Local dancehall artiste Rebecca “Tempa” Alexander and officials of the Buccoo Village Council have apologised for the singer’s expletive-laden performance at the 95th Annual Buccoo Goat and Crab Festival over the weekend.
Some of the lyrics in Tempa’s song are explicit and while she did not sing those parts, the audience including children did. There was widespread outrage and condemnation of the performance after video footage posted on social media shows the “Beggin” singer encouraging children to sing along.
In an apology posted on her Instagram page, Tempa admitted that her music is geared toward adults. She also acknowledged her responsibility in the matter and said she’s young and will learn.
“I will put more effort in rebuilding my style and performance when I encounter an unexpected audience,” she wrote.
In a press release, the Buccoo Village Council said it cautioned entertainers about the use of obscene language during their performances and advertised who the entertainment would have been, and brought on the main act later in the night.
“Parents with younger children exited the event by 9.30 pm,” the release stated.
The Village Council said data indicated that youth participation and engagement in the event were on a sharp decline and theyl gave their youth committee the opportunity to contribute to the planning of this event withd suggestions for making it more inclusive. This resulted in an incident-free event with the largest attendance in over a decade.
Entertainer Trinidad Killa (Kern Joseph) said an artiste should know and read the audience.
“You have to know where you is (sic) and what to perform at certain venues. I will use obscene language in an enclosed area like a club,” he said.
Trinidad Killa said there were times when he did not sing certain songs because of the audience and their lyrics. He noted that Tempa is young and will learn.
