Cake soap company lightens Kartel's claim

Deejay's producers approached Blue Power to use soap-making machinery in video

Alicia Roache roachea@jamaicaobserver.com

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Dr Dhiru Tanna, chairman of Blue Power Group limited, soap manufacturer and building retailer, has rubbished claims that the popular 'blue soap' or 'cake soap' made by his company, has any skin lightening effect, or that the controversy surrounding the product has increased sales.

"Blue soap does not bleach. It has no ingredients in it that damages the skin," Tanna said. "If anybody is saying that it will discolour the skin or take off pigmentation that is absolutely not true," he told the Business Observer.

Tanna also denied claims that as a result of the popularity of the song the price of the soap or the sales of his products have increased.

On the other hand, he told the Business Observer that "one of Vybz Kartel's producers called us to use one of the machines we use to make the soap appear in his video."

He said he agreed to the use of the machine but with the caveat that "they must tell people that the blue soap that we make will have no effect on bleaching the skin". Tanna said he was assured that this would be done. Vybz Kartel has since released a follow up song, 'Cake Soap' for which the video was shot, but in neither of the songs has he explicitly claimed that the soap causes bleaching.

Tanna said his product is a laundry detergent and even though there are varieties, which can be used for personal care, none of the soaps that Blue Power produces has the effect of lightening the skin.

"No, our company would not have the technology. We make laundry and bathing soaps. I don't know how to make anything else," Tanna said, explaining that his company is now focused on extending into the bathing soap market, which he "has not even begun to touch".

Kartel has himself expressed the desire to manufacture his own brand of 'cake soaps', but Tanna said Blue Power, which is the largest manufacturer of laundry detergent in Jamaica, was not approached to make it, and that despite Blue Power's expertise in making soaps, it would not be a business line he would consider going into at this point.

He said he was told by Kartel's camp that the proposed soap would be a medicated soap for acne.

Tanna explained that a medicated soap would most likely be made overseas and imported into Jamaica with a higher cost base than currently obtains for the soaps that Blue Power manufactures.

"If he is importing medicated soap then it would be coming from abroad and with the duty structure it would be in a different market from us," Tanna said. "Making soap is quite a complex business, you need an extensive distribution network and a manufacturing establishment."

Kartel ignited a fire storm of controversy, and multiple musical counteractions, when he claimed in an interview that the reason for his noticeably lighter complexion was as a result of the use of 'cake soap' combined with the effect of air conditioning. The use of 'cake soap' to enhance the complexion was initially referenced in his song 'Straight Jeans and Fitted' in which the most popular line was "cool like mi wash mi face wid the cake soap".

Blue Power Group became the first manufacturing company to be listed on the Junior Stock Exchange in April last year. The soap and hardware conglomerate, founded over a decade ago, currently enjoys a 40 per cent market share in the soap manufacturing and distribution business in Jamaica. With the soap manufacturing operations on Victoria Avenue off Windward Road, the hardware operations is located in Papine and books revenue of over $40 million per month. For the second quarter ended October 31, 2010, Blue Power Limited posted a 77.3 per cent increase in net profit resulting in a gain of $3.7 million over the corresponding second quarter of 2009.

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COMMENTS (16)

1/1/2012

If only there were more clever poeple like you!

Peter Lawrence
1/15/2011

Why all the surprise??? every Jamaican KNOWS that in this post-plantation society there are still social biases in the life of the body politic which can either facilitate or limit advancement . Colour marked the diff. between slaving in the fields fi nutt'n or in the house with a better chance to be mistress to a Plantation official-granted than even those had black women for sex only.J'can Black MEN have ALWAYS put premium on Brownings for status, and Euro-type features. cf Ms Jamaicas??

Ever Dunk
1/13/2011

@ Brian Allen, i know you would wish that more person would begin to listen to you the way they listen to kartel. Kartel is a poor excuse for a blackman, he is misleading and have assumed the role of the pied piper however he is ineffective if persons dont listen to him and consent to his buffoonery. there are a lot of persons who uses free speech to propagand misinformation which only serves to divide and impovrish the poor. @ Brian, you are no different from kartel.

D H
1/12/2011

So is it different when caucasians tan?

Catherine Donaldson
1/12/2011

@ Brian. Why everything we put in politics? These pple who are listening and following vybz kartel is nothing but some low life, low self-esteem persons. How can i be using something for decades and because this idiot come tell me that him use it with AC and him look so mi ago run it dung? That is just some stupidness.

Brian Allen
1/12/2011

The JLP regime, without a doubt, is taking note how so many people can be fooled by one man, in this case that man is Vybz Kartel. Bet you the regime is going to throw Kartel some money to help them get re-elected.

Camille Ann-Alicia
1/12/2011

Hilarious article.
Noted well the "77.3 per cent increase in net profit" for the cake soap company.

Dam Will
1/12/2011

My Mother uses Blue Cake Soap to was for the past 38 years adn her hands are no much lighter than mine... Cartel has changed in under a year and say cake soap and AC :).... LOL what a joke

christopher Isaacs
1/12/2011

It is really a poor reflection on us when such a nonsense claim can be given such prominence. Vybes must be laughing his head off and occasionally touching himself thinking that he probably was in a dream. To think that such an obvious mistake by him could have gotten him headline attention in our business observer must be very surreal indeed. Look how many issues that could have been given attention that could redound to the betterment of the country instead of this bleaching nonsense.

mike willy
1/12/2011

With higher demand, the price may increase.

Trevor Harris
1/12/2011

Slow newsday.

tickyticky fish
1/12/2011

With a"77.3 per cent increase in net profit" I hope Dr. Dhiru Tanna consider giving back to the Jamaican people by lowing the price of his products.

KING DAVID
1/12/2011

This is the Joke of the century! BAD VIBES DRUG CARTEL CLAIM DAT SOAP CAUSE HIM FE LOOK LIKE MICHAEL JACKSON?? woeeeee..and SYLVESTER....him really tek Jamaican fe poppy show and idiot

Joy Reid
1/12/2011

One FOOL makes many. Jamaicans, my people wake up. Nothing is wrong with how we look. We come in many shades and hues. Why cant we accept that. Why are those using bleaching elements not accepting of who you are. This person has serious issues at he needs to sit with someone and talk about. Stop letting him influence your behavior..We are YOUNG, GIFTED, AND BLACK (in various shade). Self LOVE is Key. Emancipate yourself from mental slavery.

Anthony II
1/12/2011

(2) The other sad thing is the commentary that this makes on our society: A leading deejay, who is supposed to be the star of 2010, is so dissatisfied with himself, so lacking in self-esteem, that even with his "fame" and following, he has to resort to trying to change his skin tone. To what end? Does he really think that he is going to be perceived differently? As a "browning"? I wish I could get inside the heads of these people to understand how they think/feel! Listen to these cries for help!

Anthony II
1/12/2011

This is one of those stories that make you hang your head in shame (me, anyway); to think that a country where the vast majority of people are of dark complexion could be having this debate is "depressing." How do you build the self-esteem of people who would go to lengths to change their skin tone? How do you let them realize the folly of their ways? Do they think that bleaching leads to anything other than ridicule and contempt? I have seen some of these victims of bleaching, and I wonder WHY?

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Cake soap company lightens Kartel's claim