Elephant Man ‘good to go’ to the UK for the first time in 16 years
Dancehall star Elephant Man will return to the United Kingdom for the first time in 16 years this August for a show, after being granted a work permit to perform in that country.
“Ah just God and time, I just want to say thanks to my team who worked tirelessly to make this possible and the officials in the High Commission. I am just glad to be able to see my family members again, mi no see dem for 16 years,” the self-styled ‘Energy God’ said.
The dancehall star had a daughter and a son in the UK, now ages 19 and 18 respectively, when he was a regular visitor to the country.
“Ah one time mi go England and mek the two ah dem. One go! One energy God,” he said, laughing.
He said the first thing that he will do when he gets to London is ‘block a reverence and thank God’.
He is booked as one of the headline acts on Ultra Weekend which will be held August 16-17 in London.
“Mi have to tell God say give thanks to be on the ground again. Right now, mi just a mek the fans dem know, show up for this event, it’s going to be huge, ah just one show for now, but there could be others,” the artiste, whose real name is Oneil Bryan, said.
Music insider and booking agent Tameka Reynolds of Reynolds Entertainment Agency, who was instrumental in engineering the Energy God’s return to the United Kingdom, hailed the move as a “momentous one for dancehall”.
“We based the application around the artiste’s proven track record as a performing artiste, his dedication to his craft and the fact that he has no criminal record. This is a major positive for reggae and dancehall because Elephant Man is easily one of the best, most dynamic entertainers of his generation and his absence in the UK market was a sore point for many promoters,” Reynolds said.
Reynolds is also the booking agent for Malie Donn, Jquan, Pablo YG, Gyptian and Jovi Donn.
Elephant Man is the latest dancehall veteran to have travel privileges restored in the major United Kingdom or United States market.
READ: Dancehall gets back ‘wings’
Over the last several months, ace deejays Vybz Kartel and Bounty Killer have had their US visas reinstated, following similar reinstatements for Beenie Man, Buju Banton and Sizzla in recent years.
