A St Vincent government official is calling for more stringent regulations regarding contractual arrangements between overseas artistes and promoters.
According to a Caribbean Media Corporation news report, Opposition Minister of Trade, Industry and Commerce, St Clair Leacock made the comments yesterday following a no-show by Jah Cure. The Jamaican reggae artiste was scheduled for a concert at Victoria Park, Kingstown, the country’s capital on Saturday. The artiste was the headliner for Irresistable Temptations.
Jah Cure, whose real name is Siccature Alcock, however, tweeted the day after that his contractual obligations were unmet by the show’s promoter.
The report stated that patrons, who had paid EC$50 ($1,500 approximately), became irate and began throwing bottles when they learnt the Unconditional Love singer was not performing. Police had to fire shots to restore order at the event.
The promoter, in his defence, said that while he had paid the singer a US$15,000 deposit, he was, however, unable to make the final payment because 2,000 bogus tickets had been collected at the gate.
“There is a need for tighter regulations in this thing,” said Leacock, shadow minister, who was also at the event.
“Promoters cannot be allowed to put on a show and speculate that if they sell enough tickets or they collect enough money, they will pay the artiste and people will get their show,” he continued.
In responding to the minister’s comments, Claude Mills, Jah Cure’s publicist, said the artiste’s management team would welcome any legislation preventing a recurrence of last Saturday’s events.
“We [the team] hope this suggestion is indeed genuine and not just political posturing because this is a serious issue which a lot of Jamaican dancehall and reggae artistes face,” Mills said.
“We are unsure about how such legislation would be enacted and enforced. In the meantime, Jah Cure’s team is putting new systems in place, as it relates to future contracts and the payment of performance fees, to prevent this from happening to the artiste again,” Mills said.
Last month, the St Lucia government warned promoters it would be putting measures in place to ensure that visiting artistes conform to the laws.
The announcement was made following the third consecutive no-show by Mavado as well as Gyptian.