Artistes and their expensive ‘mantourage’

Monday, March 08, 2010

THANKS to comedienne Elva for introducing the word 'mantourage' to the dancehall lexicon. What a wonderful word to describe an entire 'district of men' who walk aimlessly

behind homophobic artistes swearing loyalty and devotion and who have to be clothed and fed.

It's a regular thing to see artistes roll into a stage-show with a bus load of people and when we say a bus load, we mean a bus load. Just watching them bail out is an experience in itself. It's just people on top of people -- in some cases it looks like at least four persons share a seat made for two. And this is the norm for deejays like Vybz Kartel and the Alliance.

At the recent Follow Di Arrow stage show in St Mary, the horse and pony show with the 'mantourages' -- fortunately there were a few women to balance off things a bit -- was something else. As soon as Alliance/Gully artistes worked and made their exit with their district in tow, in came the Gaza mantourage with what looked like a never-ending stream of people.

The backstage area could hardly breathe.

While enterting the venue, we observed young act, Deejay Face -- remember her from Digicel Rising Stars? She arrived with her mantourage in tow, a whole coaster bus 'full a people' all duly accredited.

At events like these, the mantourage's presence is clearly the promoter's expense, as they usually have special armbands that sometimes give them even more access than working press. Repeatedly, artistes and promoters are at loggerheads because the artistes make what promoters consider unreasonable de-mands for up to 50 backstage passes. And, what is even more distressing is when all 50 persons think it's their right to follow the artiste on stage. We have witnessed some royal battles between mantourages and stage managers.

That aside, however, there is one fascinating thing about mantourages -- they have to be maintained. How on earth do these artistes manage to feed so many hungry mouths? Day in day out? There are stories of artistes who, on their way from stage shows with their mantourage spend up to $35,000 just buying food at the popular food stops.

Our survey has shown however, that 'Dada' gets it right.

"Every day Dada mek them put on one big pot and full it up with dumplin, yam, banana and is that them eat with some veggie stew. And him buy things in bulk -- like the 100 lb bag of rice, flour sugar," one source close to Judgement Yard explained.

And then, there is their obligations when they go to "foreign" to buy clothes for the mantourage and their families and to give them hard cash as well. And we won't even mention the unmentionable.

Considering all these expenses, perhaps the artistes could make a case for themselves when the tax collectors come a-calling. The money they spend supporting these men and their familes should qualify artistes for some kind of tax break.

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COMMENTS (6)

Blake Blake
3/9/2010

HELLO! HELLO!..........PEOPLE IS NOT ELVA INVENT ANY WORD!...............dont u people watch cable!.................jamaica people love credit eeeeh

3/8/2010

I guess it beats those 50 mantourage doing something violent for money hopefully these artist learned from mc hammer if not its on them

3/8/2010

I guess it beats those 50 mantourage doing something violent for money hopefully these artist learned from mc hammer if not its on them

real southy
3/8/2010

i was backstage at a show in Hartford,Ct last summer and Bounty and Mavado was there . my 5yr old said he wanred to see him and we walked over it was impossible he was totally surrounded by men. when Mavado move to the stage his crowd moved with him . my 16yr old said he counted 21 men and 2 women.. TWO WOMEN. they all went onstage.these are the same people who are saying they dont say MANdeville or MONtego bay and they dont say 2 they say twice yet they are completely surround by men. by they way they have to pay these guys when they come to the states because they are scared.

D Ranks
3/8/2010

What do these artises do when their popularity wanes? Do they have anything to fall back on, or do they become part of someone else's mantourage?
As for the promoters they must operate at a lost, or maybe they are charging extras on each ticket sold to cover for the artiste and his mantourage.

None of this make any sense, economically, for the artiste or the promoters. All they have become are welfare providers to men who follow them around to be their cheering section.
It could be, though that the artise, by having a cheering section following him around ensures that he is seen. It gurantees his sellability, even if he knows he singing nonsense.

Francois Laurent
3/8/2010

I attended both Follow Di Arrow and Sting, and did notice the same thing as all the artiste rolled in with their crews. The only DJs that i ever notice travel alone are the Twin of Twins, its usually just the 2 of them, and I always respected that. I guess it only makes sense that Ja most "intelligent" artistes have no desire on spending their hard earned cash on "guinness" for the crew. Quite So.

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Artistes and their expensive ‘mantourage’