DBS LIFTS BAN ON OPHELIA AND GORDON HENDERSON

During the long Pentecost weekend Dominicans were treated with some of Ophelia’s music and indeed long episodes of Gordon Henderson with his legendary band Exile One. To date there has been no announcement but the return of the music to the airwaves has been noticed by listeners far and wide.

The two Dominican artistes were banned by the national radio station for the last two years as a result of a feud emerging from the unauthorized manufacture, advertisement and sale of their recordings and musical works. According to Henderson, “all attempts to assist DBS in resolving the issue were faced with arrogance and disrespect so we had no choice but to take the matter before the courts”. 

DBS radio then felt that they could prove their might by banning the artistes. The manager of the station was quoted then as saying that the radio had the power to make and break politicians and artistes.

Henderson said via telephone after his recent performance at the Creole Blues Festival of Guadeloupe that he was told that he would be officially informed about the lifting of the ban but has so far not received any official correspondence. “The banning involved the exclusion of all of my music from the airwaves, but I was also denied the right to voice my opinion even on matters where my name and reputation was involved. Obviously, the broadcast of the music has returned but I am still awaiting word regarding my fundamental right of expression on the national radio station.” 

When asked about rumours of huge settlements linked to the lifting of the ban, Henderson said that though the station could have been brought before the courts for breach of constitutional rights, this was not done and no claims were made. On the other hand, the matter of the DBS piracy a quite different matter, is still pending and he is hoping that the lifting of the ban may be a signal that the station or the government has come to the realisation that it has been involved in a seriously illegal act and should therefore do the intelligent thing by avoiding to ridicule the country before a court of law. 

Henderson added, “The station has somewhat succeeded in using the airwaves aided and abetted b a few opportunists who have since been handsomely rewarded to portray me as the greedy villain who wants thousands of dollars from poor DBS for the use of a few ‘old songs’. The truth is I am the victim of piracy, they have not accounted for the thousand of CDs that were sold all over Dominica and the Diaspora.” 

“My only hope is that this saga serves as a milestone in Dominica’s democracy as the end of indiscriminate censorship, embargo and abuse of authority. Of course, I also hope that people employed on national radio will at least know that Intellectual Property is real private property.”