The Mavado, Vybz Kartel show will go on. A report carried Sunday in the Barbados Nation newspaper stated that, despite suggestions from the police to cancel the event, the unity concert featuring the two Jamaican dancehall will be held as scheduled on March 27.

The show is being staged by Jack Farrell, who has been named as joint promoter with the government-affiliated Barbados Youth Action Programme.


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The Nation’s report quoted Farrell as saying that his group had hired “a number of reputable security officers, which include a number of former policemen”. The promoters, in reaction to word from Commissioner of Police Darwin Dottin that he did not have the manpower to police the show, say they have also secured the services of a security firm to police the event.

According to the Nation, Farrell has called on the police chief to rethink his position of giving the thumbs down to the March 27 event.

“We don’t have anything against the police or the commissioner, but we would like him and the force to reconsider their previous position, since the show is intended to be a peace concert promoting positive vibes for the youth,” Farrell is quoted as saying, adding that he was still in favour of the police being a part of the security team for the concert.

Farrell last week is reported as saying that a cancellation of the show would mean a loss of more than $200,000 for his company.

He is reported in the Saturday Sun as saying that he couldn’t understand why the police “have to come and say at this time they don’t have the manpower to police the show. I don’t know if there is a prison break that you have to deploy the force to look for them (prisoners).”

“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.

Farrell, according to the report in the Saturday Sun, also spoke of Commissioner of Police Darwin Dottin’s comments about the controversial Jamaican dancehall artistes’ possible negativity on the youth.

“The reason why we had to bring these two men together is because the youth had this thing going too far.

“Hamilton Lashley approached me and asked me if I could get these two men to come to Barbados and get them to go into the schools and let the youth know that this thing with Gully and Gaza is just a Jamaican thing and they were carrying it too far,” he said.

“That is why we are bringing the show to Barbados to show the people that what they are saying about the men (Vybz Kartel and Mavado) is not so right now and the men realised that they made mistakes,” the Saturday Sun reported.

The police chief recently said he did not support the idea of bringing the two entertainers to Barbados for a show and urged the promoters to rethink their position.

Source: JamaicaObserver