BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - AFTER being denied work permits last week for him and his band to perform at a ‘Rap it up’ concert in Grenada this weekend, dancehall artiste Vybz Kartel is hoping that the Grenada government will have a change of heart and allow him to perform.
The concert was to also see the official release of his now popularly ‘Daggering Condom’ made available in Jamaica last year. ‘Daggering’ has become a very popular word in many Jamaican artistes’ songs recently and the Jamaican government has also put a ban on other songs containing the word as it pertains strongly to sex.
According to another release coming out of Grenada, Adidja ‘Vybz Kartel’ Palmer said to The Star, “This decision by the government of Grenada to not grant us work permits is regrettable, especially in light of the fact that this is a concert to promote safe sex in a region which has the second-highest rate of HIV infection in the world after sub-Saharan Africa, and a high incidence of AIDS, a disease which has devastated several families in the Caribbean. Through our company, Daggering Unlimited, we advocate safe sex and condom use using entertainment.”
He went on to say, “As such, I believe that the government may have acted hastily. Given the media attention that their decision has drawn, we hope that the government will do the right thing and choose to grant us the permits to perform in the country this weekend.”
The media house further stated that in a recent report made by the United Nations, Kartel elaborated that there were approximately 430,000 persons in the Caribbean living with HIV/AIDS.
The artiste further mentioned that his Daggering Condoms reflected new policies and avenues that he was hoping to adopt for the future.
“My advocacy of safe sex is in keeping with my new stance to do more conscious lyrics that promote the unification of various groups and communities that were previously in conflict, and lyrics that encourage the love and respect of black women,” Kartel said.
Both the promoter and Vybz Kartel are hoping that the Grenada government would change its mind and grant the permits as they will suffer a big loss if the government chooses to stand behind its decision.
Meanwhile, many persons are voicing their opinions and saying other governments should take a page from Grenada and crack down on artistes for their lyrics, as one young lady said “good job Grenada, I just hope our little Federation will take a page out of your book and take responsibility for the lyrics our youth are exposed to. While we cannot prevent them from hearing it over the internet etc, we can to some extend limit what they here publicly here on our radios and concerts.”
