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MetroVanIndependent.com
September 2015
News
Solenn's performance during the 2015 Pinoy Fiesta Vancouver. Screenshot taken from Facebook.
Pinoy Fiesta Vancouver
Is this what it has come to?
By the MetroVan Independent News Team
Pinoy Fiesta started out as the most
inspiring Filipino event that brought the
Filipino Community together in 2010.
Every group was involved, a huge parade
down Fraser street ending up at a large
field with food and entertainment. It was
truly amazing. Then slowly the event
deteriorated to what it was this year.
Pinoy Fiesta Vancouver 2015 could
be the start to the end of this festival.
The public parade changed at the last
minute from the street to the oval field
going around in circles with more people
in the parade than onlookers. One booth
sponsor commented, “the attendance was
down 90% from what it was last year.” One
performer stated, “I felt like I was singing
to the grass”.
There were complaints that the
organize r, Jojo Q uimpo, took the
“Solenn’s outfit was not
appropriate. Her performance
was unbecoming, an insult to the
Filipino culture and it doesn’t
reflect the values of a Filipino
cultural event... Also, people
are mad that the Pinoy Fiesta
became a Jojo Quimpo political
campaign."
- Bootz Estella
opportunity to make this event a political
gathering for his upcoming bid to be
elected as a Conservative Member of
Parliament (MP) in Ottawa.
The talk of the town, however, was the
shocking performance by the 2015 Pinoy
Jojo Quimpo along with Conservative party members. Photo by Diones Lago.
Fiesta headliner, GMA’S Solenn Heussaff.
Heussaff showed up in a nearly naked
outfit and ended up doing the Miley Cyrus
“Twerk” in front of a partial family audience.
Parents complained to MLA’S about what
their kids witnessed.
Bootz Estella (a Migrante volunteer
and a member of a Catholic choir) stated:
“Solenn’s outfit was not appropriate. Her
performance was unbecoming, an insult
to the Filipino culture and it doesn’t reflect
the values of a Filipino cultural event. There
were minors watching. Also, people are
mad that the Pinoy Fiesta became a Jojo
Quimpo political campaign.”
Aida Canonigo stated, “some of my
youth messaged me about that pic on
FB... so I looked at it & I was shocked...
parents friends on fb... they feel disgusted
with that pics... all they said was that kind
of performance is for the bar ...it’s a bar or
nightclub show.”
RJ Aquino stated, “It turns out that
most of my peers didn't even consider
going to this year's fiesta as they don't
see any incentive to do so. Those who did
go didn't stay long enough to see Solenn
take the stage. And since I didn't go either,
I don't have much to contribute in terms of
first-hand accounts.
However, having seen the pictures
from the event and hearing feedback from
others that were in attendance that did see
Solenn's performance that there was a lack
of leadership in every facet of this event.
The suggestive outfit and dancing
was out of place and reflects a tone deaf
approach to organizing this event. The
main organizers shirked their responsibility
to the community by not being aware of
how the community would react to such a
display in an event that was marketed to be
family-friendly and culturally significant (of
which neither were accomplished that day).
After putting on the outfit and getting
up on stage, there were no indications that
the organizers felt that the performance
was inappropriate for the audience and
supposed spirit of the fiesta. Mindful
leadership would have immediately
intervened and minimized the impact of
the performance while acknowledging their
oversight.
In the aftermath, the organizers have
been strangely quiet indicating no remorse
or that there were no lessons to learn from
this debacle. It reeks of "if we don't talk
about it, people won't know about it and
those who do will forget about it".
It's a failure of leadership in all aspects.
The promise of a culturally significant,
family friendly event was broken. No
acknowledgement of any misjudgment
has been made let alone any type of
apology or meaningful call to action to
mend community trust. Due to a lack of
timeliness to any meaningful follow up,
the integrity of any actions that attempt to
rectify this failure of leadership will be and
should be in question.”
"It reeks of "if we don't talk
about it, people won't know
about it and those who do will
forget about it". It's a failure
of leadership in all aspects.
The promise of a culturally
significant, family friendly event
was broken."
- RJ Aquino