I will engage the minister of tourism in any debate. There are structures for that . . . I will not be foolhardy to just go in and say or do anything.”
Pierre went on to suggest that Chastanet might have the upper hand in a debate because of his ministerial status.
“He has tons and tons of information,” said Pierre.
The caller then asked the former minister if he did not have access to information as a Member of Parliament.
“No sir, the information that I have is the Social and Economic Review, the prime minister’s budget address, the estimates of expenditure . . . that is the only information I have at my disposal. I have no Cabinet papers or private studies at my disposal. In fact one of the ways you get financial statements is from the reports that are laid in parliament . . . There has been no report of the St Lucia Tourist Board for the last few years and it is from there are will learn what are the exact expenses on tourism.”
Pierre says he has queried the fact that reports have not been forthcoming.
“If I got those reports I could speak in definite terms,” he went on. “The answer is I cannot go willy-nilly on any debate with any minister. I need to know the parameters. But I have not chickened out.”
The host, who admitted that the MP was right, still suggested the two politicians, especially this being an election year, should come together on the show.
Despite Tourist Board reports not being laid in parliament however it still seems Mr Pierre is getting information from somewhere. In his exchange with Mr Chastanet in Monday’s program the two got into an argument about transparency. This was the exchange between the two and the chairman of The Agenda:
Chairman: Did you enjoy Jazz? Did you not go anywhere?
Pierre: No, I was in my constituency.
Chastanet: Yeah, you were stuck behind a wall.
Pierre: I am glad you said so. I am glad your pettiness has come to the fore.
Chastanet: My pettiness? Your transparency and your forthrightness . . .
Pierre: If you want we could speak about transparency you know, we can speak about wastage whenever you are ready. Don’t believe you can throw stones at me and I won’t respond. Let’s speak about wastage . . .
Chastanet: But you spoke about wastage, you said to the public of St Lucia than I spent 40 million dollars to only get 10,000 more arrivals but yet you did not bring up the economic impact of those additional people were . . .
Pierre: What about your telephone bill?
Chastanet: What about my telephone bill?
Pierre: Tell me about it.
Chastanet: No you tell me. You seem to have the information you tell me.
Pierre: Mr Chairman, I just want my right to respond.
Chastanet: Just make sure that when you come up with those kind of things that also bring out to the people of St Lucia the companies to which you were the accountant for.
Pierre: I have not been an accountant for years. That is not true.
Chastanet: That’s not what the documentation says.
Pierre: You can find no documentation that says I am an accountant. As usual you are not speaking the truth.
With that Pierre agreed to his own show minus Chastanet which took place on Thursday.

   Just when we all thought the St Lucia Jazz Festival couldn’t get bigger . . . it did. And even though some were skeptical and not exactly impressed with the line-up, Jazz 2011 pulled a massive crowd to the venue at the Pigeon Island National Landmark over the weekend, particularly Sunday’s event with headliner John Legend.
In the midst of his act Legend made it known that he enjoyed performing at the festival, asking that organizers continue inviting him over to the music festival in the tropical island of St Lucia to perform.
Jazz events happened all over the island throughout the last week, but the much-anticipated main stage events started unfolding at Pigeon Island on Friday with a show featuring Morgan Heritage among other performers. The Jamaican group has performed in St Lucia before but that didn’t change the appeal to any of their fans. Before they came on, however, St Lucian Mervyn Wilkinson, “The man with the golden voice” heated things up, performing original and cover songs including Bobby Caldwell’s “What You Won’t Do For Love,” Micheal Jackson’s “Human Nature” and a couple Caribbean hits like “Sheri-Anne” and more. Wilkinson conjured a Reggae vibe, but mixed it up playing the harmonica, creating a bluesy feel that kept the audience jamming into the next performance by four time grammy nominated Angelique Kidjo.

John Legend’s music has a way of taking fans along on an emotional journey.

The West African performer captivated the audience whether they could understand her lyrics or not, and her energetic performance and extensive vocal range were exceptional. Angelique invited audience members onstage in parts of her performance to dance along with her, but needless to say, they all had a hard time keeping up with her African rhythms! Angelique wasn’t all about the music though, she made sure to deliver her message about her homeland and about people in general.
“Africa is the cradle of humanity,” she said, questioning the way it seemed in recent times that certain things that were good for rich countries, were not good for the poor.

Then she spoke about the youth of Africa saying: “Wherever you go you’re not welcome, but they don’t let you live decent in your own country.”She instructed everyone to make love a priority and put aside their differences. In the middle of her song “Chez Maman” Kidjo got offstage and danced into the crowd saying, “I want some love, give me some love.” In English her final song translated somewhere along the lines of “Don’t forget to celebrate life, every minute life is beautiful.”
Carimi had the crowd hyped up and the performers from Haiti were the act the large number of French visitors had come to see. Hits like “Ayiti Bang, Bang,” and “Bo Kote’” kept the audience moving resulting in a crowd pleasing act. After that the show’s attention shifted to side stage entertainment that would keep everyone going until headliners Morgan Heritage came on.

Caught up in the feel good sensation of music!

Hits like “Don’t Haffi Dread,” “Tell Me How Come” and Down By The River” had everyone in a Reggae mood. The audience showed the performers much love and Morgan Heritage returned the same love with an extensive performance fans just couldn’t get enough of.
Saturday’s show saw St Lucian Taj Weekes taking the mainstage first, followed by saxophonist Maceo Parker’s funk. Parker saluted the genius of Ray Charles and James Brown he expertly rendered some hits by the latter artiste. Even while Maceo Parker and Yellowjackets who performed next were onstage, the crowd rudely started up a “We want Trey” chant. Before Trey Songz would come on however, the Derek Yard Project entertained on the sidestage.
Prior to the show Songz when asked in a press conference how he got ready for the show expressed: “Different shows call for different preparations. It’s all in the mind of yourself. The situation varies no matter what stage you’re on.”
It’s anyone’s guess whether he was ready for the amount of love he got from young St Lucian women. It took the show’s host and security nearly half an hour to get the girls settled enough so the show could begin. Everyone wanted to get as close as possible to the front, resulting in the people up front getting squashed to the extent that the host had to announce numerous times that people were getting injured, and that everyone needed to step back. No one would bulge until finally police and security guards stepped in, roughly pushing through the crowd in an effort to get them to back off. Needless to say, tempers of the over excited girls flared, and the mêlée went on until Trey’s band members started making their way onstage signaling that Trey was near, and everyone forgot why they were mad in the first place.
Trey gave the audience everything they wanted, from “I Need a Girl” and “I Invented Sex,” to Say Ahh” and “Neighbours Know My Name.” The artiste added a bit of 50 Cent’s “Go Shorty” to get the girls going, and had them singing along to a “Say Ahh” remix.
In the midst of his performance, things slowed down a bit and Trey stepped to the stage front and took off his shades slowly and seductively and the screams were deafening. His blue stripped button-down came off and next thing you know Songz was half naked on stage sending his fans into pure euphoria! Girls raised Trey Songz posters made just for the show, CDs and other assorted stuff in the air, in an attempt to get the artiste’s attention—and that they did. Trey singled out a whole lot of girls in the crowd sending them crazy when he pointed directly to them saying, “I see you baby.”
After leaving his DJ to hype up the crowd, Trey went offstage, then came back with hits like “Bottoms Up” and “Already Taken.” After the show Trey was spotted at Sandals Grande’s Rapture celebrity after party.
This year’s show gets mixed reviews depending on who you ask—and depending on whether that person came for the music, or like the majority of people, just for the lime at the event that has become one of the Caribbean’s “must attend” parties.

   Twenty years of Saint Lucia Jazz, was definitely a cause for celebration especially in light of the fact that the event has outlived and outpaced many similar festivals across the Caribbean region. The fact too, that Saint Lucia Jazz from its inception until now, has collectively offered patrons a taste of some of the best musicians in the world, is something to rejoice. Never mind the debate each year about the quality of the line-up, the festival over the years has delivered on a number of great international performers, including some we were fortunate to experience before they passed away. These include Phyllis Hyman Grover Washington Jr, Tito Puente, Gerald Levert, Lou Rawls and Luther Vandross. Among the musical luminaries who have played Saint Lucia Jazz are Herbie Hancock, Santana, Earth Wind and Fire, Wynton, Elis and Branford Marsalis, Patti Labelle, Chaka Khan, Al Green, Al Jarreau, Ashford and Simpson, Foreplay, Nancy Wilson, Spyro Gyra and George Duke, to name but a few. It must also be noted, that Saint Lucia Jazz has been able to attract a number of celebrities here for the event including basketball legend Kareem Abdul Jabar, tennis superstar Serena Williams and actors Morgan Freeman, Alphonso Ribiero and Leon. And it has also brought in millions of dollars in foreign exchange to the island.
So with so many accolades to its name and given the fact that George Wein, producer of 30 festivals worldwide, ranked St Lucia Jazz among the top three festivals in the world, where was the “umph” behind Saint Lucia Jazz 2011? Was Tomas still to be blamed? Are rising fuel prices or the downturn in the economy and the invisible four percent growth the real dampeners? Or has the event simply come down with a bad case of the common cold and the organizers suffering from fatigue?
The Director of the SLTB, organizers of the festival, says it is time for all views to contend and for a review of the festival to take place. Part of the review and discussion Louis Lewis says has to be whether spending EC$6 million (the budget for the 2011 Jazz Festival) is justified in using the event as a marketing tool, or whether that money can be spent in other creative ways to market the small and medium size properties here. The SLTB Director spoke to the STAR Monday, a day after the curtains came down on Saint Lucia Jazz 2011.
“I think we were quite successful in hosting the 2011 Saint Lucia Jazz Festival. But I think after the 20th year this is definitely a time for review and reflection. I think going into the future we have to take a very different approach to what the Saint Lucia Jazz Festival is to Saint Lucia, what it means to Saint Lucia and when we look at the cost I think we have to ask ourselves is that the best use of those resources,” Lewis said. He went on to point out that the SLTB is essentially a marketing and promotion department and the time
had come to consider the
possibility of having the event handled by an events company while the SLTB continues to focus on marketing and looking at new and innovative ways of bringing people to Saint Lucia.
The dwindling numbers in regional arrivals this year also concerns the director.
“If you notice that the Jazz Festival seems to have been the target for a number of regional countries so Tobago Jazz is positioned close to ours, Barbados is now staging events around this time and targeting acts due to perform at Saint Lucia Jazz. In both cases the impact is keeping visitors at home. I think the festival has achieved one of its first objectives which is addressing the issue of seasonality. Going forward I think we need to become innovative and look at what can be the best use of resources although I will be quick to add that the Jazz Festival has been a very important marketing tool and has served us well,” Lewis continued to explain.
Asked about this year’s gate receipts the director said a final tally had not been done. “We have a preliminary overall count and we have been able to account for EC$1.4 million and that is very close to what we had done last year, but there are some changes we realized about the Saturday and Sunday events. Sunday had just a little more than last year’s Sunday finale and this Saturday was less than last year’s, so it is a reconciliation that is still taking place.”
Over the past five years, there appears to have been a change in the approach to the line-up, with what would seem to be a dwindling in the number of quality performers which would attract followers from the North American and European markets. That having been said a return of a stage, after moving from the cultural centre, for straight ahead Jazz only, has been a plus. Gaiety on Rodney Bay hosted full houses on Wednesday May 5 and Thursday May 6, with acts like Regina Carter, Ledisi, Alison Marquis, Augustin Jab Duplesis and Sixsun really bringing the house down.
The overall line-up this year, raised questions particularly with the headliner John Legend who was here just a few years ago. Interestingly too, whilst the Caribbean, according to the SLTB accounts for more than half of visitors for Saint Lucia Jazz, there was little buzz in the region about the event. Added to that, two of the performers for Saint Lucia Jazz were appearing on other stages in the Caribbean, pretty close to Jazz time. Trey Songz appeared in Trinidad a week ahead of Saint Lucia Jazz and will be in Tortola at the end of May, while John Legend performed in Barbados this week, just two days after performing here.
Asked about putting a clause in the contracts of these performers for exclusivity, Lewis said it is something that could be done, but it would raise the performance fees, but that was an issue which had to be addressed.
The director also shared the concern about the line-up with this reporter after we pointed out that a high percentage of the Saturday show, maybe more than fifty percent, comprised young Saint Lucians and not the visitors the SLTB were trying to attract. While the R&B singer’s performance was lapped up by his fans, it was below par of the festival standards and not as musical as Legend who closed the event on a high on Sunday May 8.
Morgan Heritage also stole the spotlight on Friday May 6 at a World beat music night which also featured Angelique Kidjo and Carimi. The Reggae family had come together taking a break from their solo projects, to perform exclusively at Saint Lucia Jazz and were magnificent having the most staying power the festival has realized for a closing act, maybe not since Santana.
Aside from that a number of the fringe activities, which gave the Jazz Festival soul and character, fell by the wayside this year, due to rain or sameness. However, there is hope in Labowi Promotions who staged a meaningful Jazz in the south and Jazz on the beach with freshness to it and Jazz on the Pier which merged Jazz and carnival into a wonderful Friday event. Jazz on the square, the mother of the fringe, fell flat this year.
The time is now for a critical review of the festival, with the hope that all views will contend. Reviews have been promised before, but in the past have centered on the same players, clearly sapped of any new ideas. Once it is clearly understood that this festival belongs to Saint Lucia through its taxpayers and not to selfish personalities and the purpose of the way forward is outlined with the involvement of all stakeholders, there may still be hope for this event. Anything less would be detrimental.

   A barrage of complaints of harassment of guests on the beach front of Sandals Grande St Lucian Spa and Beach Resort on the Pigeon Island causeway is forcing management to explore ways of tightening security at the beach.

Officials at the resort said that while they have quietly sought to manage the problem for an extended period, in recent times there have been increasing threats by guests not to return to the property, while others have demanded refunds should the perennial problem not be brought under control.

“We cannot not understand why we pay to stay at a five Star resort, which appears to have security and we constantly have to put up with the harassment from guys some of whom sometimes get annoyed when we decline to buy their stuff on the beach,” one couple wrote on Trip Advisor, one of the world’s leading travel advisory websites, dedicated to allowing guests to discuss their experiences at various resorts. Trip advisor is treated as the Gospel when it comes to ordinary customers reviewing their experiences to various destinations and resorts.

Another couple Maria and Adam Spates wrote, “Something needs to be done about all of the guys who are constantly trying to get you to buy their stuff on the beach! It really made everyday annoying on the beach. They also beg the guests to pass them drinks since they are free. It puts the guests in a tough position. Sorry for the complaints, but hopefully our input will help.”

Yet another complaint was focused on Sandals Grande which appears to be the hub of activity for drug peddlers, horse back riders, jet-ski operators, and vendors of all sorts.

“While at the beach a local man came up to us and started making grass birds and fish. Knowing that it was how he made his living we gave him five dollars for two of his items. The next day he came up to us and started doing the same thing to which we told him that we had already purchased two of his items the day before. He continued to make the grass items and having handed them to us wanted money. We told him we did not have any but he kept going on that he made us different ones this time even though we told him to stop. He seemed to us to be very angry that we would not give him any more money,” wrote Andrew Nimmer.

Another guests Celeste Zakkai wrote, “This did not feel like a five start resort at all. I expect that when I am on a five star resort with security and police that I should not be bugged by a local selling things and pressuring us to support them. The guy offering us drugs really pissed me off.”

Then there was this extra-ordinary story from a couple who seemed so upset that they penned their complaint in capitals.

“THE MAIN THING THAT LEFT A VERY FOUL TASTE WITH US IS THAT ON OUR SECOND DAY ON THE RESORT WE WITNESSED ONE OF THE SECURITY GUARDS BEING MOCKED BY ONE OF THE LOCAL TOUR GUIDES WHO SELLS THE HORSE TOURS. THE GUIDE APPROACHED THE SECURITY GUARD AND BEGAN MOCKING HIM FOR BEING A HOMOSEXUAL. HE TAUNTED HIM REPEATEDLY AND USED VERY FOUL LANGUAGE WHICH I WISH NOT TO REPEAT. THEN WHILE TAUNTING HIM HE QUESTIONED THE SECURITY GUARD ABOUT WHETHER HIS PENIS WORKED AND THEN PROCEEDED TO REMOVE HIS OWN PENIS FROM HIS PANTS TO SHOW THE SECURITY GUARD. THE GUIDE DID ALL THIS WHILE MY WIFE WAS SITTING RIGHT THERE IN THE GENERAL AREA. SHE DID NOT IMMEDIATELY TELL ME BECAUSE SHE DID NOT WANT ME TO OVERREACT. WHEN SHE FINALLY TOLD ME I TOLD YOUR SANDALS STAFF.”

Another comment from an apparently uninformed guest Zachary Heide of Newmarket Ontario simply stated that, “the unfortunate fact that the front of the beach is not Sandals owned made for a surprising level of harassment from beach vendors, despite politely declining their services.”

He is described as “uninformed” because little did Mr. Heide know that the Solicitor General of St.Lucia had already ruled that the beach front is in fact the property of Sandals. This has also been borne out in a tribunal hearing on the status of two pillars erected by Sandals on the beach front, and in a legal assessment of the ownership of the property undertaken by the law firm of McNamara and company, on behalf of the Sandals Group of Companies.

What the Canadian was in fact implying in his missive on Trip Adviser was that if Sandals are owners of the beachfront then they ought to be taking measures within the law, to ensure that the harassment of their guests, who pay quite a tidy sum to come to St.Lucia, is minimized.

Manager of Sandals Grande Winston Anderson said that harassment of guests has been a debilitating one for the company over the years, which has now deteriorated despite having beefed up security on the beachfront.

“Rather than ensuring that they are kept away from the beachfront, we have attempted various strategies to work with some of those seeking to ply their trade on the beach, but this has only resulted in increasing complaints from the guests as it is difficult to discern exactly what some of these traders are offering for sale.

“On occasions when we have found it necessary to take action, myself and my security team are constantly issued with threats some of which we ought to be taking seriously, so evidently we have been fighting a losing battle. Therefore at this juncture we think its time to consider taking our efforts to secure the beach and protect our guests, to another level,” Anderson said, adding, “it’s either we do that and remain in business, or give up the beach and our property to those who are mindlessly seeking to undermine the tourism industry which remain the means by which thousands of St.Lucians make a livelihood.”

“So any action we take to secure our premises and ensure the safety of our guests must be seen in that light,” the company official said.

The matter of security the beach and minimizing incidents of harassment particularly at the Grande is currently being discussed at the highest level within the Sandals group, having been considered serious enough to gain the attention of the Chairman of the group Gordon “Butch” Stewart.

So far there is no have been no word as to how the Management of the Hotel will deal with the problem, but there has been talk of securing the beach above the high water mark (the seashore) which has been ruled in law as the point from which Sandals can in fact draw a line of ownership in the sand.