Like we said...

We told you we could go on and on cos the full has never been told ... looka look what was in the Barbados Nation today ...

Mya fails to show

by Kishmar Shepherd

IT WAS ADVERTISED as a "star-studded" event last Saturday night, hosted by international R&B singer Mya with several National Basketball Association (NBA) stars present.

It started on schedule but neither Mya nor the ballers showed up, much to the disappointment
of those who turned out at Club NXS in St Lawrence Gap, Christ Church.

Mya was also scheduled to conduct a motivational presentation for young Barbadian women at the Barbados Community College, also on Saturday. However, she did not show up there either.

Corporate communications consultant for the Barbados Tourism Authority (BTA) Chay Davis confirmed that the BTA did sponsor Mya's airfare and accommodation in Barbados, but was in no way involved with the celebrity party.

Davis added that the BTA sourced airline tickets and accommodation for a group of former NBA basketball players including Rafer Alson of the Houston Rockets, Kenny Anderson, former NBA player and coach of the CBA Atlanta Krunk, and Wali Jones, former player for the Miami Heat basketball team, as part
of generating awareness and diversifying the menu of activities for its sports tourism camp programme for 2009.

Davis said he contacted Craig Skilling of Skill Entertainment Group (SEG), a Florida-based entertainment company which had approached the BTA about bringing in Mya.

He added that Skill Entertainment Group were the organisers of the events and when he contacted him by telephone, Skilling apologised for Mya's
non-appearance.

Skilling said the no-show was caused by a flight delay, which resulted in the cancellation of the proceedings. However, he explained that an alternative arrangement was made by SEG to have the young women meet Mya in her hotel lobby.

Responding to the no-show at the nightclub, Skilling stressed there was no obligation for Mya to attend the nightclub party.

"It would have been appreciated by the locals and myself if Mya had attended to simply celebrate with the group, but that was not the case and she was never obligated to attend,"
he said.

However, Antony Nadur, a director of Club NXS, said he was contacted by Skilling and asked to be the location of the Celebrity Party but he did not know why Mya did not show up.

Look ... real talk now that everything is out in the open? Some little birdies told us that when the Mya thing was being shopped around, no club or promoter was willing to pay the fee being asked ... what with her having little to no career and what have you. The BTA was clearly willing to pay for her to get here (ye, we're puzzled too) but as far as appearances go, she was basically being given a bligh. Pong would have stirred more interest.

Other folks involved in the celebrity weekend made some rounds. The baller (singular) held a session at the Community college and some press came out of that. Casely decided that it benefited his career to take advantage of the appearance opportunity offered and performed - and was great from all accounts.

But apparently Mya was above that. Folks have been chit-chatting about 'why should she appear if she was not paid' as if up and coming artistes or those looking to restart their careers don't do that all the time. Still, the BTA did pay for her to come here and I don't think they paid for her to come hang out at the hotel and on the beach.

So the question should be, why should the BTA have paid for her trip to Barbados when all she did was hang out at the hotel and on the beach? And did nothing to publicise or promote Barbados?