Irate show promoters in St Lucia and Guyana are planning to sue dancehall artiste Vybz Kartel for a series of no-shows over the weekend. Kartel and members of his Portmore Empire were reportedly booked for a concert in Guyana on Saturday night, after which they should have moved on to St Lucia to perform on the last evening of a three-day event called Love Fest.
Reports are, however, that while some members of the Empire turned up, Kartel missed his flight to Guyana, not once, but twice, after which the promoter was asked to send a charter. According to one report, this was done, but the plane sat on the tarmac on Saturday and the deejay refused to leave Jamaica.
Conscious Minds Promotions in Guyana reportedly suffered tremendous losses when they were forced to cancel the show. The Sunday Stabroek in Guyana noted that "a press release advised that persons who purchased tickets for the show will receive full refunds beginning Tuesday at all ticketing locations".
Meanwhile, the St Lucia promoter Andrew Hayles, in an interview stated that he had spent over US$20,000.00 on plane fare just to ensure that Kartel would be present for his show, Love Fest, which has built up a solid reputation during its eight years.
A quick look at YouTube shows a 33-second clip with Vybz Kartel who identifies himself and then goes on to say "we a mek the people dem know from now that we won't be attending Love Fest in St Lucia ... but it's no fault of the promoters or the promotion which is Hot FM ... it's just circumstances beyond our control."
YouTube - Vybz Kartel Will Not Be Attending Love Fest In St. Lucia DEC 2009
Hayles said he was aware that there were some "security issues and threats" and he had assured the deejay that he would have been closely guarded throughout his visit to the island.
Source: Jamaica Observer