On Saturday, February 22,2009, CVM Television's Entertainment Programme,"On Stage", with host - Winford Williams, did a feature on "Valentine on the Harbour":
- a musical concert for lovers which took place at the ritzy Morgan's Harbour, on February 15 (a day after Valentine's Day) and which featured American R&B singer, Freddie Jackson, and Jamaican balladeers - AJ Brown, Gregory Isaacs, Karen Smith, Marcia Griffiths and "Rising Stars" winners - One Third.
By all accounts, the show was enjoyable, with Jamaicans from mostly the middle to upper-middle strata of society, in attendance.
After showing members of the audience, thoroughly enjoying themselves, the camera switched to Vybz Kartel (and his lady friend), who was being asked his opinion of the show.
Now what Kartel said next, nearly made me jump out of my chair in shock!:
He said that he enjoyed the show and was encouraging people from the ghetto to go to these kinds of shows, in which they could enjoy themselves without violence.
Can you imagine, friends? this is a songwriter/DJ, whose lyrics play homage to the gun and to rough sex and for whom his followers use stage shows (for which he's a major drawing-card) to misbehave (throw bottles, do gun salutes, fire their guns wildly the crowd)...
The latest being Sting, which occurred on December 26,2008.
Now Kartel is not the only DJ who is guilty of this...there are others... but what he said, is very instructive (important to note):
- If Vybz Kartel can enjoy a show without violence, why is it that he takes part in shows that promote violence - clashes that are supposed to be only lyrical in nature, but which ultimately turn out to be literal bottle and gun clashes of certain factions who follow him and other DJ's?
Why can't Vbyz Kartel write songs that appeal to a wider audience, who can feel good and uplifted after attending his performances, rather than songs for which people are angry and bloodthirsty after he performs?
I want our GWAP friends to really digest this...for if Vbyz Kartel can behave himself when he goes to a so-called "uptown" show and can enjoy sweet music from musical talents who promote good-feelings and peace, why is he leaving the crass side of himself for his "downtown" followers?
Is he not being hypocritical (a phony)?
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I only hope that Vybz Kartel's followers "take sleep and mark death"...because what Kartel is subconsciously saying to you, his followers, is that you're not good enough for you to see his good (or "better") side...
You're not the "uptown crowd", so he can always feed you with dirty (lewd) lyrics and you'll accept it...
He can always give you gun and rough sex and make you happy.
Now, if I was a Vbyz Kartel follower, I would look deeply into this...'cause if a DJ doesn't believe that I am "good enough" to get the best from him...why am I listening to and dancing to his music?
Why am I even buying his MP3's and CD's?
Hmmmh??!!???
Nuff said. (Jamaican,meaning, enough has been said).
(I would like to thank Hattie Collins for the use of her Flickr inset picture of Vybz Kartel, above).
Gillian
Sources Include:
1) CVM Television Programme, "On Stage", with Winford Williams, February 22, 2009.
2) Article, "Freddie Jackson comes for Valentine on the Harbour", by Basil Walters, Staff Reporter -Jamaica Observer - via CaribDaily.com, February 15,2009.
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