by TRACY MOORE LONG-TIME COMEDIAN of MADD Entertainment, Kevin KB Kleen Hinds made a public and national apology yesterday, after receiving harsh criticism for his behaviour as co-emcee at the tribute for Robyn Rihanna Fenty on Thursday in Independence Square. It came shortly after numerous callers vented their disappointment and anger on Voice of Barbados (VOB) daily call-in programme, Down To Brass Tacks about his on-stage behaviour at the show. The free show was produced by Government in celebration of her Grammy award success and her 20th birthday which was on Wednesday. In his statement aired during VOB's 5:30 evening news yesterday, Hinds said: "I have the highest regard for the Right Honourable David Thompson, the Prime Minister, and at any point would do nothing to destroy the relationship developed since our school days. "[Thursday] night, just after the PM's arrival, I may have called him 'David' due to the fact that I am so familiar with him as an individual. "However, when it came to formal introduction, I referred to the Prime Minister with clear and proper protocol and regard. "Let me seize this opportunity to apologise to Barbados and anyone I may have offended." Hours before Hinds' apology, one caller said: "I think they could have found a better person to emcee that show [Thursday] night. "I didn't like the way that KB Kleen addressed the Prime Minister. Whether they are bosom-buddies or not, the occasion did not merit [KB Kleen] just calling him 'David'. "He is the Prime Minister of this country and as such I think he should be given the respect that is due to him. "[KB Kleen] should apologise to us in Barbados because the show was not just viewed here [locally] but elsewhere, and he did us an injustice as Barbadians by the way he emceed that show [Thursday] night," she said. The SATURDAY SUN, also received letters criticising Hinds. Denzil Tull wrote that while KB Kleen earned his fame by being "naturally possessed of witty, spontaneous sense of humour", on this occasion his "antics" were like a car out of control. "He inevitably [and] rudely crashed through otherwise observed barriers of good taste, knocking over good manners in the process, and within a night's performance it was soon "all-downhill" from thereon in," he stated. Criticism continued on the web, on a Canadian-based website, islandmix.com, where one writer said that "words cannot express my anger and the disgrace I felt at the concert. I had to leave because I could not take it anymore". Prior commitments However, a source working with the stage management team said the organising committee had asked other known hosts to emcee the show, but they had prior commitments. Efforts to reach Cranston Browne, chairman of the organising committee; Norman Barrow, technical director; committee member Phil Phillips and Hinds were all unsuccessful. The show did have positive points - including the opening act Danse Nationale Afrique, who performed to the Rihanna No.1 hit Umbrella; the gospel stylings of Paula Hinds & amp; Friends, and Biggie Irie's reggae tribute to Grammy award-winning producer Jimmy Haynes - which kept Rihanna's attention to the end. The performers were all backed by the very talented band led by producer and guitarist Nicholas Brancker. (TM) Please also see Pages 20 & amp; 21.
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