Days before the staging of Jamzone International Night 2013, the headline act of the event R Kelly fell ill, following a lengthy tour to South Africa, and promoters quickly explained that the turn of events was beyond their control.
Odinga Lumumba of Mc Neil Enterprise told media operatives on Thursday during a press conference that he received a telephone call from the superstar’s management team that Kelly had fallen ill. It was later learnt that the illness was associated with the aircraft ride from South Africa.
Lumumba further stated that they have been negotiating with the superstar for another date. He said, so far, the organisers have seen excellent tickets sales. He explained that, after a few days, they received another call on Thursday morning about the new date for the R Kelly concert, which was initially set for September 28, but later changed to October 19.
The new date is October 19. He said that the artiste, over the next week, will be releasing new “drops” to highlight he will be in Guyana.
The head of the Mc Neil Enterprise stated that people have a choice whether to collect a refund or wait on the new date, promising if they do, it will be fireworks. Those who wish to collect their refunds can listen via the media as to locations.
He stated that they are in contact with two other international artistes to perform on the same night with R Kelly, and that the names will be announced in the next week. Guyana Times understands that the two artistes are likely to be popular hip-hop and R&B entertainers.
When asked if he can guarantee R Kelly’s appearance on October 19, Lumumba stated that he cannot, given that anything can happen. He noted that he believes that once a contract is signed, the artiste is obligated to perform, but there have been instances in the past when unforeseen circumstances can unfold.
He added that a typical contract states that an artiste can refuse to perform based on a number of factors, including health issues and political unrest in the country. He said that once an artiste falls sick, there is nothing that could be done.
Lumumba said he is looking forward to an entertaining show on October 19.