Capleton crosses borders from St Mary into Portland

Saturday, November 21, 2009 1:57 AM

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Entertainment

By Basil Walters, Observer staff reporter

Monday, June 29, 2009

Capleton, the top-flight cultural deejay known as the Fyah Man, is this year extending his flames of charity across the borders of his native parish of St Mary into Portland.

For the past several years, the committed Rastafarian entertainer, also called The Prophet, not only slew Babylon, but has been living the creed of his faith: "Let the children cared for, the aged
be protected and the hungry
be fed."

This year's beneficiaries from the proceeds of his annual fundriser, A St Mary Mi Come From, which will be held on Wednesday, August 5, at the Gray's Inn Sports Complex, Annotto Bay; include the St Mary Infirmary, Hamilton Mountain Basic School, Islington High School, St Mary Police Netball and Football Clubs, the proposed recording studio for St Mary and the Buff Bay Primary School in Portland.

"Capleton is a brother who is ever close to his roots," guest speaker Professor Verene Shepherd said at the launch of A St Mary Mi Come From at the gardens of the Pegasus Hotel in Kingston last Wednesday evening.

"He uses his income," Professor Shepherd continued, "to uplift the people of St Mary, and now he is crossing borders. He has never forgotten his roots, never neglected his people. Never downplayed his rural origins in a land that plays the social ranking game."

Professor Sheperd said she accepted the invitation to be guest speaker because Capleton stands for equal rights and justice for all, black consciousness and humanitariansim and non-partisan politics.

"The fourth reason I agreed to speak this evening is that I like the way Capleton (Clifton George Bailey III) embraces philanthropy, using his talent and his earnings not for big business, hotels and overseas bank accounts, not even to increase his own material resources - important as that is - but to uplift the people of St Mary."

Having said all of that and much more, the university academic asked, "What has the community given back to Rastafari?". Added Professor Shepherd, "There is something that Jamaica can do. I call on the Senate and the Parliament of this country to do the right thing....I urge you to follow the example of the US Senate and not only issue a formal apology for the obscenity that was Coral Gardens, but pay compensation for those elders' pain and suffering and loss of dignity."

After the formalities, there were guest performances from some of the acts appearing on the show in special tribute to the icons and pioneers. Among these were J-Dan, Iyah Blaze, Empress Robertha, Stream, Soul to Soul and Capleton.

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