Months after the death of 17-year-old Carlton ‘Carlyle’ Grant, son of popular entertainer Spragga Benz, the Carlyle Foundation for Education was formed in memory of the fallen youth.

Now, in a bid to raise funds for the foundation, the Life Fest: Peace and Love Concert is being held on Carlyle’s birthday, May 2.

On August 23, life changed for the Grant family when the bright youngster was controversially gunned down by police.

fatally shot

It is alleged that Grant and another young man were riding a bicycle in downtown Kingston when they were stopped by the police. It is alleged that the young men were told to run and while running, the police allegedly fired shots at them and Grant was fatally shot. Two police officers, constables Audley Lawrence and Andre Hare, were later charged with the murder of Grant. The case is currently before the court.

Noted to be a bright and generous person by the countless persons who knew him, Grant was fondly remembered by his community and more so by his relatives.

Preserve di yutes

Two months ago, in memory of her son, Sharon Gapor, alongside Carlyle’s aunt Veleta Grant, formed the Carlyle Foundation for Education. The primary focus of the foundation is on education for the youth as seen through its motto: “Preserve di yutes, preserve di future.” Grant’s life was filled with possibilities, as prior to his death he passed six of his 11 subjects in the Caribbean Examinations Council, among them information technology, history and mathematics. He had also completed the application form to enter Camperdown’s sixth-form programme.

According to D. Escoffery of D’ Empire Management, organisers and sponsors of the concert, the idea for the concert came from Grant’s father, Spragga Benz and Salaam Remi from Boom Tunes. The concert will be held on May 2, which would have been Grant’s 18th birthday, at Backyard on Constant Spring Road.

All the artistes on the show are giving their time on the concert free of cost and all proceeds will be in aid of the Carlyle Foundation for Education.

Scheduled to perform are Stephen and Damian Marley, Wayne Wonder, Sizzla, Queen Ifrica, Tanya Stephens, Jah Cure, Chino and Spragga.

The event, the organiser hopes, will be an annual one. “The foundation is a charity organisation who’s primary focus is on benefiting the yutes and persons can come to the concert to just celebrate life. We’re endorsing peace and love in the community,” Escoffery said.

Source: JamaicaStar