Queen’s death derails ‘King’
SELF-PROCLAIMED King of the Dancehall Beenie Man has rescheduled an upcoming UK appearance after not being granted his visa on time.
According to Grammy-winning artiste, the hiccup was caused by the 12 days of mourning in Jamaica after the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, which ended on Monday.
“We had to reschedule the event. The embassy [British High Commission] in Jamaica is experiencing a backlog due to the 12 days of mourning for The Queen. This has caused a significant delay in the issuance of the work visa,” Beenie Man’s first tweet sent out on Wednesday morning read.
The concert was initially scheduled for tonight at Eventim Apollo in London, England. The new date is November 27.
Beenie Man further said other acts for the show, which was heavily advertised, did not receive their visas either.
“I would not be able to work the event. Other supporting acts did not receive their visa on time either. It has been very chaotic since the passing of The Queen. We did not believe we were able to execute the event as planned. As such, the next best thing to do was to reschedule,” he said.
“Unfortunately, we still need a work visa to perform in the UK. My team and I had everything planned and organised. However, I believe due to The Queen’s passing, the mourning period, and the administrative changes, it has caused a delay in the issuance of the visa.”
Beenie Man said his team did everything in its power to make the show possible. However, all efforts proved futile.
“We expedited the process, we made contact with the embassy, we were told to give it until Tuesday, still a delay. If I came to the UK and performed, I would be deported or locked up. These things are out of my control,” he concluded.
The period of mourning ran from September 8 until September 19 as stipulated by the Governor General Sir Patrik Allen. The UK had 10 days of mourning.
Queen Elizabeth II passed away on September 8 at 96 years old after a seven-decade reign.
She visited Jamaica six times during her reign: 1953, 1966, 1975, 1983, 1994, and 2002.
Beenie Man (given name: Moses Davis) won the Best Reggae Album Grammy in 2001 for the album Art and Life. He is known for songs including Girls Dem Sugar, Who Am I, Romie, Slam, and I’m Okay.
