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Mafia Dance Festival
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DR SAMMY
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
16
Posts :
361
Posted : Jul 8, 2010 19:29
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from the FACEBOOK page :
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=187631732059&v=wall
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MDF CANCELATION NOTICE
Dear Friends, It is with great regret and disappointment that we wish to inform you of the cancellation of the Mafia Dance Festival. We hereby wish to present to you the reasons for which, despite all our continuous efforts, this event has been cancelled through no fau...lt of our own and for reasons beyond our control. During the initial stages of liaising with the responsible authorities of Tanzania with respect to organizing the Mafia Dance Festival, the concept and the realization of the event was received with great enthusiasm and was perceived as an excellent means to improve and develop the greater area, and financially strengthen the local community. The local company RUAZA LTD, which was responsible for the entire organization of the Festival, liaised with the local authorities as our collaborator/facilitator on site. The national and local authorities assured RUAZA LTD of straightforward proceedings, and furthermore guaranteed that all the required actions had been taken in order to obtain all requisite permits for the Festival. All necessary documents were signed and all essential actions had been taken to ensure the proper licensing of the Festival. However, to our grave disappointment, certain ill-willed groups sought to undermine and accuse the invited artists, the organizing committee and even the attendees of the Festival, aiming at presenting to the authorities a false and completely misleading image of the Festival as a decadent and corrupted event. We are well aware of the identity of the above mentioned groups and the motivation behind their actions therefore, we assure you that we will proceed to take all necessary legal measures against them, should they decide not to compensate us for this unjustified cancellation. Unfortunately, as a result of the ill-intended efforts of the aforementioned groups, extreme racism and xenophobia have been created, and the relevant authorities of Tanzania and particularly the National Art Council (Basata) decided to revoke our local license that had been issued for the Mafia Dance Festival. Following Basata˘s decision, the Festival was therefore cancelled due to force majeure and despite all our continuous efforts to the contrary. Basata˘s unreasonable and unjust decision, which we publicly denounce has no legal or justifiable basis whatsoever. At this point, it is important to note that Basata˘s unfair and inappropriate decision to cancel the Festival was communicated to us only a few days prior to the commencement of the Festival, a fact that confirms its objectionable behavior and establishes the total lack of respect towards the organizing committee, the artists but most importantly and foremost towards all of you, disrespecting each and everyone of you having made a personal and financial commitment to attend the Festival and visit Tanzania˘s beautiful nature and civilization. We stand before you obliged and with a strong feeling of responsibility towards you, as we can only be thankful for the loyalty you have demonstrated towards our company, the trust you have shown in our projects, and the support of our vision during all these years. Sticking to our principles in honoring our relationship, you can rest assured that we are working towards achieving a fast and satisfactory resolution of this unfortunate situation. With respect to refunds of prepaid festival tickets a relevant statement will be announced very soon. Prepaid festival tickets of the 3rd Period are refunded as we speak from the relevant Ambassadors (only face value of the ticket, booking fees will be retained from the Ambassadors). We are in talks with other festivals that we feel you will be interested in, as Mafia Dance festival goers, about the possibility of swapping your ticket for another festival at a discounted rate or for free. We will be in touch for this as soon as possible. Customers who have liaised with the Pangea International Tours agent will receive refund as soon as possible, following an official announcement in the next few days and with communication with them (only face value of the services, booking fees will be retained as an admin fee by Pangea) Customers renting Safari Tents on Mafia Island will be refunded at once. Customers renting rooms at Butiama Lodge on Mafia Island can keep their booking and visit the lodge if they decide to (please contact Pangea International Tours to confirm your status). The organizing committee is currently investigating the best way to refund the festival ticket holders. Based on the terms and conditions of the tickets, the Ambassadors are not liable and hold no responsibility with respect to refunds or any further transactions. For further information and ticket terms and conditions, please follow the link: http://www.mafiadancefestival.com/index.php/the-festival/tickets/terms-and-conditions We are deeply sorry for the unforeseen circumstances which, beyond our control, and through no fault of our company, forced the festival to be cancelled and we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused to you. We will be in touch for everything as soon as possible. Please bear with us as things cannot happen overnight.
  * Dr.sam25@hotmail.com
* http://soundcloud.com/dr-sammy
* http://www.myspace.com/drsammy25
* http://www.youtube.com/user/DRSAMMMY25
* http://www.reverbnation.com/drsammy |
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Beat Agency
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
53
Posts :
1752
Posted : Jul 8, 2010 20:57
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@ Tizzy
Are you joking? Every stone should be lifted so people finally will realize the scam they have been victimized with!
www.beatagency.dk |
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dave arc-i
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
10
Posts :
179
Posted : Jul 8, 2010 21:13
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Quote:
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On 2010-07-08 15:00, Tizzy wrote:
posting things that were written 3 months ago. It doesnt help the situation
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Tizzy if the things they were saying three months ago have come to reality now then dont you think there is some relevance?
I am also wondering if the groups you refer to causing trouble are Muslim and have an interest in seeing the festival of Ramadan conducted properly as it falls in August? The point has been made that 99% of the population are Muslim or in the haste to ensure we work with the community in a responsible way are we just overlooking those facts?
www.makedavefamous.com |
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Tizzy
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
22
Posts :
533
Posted : Jul 8, 2010 22:08
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I have a pretty reliable source telling me that much of the opposition was put up by the hoteliers, such as the author of that article. So perhaps I'm biased against that article. I doubt the supposed good-intentions of that article since it seems there were maybe ulterior motives.
I do not think it is a scam. I'll change my mind if they dont refund at least 85% of the ticket price.
(Any organiser worth his salt would take out an insurance policy on ticketing [as all large-scale organisers do].. thus, they should be mostly covered.)
Furthermore, MDF states that the groups opposing the festival - I quote -
"sought to undermine and accuse the invited artists, the organizing committee and even the attendees of the Festival, aiming at presenting to the authorities a false and completely misleading image of the Festival as a decadent and corrupted event."
That to me sounds out of the hands of the organisers..i.e. less to do with Ramadan and more to do with racism, xenophobia.
Anyway, we are all just speculating at the end of the day, innit  nothing can be said for certain unless we have both sides of a story.
Im just hesitant in attacking an organiser unless i have all the facts. I take my hat off to organisers, they were trying to pull off something huge.. for us, the psy community.
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Beat Agency
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
53
Posts :
1752
Posted : Jul 8, 2010 22:14
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Good luck getting your money back Tizzy. Knowing about this particular Organizer for quite some time tell me your wish wont be heard.
www.beatagency.dk |
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dave arc-i
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
10
Posts :
179
Posted : Jul 8, 2010 22:47
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Tizzy whilst I appreciate your motives I wonder if you have done any rough maths on this?
The organisers admit to selling 1500 tickets. Thats lets say at a conservative speculation of at least 500 euros/dollars/pounds for each traveller to get there and back (and I would hazard a further speculation in many cases it would be substantially more than that) we are talking about 750,000 euros/dollars/pounds and that isnt a small amount of money especially in a community that claims to be as poor as it is being lost to airlines because those people cant claim on their insurances or get a refund for flights booked.
I fortunately have nothing to either gain or lose from this farce.
www.makedavefamous.com |
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ZhArKo
Started Topics :
0
Posts :
18
Posted : Jul 8, 2010 23:03
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The sh*t has hit the fan, big time, me thinks...
I'm not taking sides (yet), but I've seen the forementioned blog many a month ago and it seemed to me that somebody is trying to tar and feather the festival, saying that the orgs haven't gathered the permissions from the authorities and that it's going to "attract scammers and petty thieves and hustlers from all corners" (I guess the person was referring to the festival goers) etc...
At this point, it seems to me that someone pulled some strings so that the festival couldn't be held.
But then again, I've recently heard about the notorious reputation of the orgs so I can't make head or tail of this whole situation... |
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dave arc-i
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
10
Posts :
179
Posted : Jul 9, 2010 02:42
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This group certainly looks like it is more than just one or two hoteliers that were anti the plans. A little bit of detective work can often turn up a lot that is being hidden under stones or by just ignoring suggestions that we ourseleves ignore things,
http://friendsofmafiaisland.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6&Itemid=7
Other than campaigning for better life for Mafia Islander we are currently involved in a campaign against the rave organised under the umbrella of a Music Festival by a group of hedonistic revelers from Europe. This group has been assisted by a local tour agency without any approval from the Islanders or local Government .
Mafia Island's remoteness has created an environment that is special. Please help keep it that way. The Island depends on primary industries and nature based tourism as a major part of the economy. However we believe that this upcoming rave disguised as a dance festival organised by Karibu Sana Tours in Dar es Salaam which prides itself as a eco friendly tour is not in the best interests of Mafia Island.
We welcome tourism in Mafia Island but we only want those who have best intentions with our Island. i.e Eco tourists and Letting this happen would completely undermine community cohesion in Mafia Island as well as the environmental damage of the t the aftermath of this disco rave will leave behind in Mafia Island.
Everyone in Mafia Island agrees that we wont cope with an invasion of more than 3,000 young revelers whose intention is turn Mafia Island into another hedonistic Island. Unfortunately the District Commissioner is out of touch with the local sensitivities and history and the position from the ministry of Home Affairs is it doesnt have resources to guarantee the safety of these revelers from Europe.
www.makedavefamous.com |
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Tizzy
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
22
Posts :
533
Posted : Jul 9, 2010 13:40
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I'm still hesitant to call it a scam/trick at this point. Shocking and dodgy organising, YES! definitely.
I wouldnt mind MDF showing us proof of permission from authorities (as they claim they had). I think it would clarify things for a lot of people (i.e. whether it was a scam or not)
I'm not going to take a bloggers word for it.. because as i said - theres two sides to every story
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babag
Started Topics :
1
Posts :
433
Posted : Jul 9, 2010 13:52
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Quote:
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On 2010-07-09 13:40, Tizzy wrote:
I'm still hesitant to call it a scam/trick at this point. Shocking and dodgy organising, YES! definitely.
I wouldnt mind MDF showing us proof of permission from authorities (as they claim they had). I think it would clarify things for a lot of people (i.e. whether it was a scam or not)
I'm not going to take a bloggers word for it.. because as i said - theres two sides to every story
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you are right - there are always 2 sides to every story,but there are so many questions:
- promoting the festival nearly for a year and then cancellation not even a month before?
- bloggers - i would not consider people which lives since a long time there and knows the whole picture down there just as bloggers
- force majeure? - is this all force majeure?
- where are all the scans of all permissions?
- and so many more questions
but let's wait and give the time needed to the orgs now until they come up with a statement and explanations
- we bring you the taste of india -
www.mahamaya.ch
www.myspace.com/babag1 |
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dave arc-i
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
10
Posts :
179
Posted : Jul 9, 2010 13:53
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I tried to pull up Robin Triskele management over these matters during the night - check the screendump
Mike Akida could take the time to post there and tell me off for raising such 'negative issues' and three hours later I am blocked by Robin who is the Head of PR and Marketing for the event and UK Ambassador. This is despite the festival admin on this page implying that Mike was unable to get online to reply to people asking legitimate questions.
here http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=142073036254&ref=ts
Tizzy I admire your determination to stick it out until you get some more evidence but I am sure you will have to agree that this smells like a very large, very dead, and very smelly rat, especially so when the people in charge wont answer polite questions and block people which is a very childish and irritating thing to be doing and is only likely to get these matters broadcast to a wider audience.
www.makedavefamous.com |
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Beat Agency
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
53
Posts :
1752
Posted : Jul 9, 2010 15:06
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Tizzy
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
22
Posts :
533
Posted : Jul 9, 2010 15:28
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Dave I feel that this certainly wouldn't be the first time a party or festival has been cancelled, despite having permission from authorities, a few weeks (or even days) prior to the event. I've witnessed it plenty of times here in SA. Thus, I have been giving them the benefit of the doubt. I'm sure they stand to lose a lot as well.
I have also been patient with their lack of communication, as I am sure they have been drowning in admin and other more pressing matters (such as peaceful negotiations, perhaps?)
But in light of Mike having time to respond to you, I start to question their PR skills. The people having bought tickets have desperately been in need of info and communication so as to change their plans if need be.. but MDF has been very quiet when it comes to pacifying the public - which is a far higher priority than fighting/blocking you on facebook.
That to me is poor form. There I agree with you.
I hope for their sakes, they are able to redeem themselves through proper public relations, and some proof that they had the necessary measures in place for this festival.
P.S I see you're putting the newly acquired image embedding to good use I like it...
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Beat Agency
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
53
Posts :
1752
Posted : Jul 9, 2010 15:29
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You should start to listen to us who know Mike & Co. Mark my words Tizzy. You wont get a penny back.
www.beatagency.dk |
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Tizzy
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
22
Posts :
533
Posted : Jul 9, 2010 15:42
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Maybe they have learnt their lesson? Maybe they were actually trying to redeem themselves this time round, and things went sour grapes for them?
Yes, once bitten twice shy.. but surely everyone deserves a second chance? Had people not given YOU second chances in life, where would you be today?
IF they dont pull finger from arse and start to give answers/return money.. then I say Grab your torches and pitchforks!!! (and start an international ban from the psy scene for them) 
It's still early days at the moment. it's been a mere three days since shit went south. I dont think anyone with a little savvy would expect to have their ticket refunded within three days.
I say again, however, the lack of communication from their side is appalling.
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- Free Parking
- ChillOut Area
- VJ
- Deco
- Eco Friendly
- Children Zone
- Workshops/Market
- Water Access
- Transportation
- Discounted Presale