Barbados PM says no to Mavado, Vybz Kartel show

Friday, March 26, 2010

FOLLOWING weeks of intense public debate and front page headlines in Barbados, the Mavado, Vybz Kartel unity concert scheduled for this weekend has been officially cancelled.

Prime Minister David Thompson made the announcement at a press conference held yesterday, exactly two days before the event. Thompson is quoted in the Barbados Advocate as saying: "That quest to do the right thing by Barbadians prompted my request for the meeting with the organisers of the proposed show and I am happy to announce that in deference to the expressed wishes and the anxieties of a very wide cross-section of Barbadians, that the organisers of the Mavado/Vybz Kartel show and Youth Forum have agreed to the revamping of initiatives resulting in the cancellation of this weekend's activities."

The prime minister said that persons were mainly concerned with the idea of these artistes being portrayed as role models.

"Don't leave here in any doubt; anything that has to be done to protect our children in this country will be done," he stressed.

Interestingly, Vybz Kartel, the Gaza president and Mavado, the Gully god performed in Barbados on separate occasions in October and November of last year, during what was then the height of Gully/Gaza tensions between them and their respective supporters. No attempt was reportedly made then by the government nor the police to prevent those concerts, which progressed incident-free.

There have been suggestions in some quarters that the cancellation stemmed in part from the fact that the promoter, Jack Farrell, is Vincentian and therefore should not have been the one to promote an event of this magnitude in Barbados.

"Mavado and Kartel sharing the same stage at a concert promoting peace and unity is huge by any standards. That is a sell-off event. And you must remember that there is a big reggae show in April, put on by promoters based here in Barbados," a source explained.

The commissioner of police, Darwin Dottin had stated initially that he did not have the manpower to police the show, and would therefore not grant the required permit.

That, however, was subsequently reversed and Farrell, who was named as joint promoter with the government-affiliated Barbados Youth Action Programme, subsequently resumed his planning for the event.

Farrell reportedly stated yesterday that the artistes had been booked to arrive in the island last night, but it was not clear whether or not they had actually left Jamaica for Barbados.

Farrell had said previously that a cancellation of the show would mean a loss of more than $200,000 for his company.

"I have invested a lot of money in this show, I've paid the artistes deposits, paid for advertising the show and paid for airline tickets and hotel accommodation, among other things," Farrell reportedly said.

He said the show would bring needed revenue into the country and enhance business for a number of interests such as boutiques and food vendors.

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COMMENTS (24)

john public
3/27/2010

Who cares?

carl williams
3/27/2010

The Prime Minister is CORRECT..I am quite sure if those 2 idiot so-called dj's were a positive force things would be dfferent..Here is a man who is more concern about the corruption of his people than making money..Good work Mr. PM, Hope you can rub off the "DRIVER"

KING DAVID
3/26/2010

We have to be more astute and conscious in analyzing the intent how benevolent it may appears a times. i remember growing up in a Jamaica where certain things or people were never accepted by a percentage of the population. HOW ABOUT ..NOTHING BLACK NO GOOD....YOU GWAN TUN RASTA AND WOTLESS...Nothing we did as black people in Jamaica was accepted, reggae music from it's conception was never accepted by the upper class, because it was indigenous and it was associated with Rasters. Therefore, there were always a replacement in the wings..from Elvis,Tom jones, every white imitator of Black Music. we also saw an overdose of calypso or soca music. During the periods of the 60's and 70's many Jamaican artist was never permitted to perform in many of the caribbean Island, it was more so on their appearance than their music. It was discrimination perpetuated on these Artist by their black caribbean Heads. remember Bob Marley and many others was never allowed to performed in many of these Island under similar scenarios. LET ME ASSURE YOU, I DON'T CONDONE FILTH IN ANY ART FORM. These two gentlemen in question for whatever they worth, are just a prodrouct of small section of a misguided society with a mired mind and a propensity for filth, and should be taken to task for this. I just hope the same approach is taken towards others forms of music and Artist, as one writer indicated there are many songs with offensive and degrading lyrics that appears to go unnoticed.

Jay Brown
3/26/2010

That the way to go, let them keep the filth in Jamaica

Nikki Rose
3/26/2010

But what about what Vybz Kartel is doing to support safe sex? He's launching his own line of inexpensive condoms and his phrase "safe sex or no sex". Is that not something to be thankful for? And look at Mavado, coming from the strreets, he is a role model because he shows our youth that with hard work you too can achive greatness.

JAN WATTS
3/26/2010

Mr. Prime Minister, you did the right thing. all it takes is for one country to say enuff is enuff and i hope other will follow too.

Jaydene Thomas
3/26/2010

For those who don't know and have not really read the story, this is not the frst time that either artiste would be performing in Barbados. In fact, the PM of Barbados himself hosted Kartel last year at his official residence. This is a promoter v promoter fight. I listened to the press conference that the PM had and he said nothing bad about either artiste, as a matter of fact he did not even give a reason for the cancellation of the show. The show was for 18 years and promoted this so if underage children attended, whose fault would this be, the entertainers or parents? We need to start being parents and stop blaming entertainers for can't controlling or children and for everything that goes wrong in society. Open your eyes and look at the picture as a whole, if the entertainers never saw these things happening in society they would not be singing about them. Furthermore, some of the these same hooligans have very uplifting songs, like Hope and Pray by Mavado. Grow up people and be objective, not because you don't like something means it's bad, everybody have different taste. What would this world be if everyone agreed with each other and everybody liked the same thing. Appreciate everyone for their individual instead of judging people for listening to junk, just because you don't like it or because you don't think it's music. I'm sure you have people who think that other forms of music are junk, but you don't hear them bashing you for listening to it, do you?

Doug Campbell
3/26/2010

Thanks Barbados for standing up to decency these two moron called Vybz Kartel and Mavado who have done more to tarnish our reputation than anyone else. I am certain that if it was Beres Hammond or Toots/Jimmy Cliff the Bajans would be happy to accomodate them, we need more leaders like the Bajans who stands for principle and not their stomachs. Let these morons stay in their Gully and Gaza with their Daggerin and Rampin shops whre they belong. We Jamaicans need to remember our saying that says "no one runs from anything that is good"
bravo barbados.

Jimmy James
3/26/2010

Where is Prime Minister Bruce Golding why him not standing up for Vybz Kartel and Mavado like how him standing up for Dudus? Anyways I think this is hypocrisy when other R&B artiste singing about other immoralities, sex, drugs and crime they are welcome to the caribbean with open arms. Is it because they sing in english while we use patois? What is the difference between Color Me Bad - "I just want to sex you up" R.Kelly - "Sex Me" and RDX - "Daggering" ? Music is art if you don't like it don't listen to it.

anguish of being
3/26/2010

Yes, people need to stop portraying these kinds of "artistes" as role models. They are a bunch of illiterate modern day sambos.

Dumile Anderson
3/26/2010

I think it has nothing to do with being a nationalist. Garbage is garbage! I think the Jamaican PM should do the same. Then maybe, just maybe we won't have 13 year old boys who cannot even write their names on a straight line shouting ' a gaza mi seh' ..Good move Barbados.

SNYPA SNYPA
3/26/2010

I don't know that we as Bajans are blaming these 'artistes' alone for the ills of Barbadian society or for that matter 'discriminating' against Jamaican performers. Please! The track record proves that our Caribbean entertainers are quite welcome and very much enjoyed in our island generally. What this current stand proves is that musical content that perpetuates violence,drugs and sexual permissiveness and those who have a mission to do so, is not welcome. It proves a discriminating government and society willing to stand for what is right especially in defence of an emerging generation. Perhaps it could be argued that this is what the youth are buying into anyway but how can one effect change without setting a good example. I say props and go ahead to our Hon. Prime Minister, his team and Commissioner Dottin. If even Jamaicans who are willing to support good music but have the good sense to support negative influences, can see without bias that this was a good move by Prime Minister Thompson then I think there is nothing more to say on the matter. And politics or not (and I am convinced of the latter), I personally am pleased with the result. Personal loss of money will NEVER be as significant as national loss of integrity! Go read the lyrics for yourselves. Words that would make grown men and women blush. And even if they did not plan to sing those things in front our school children (and i think they might be hard-pressed to find enough of a repertoire to fit the time and audience), these still appear on their albums and are a part of who they are. They were to appear in Barbados supposedly promoting peace but thus far (and I am very open to correction if there is evidence to suggest that there is change a-coming) in Jamaica as I understand it, they are the perpetuators of this whole Gaza vs Gully nonsense that seems to have found itself way out of proportion - even if it did start as a lyrical battle or promotional tool - into violence one side against the other. I've seen a report where Kartel supposedly says that he is not to be held responsible for how fans take his music too far. Not sure I agree and would love to know if there has been any attempt by either gentleman to speak out against such behaviour. If not, how can they be a good representation, even if the intention by the organisers was 'noble'? Is there no other way, that doesn't also coincidentally correspond to tremendous earnings? Anyway that's my piece. No pun intended.

tina chambers
3/26/2010

well u reap what u sow...i think the PM most have listened to one of Vybz Kartel cd

3/26/2010

I don't know that we as Bajans are blaming these 'artistes' alone for the ills of Barbadian society or for that matter 'discriminating' against Jamaican performers. Please! The track record proves that our Caribbean entertainers are quite welcome and very much enjoyed in our island generally. What this current stand proves is that musical content that perpetuates violence,drugs and sexual permissiveness and those who have a mission to do so, are not welcome. It proves a discriminating government and society willing to stand for what is right especially in defence of an emerging generation. Perhaps it could be argued that this is what the youth are buying into anyway, but how can one effect change without setting a good example. I say props and go ahead to our Hon. Prime Minister, his team and Commissioner Dottin. If even Jamaicans who are willing to support good music but have the good sense to support negative influences, can see without bias that this was a good move by Prime Minister Thompson then I think there is nothing more to say on the matter. And politics or not (and I am convinced of the latter), I personally am pleased with the result. Personal loss of money will NEVER be as significant as national loss of integrity! Go read the lyrics for yourselves. Words that would make grown men and women blush. And even if they did not plan to sing those things in front our school children (and i think they might be hard-pressed to find enough of a repertoire to fit the time and audience), these still appear on their albums and are a part of who they are. They were to appear in Barbados supposedly promoting peace but thus far (and I am very open to correction if there is evidence to suggest that there is change a-coming) in Jamaica as I understand it, they are the perpetuators of this whole Gaza vs Gully nonsense that seems to have found itself way out of proportion - even if it did start as a lyrical battle or promotional tool - into violence one side against the other. I've seen a report where Kartel supposedly says that he is not to be held responsible for how fans take his music too far. Not sure I agree and would love to know if there has been any attempt by either gentleman to speak out against such behaviour. If not, how can they be a good representation, even if the intention by the organisers was 'noble'? Is there no other way, that doesn't also coincidentally correspond to tremendous earnings? Anyway that's my piece. No pun intended.

william jackson
3/26/2010

George Byfield, I am Jamaican and I discriminate when I decide what music I am going to buy. I don't buy Soca and Calypso, not because I am systematically discriminating against Eastern Caribbean people but because there are other music forms such as reggae, r&b, funk, soul that i prefer. At the same time I have never paid
to listen the dysfunctional dancehall hooligans and their incoherent noise-making but I do own Bob Marley, Garnet Silk, U-Roy and many other reggae and dancehall musicians who are truly 'artistes'.

mike beckles
3/26/2010

We Jamaicans need to pull our heads from our collective a...s and stop criticizing other Countries for doing what is right for their national interest, not ever country want to be the cesspool that is now Jamaica, BRAVO BARBADOS these minions will get it, they will clean up their act , when they hurt in their pockets they will see the light , it does not solve everything but it's a start ,.
In Jamaica everyone do as they please , the Country has listened to Dance hall DJs tell them through blaringly loud music that "Informer fi dead" subsequently when they see something they say nothing,now they are cowering in fear in their own homes, ..no it is not informers that are dying it is you the Jamaican people because you refuse to inform , so your communities are overrun with Criminals , and you still listen to these morons telling you that "Informer fi dead' the stupidity is laughable.

Paul Lewis
3/26/2010

This is one export, that we dont need. The selfishness of these idiots, are effectively casting all Jamaicans into the same pot. Let the lame-brain jump up screaming, freedom of expression, reguardless of its consequences. Apart from the daft, show me one Jamaican, who is proud to be represented by these fools.

ras mag
3/26/2010

People need to stop portraying artistes as role models. Parents are responsible for this you should dictate what your children listen to parents set an example. Moreover, Mavado and Vibes Kartel are not the cause of the problems affecting Jamaica at the moment they are a reflection of it they express what they see taking place in the country.

A. M. Patter
3/26/2010

Thank you Mr. President, I have been calling for this for a long time.
Why should anyone be paid to spew venom to minors and citizens, further more this is not their country.
Unno tan inna de gullygaza wid dat.

3/26/2010

In my analýsis this was done out of pure spite and have nothing to do with vybz cartel or movado. The barbadian governement is just playing politics. If u ever go to barbados you will realise that they blame foreigners for everything including the degradation of their youths and increasing violent behaviour. One cannot countinue to blame or pretend in barbados that dancehall music is the reason for a societies moral decay, for those of us who know better it starts with the society. Henceforth barbadian should only look skin deep and realise who's at fault.

George Byfield
3/26/2010

William Jackson I am assuming that we should replace the music from those hooligans with some lovely Soca music on our airwaves...... why can Jamaican see that there is a systematic discrimination of our people throughout the Caribbean. However , what else should we expect when we do it to ourselves..........

Pauline White
3/26/2010

Absolutely correct Mr. Prime Minister.

Alvin Buchanan
3/26/2010

I am appalled at the treatment given to Jamaican nationals by other Caribbean countries. We need a PM to stand up for Jamaica like how these other guys stand up for their counties.

william jackson
3/26/2010

I am Jamaican and I applaud the Barbados Prime Minister for showing our PM how to handle these "idiot bwoy" Kartel and Mavado to stop them from polluting the innocence of our school children. The Jamaican government and the jamaican people need to set an example by extinguishing these hooligans from our airwaves.

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Barbados PM says no to Mavado, Vybz Kartel show