It’s official! Vybz Kartel to perform in BVI in March 2025
After much public speculation, local event promoter Steve Parillon of YOLO Promotions has confirmed that prominent dancehall artiste Vybz Kartel is officially slated to perform in the British Virgin Islands in March 2025.
A video circulating on social media shows Parillon and Vybz Kartel signing a contract for the March event, during which the artiste declared, “the comet is coming,” seemingly referring to himself.
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley is reported to have been closely involved in contracting the artiste. However, he has not responded to questions from our news centre to clarify his involvement.
Two government ministers have spoken out against the event. Both ministers stated on Friday that they were uncertain about the accuracy of the information but indicated that if true, they would not support government involvement.
In a conversation on ZBVI radio on Friday, October 4, Deputy Premier Lorna Smith expressed no objection to a local individual hosting the event independently, but stressed that it was not the right time for government involvement. She emphasized that the territory has larger issues that need to be prioritized first.
Minister for Communications and Works Kye Rymer echoed this sentiment in a separate conversation with ZBVI.
Vybz Kartel, whose given name is Adidja Palmer, was released from a Jamaican prison earlier this year after serving 13 years, following the quashing of his murder conviction by the UK’s Privy Council. His first known concert is set to take place in Jamaica later this year.
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If the public purse is indeed paying for this event, and if ‘we the people’ let it happen again, then that should tell us all that we are nothing but talk in this country.
There is absolutley no reason for the Government to pay any part of the cost of hosting this event. If Yolo want to bring in this signer, then I have no objection but as a tax payer I do not want to be paying for it.
This is what our SPREEMIER doing with taxpayers’ money?
It’s a shame. Ask those who know this man and they will tell you all he sings about is guns, women and killing… Quite a shame!!! BVI be careful. I need to hear the voice of the BVI Christian Council.
I need to hear the voices of everyone who have a moral compass in this country. Do we understand what we are exposing our islands and people to, when we allow the perpetrators of the type of behavior Vybes Cartel is famous for…. then you are using our money, that is needed for infrastructural improvements to help to facilitate the nonsense.
That’s good start promiting it from now this will be a big investment for the bvi
Shut yu RA$$. And that damm Parillon should know better. Karma always ketch up. Just look at that damm P-Diddy. When you all gonna learn?
is in control , and ain’t no stopping us now / ya’ll might as well come see yo boi do * he ting * and behave ya’ll selves , they don’t call me PREMIER nutt-uUNN
Everyone seem to forget that this thing is a CONVICTED CRIMINAL THAT GOT OFF BECAUSE OF TECHNICALITY
Not just a CONVICTED CRIMINAL BUT A CONVICTED MURDER.
You clearly don’t know the law. At least read and educate yourself before posting hate for your selfish reason. If yall actually was a fan or even listened to his music you’d not be making these ridiculous comments. Hate all yall want but it’s happening
So the government and this promotion company are going to use our tax dollars to throw a concert for a washed up star that is sick and diying….. Then they are going to charge us to go to said concert that WE have paid for…. and they keep all the profit….. This place is a joke!!!
Washed up like your entire life, and he is still the greatest to ever do it, all inna Yu grave remember my voice in your head telling you 70 years from now, Gaza still a run this place and addi still nuh finish yet.FULLYGAZA#BOG WALK FULLY ACTIVE OUT YAH. MANY KINGS BUT A #1WORLBOSS# #LINSTEAD#3O3#ITS ENTERTAINMENT, WHY ARE YOU MAKING IT SOUNDS PERSONAL, DO YOU KNOW HIM? NAH YOU JUST A HAYER ACTING UP.
Seems like yolo is getting agitated.
He should never have been convicted but that is his personal affairs he will only be coming here for 1 night to perform his music, he’s not moving here get a grip
First of it appeared to be a letter of intent. No artist contract is one page long. Now the promoter has until at least February to come up with all the money. Which by the way – how much money is it anyway? Is the premier so crazy to do any music festival after the last major fail ??
Cindy says govt sponsoring $1M. The yellow site says that is a lie. Its only $220k! It should not be anything. But how much will the artist want. Govt will get no return on its money from the few locals who attend, and even less from the very few visitors.
Apart from all the previously mentioned reasons this is a bad idea, the timing could not be worse.
March is high season for charter boaters and villa renters. How many of those people would be interested in Vybz? Approximately none! If anything, they will be put off.
If this is a tourist promotion, it will be for a very different type of tourist. Where will they stay during high season?
Shut the hell up,you obviously don’t know how big this man’s fan base is,man I hate when stupid people comment when not asked,don’t you stupid.
Seems like yolo is beyond agitated. seems to be using different names now.
Who tell you all that the government is involved??? Parillon have a entertainment license so he can bring whom he chooses for entertainment purposes. It’s up to you the people to go out and support. Not the government. The government abides by its laws and regulations but they are NOT a sponsor of this even nor will be.
how was the artist secured? where did the $250,000 of our money go?
Does anyone remember the STATE that Brandywine bay was left in after the last ‘event’ held by this company? Not only should they not be supporting this next event financially, but this ‘team’ should have been fined for leaving their garbage (including framework and old pallets) on the beach for weeks (including during Hurricane Ernesto) until a community group to come and clean up weeks later…. This company is nothing but one mans ego… our tax dollars should not continue to be used to feed this.
I don’t feel government should be sponsoring any event promoted by a private entity. Those entity need to come up with a funding plan excluding taxpayers’ money. They need to stop promoting nonsense like this as a benefit to the tourism product. No, it’s not. How many tourists will be travelling to see this show?
What is the cost of this to us the taxpayers? If the rumors are true, each ticket to this event would cost a minimum $1000.00 to attend and probably $2000.00 to break even. Base on this we complain about pricing of products in this place, I doubt any of the concert attendees will to pay this price. So again, this is not a benefit to anybody.
Aug 1, 2024 — Vybz Kartel is a free man. After 13 years behind bars, Vybz — born Adidja Azim Palmer — was released from prison on Wednesday.
vybz kartel trial for the murder of Clive Williams started on 18 November 2013, and on 13 March 2014, he was found guilty by an eleven-member jury (10-1) of the murder of 27-year-old Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams. And Natalio Wheatley thinks this is what the tourist is interested in. I am not against artist coming to the BVI to perform but someone who has been in jail for murder shouldn’t be allowed in the BVI, we use to have standers but with the new VIP government those went out the window.
Don’t grant him a visa.
Ahh yes this is what we showing to the youths
promoting a convicted criminal who got off from technicality to come and sing to our youths about drugs, guns, indecent women and violence.
then we wonder why the criminals looking younger and younger…
how old was the young man in vg who was found with an ak? 14? oh…
The young men/boys these days only concern about fast life, violence, indecent girls and gang associations
the young women/girls only concern about who showing the most skin, who shaking their bottom the best and who can get with criminal man and help that criminal man with their illegal lifestyle.
And all of this is viewed as cool and popular thing to do amongst the youths they love it and now our government and community doubling down on that every year at these events…
a lot y’all cry out when the last two business/boatmen died knowing the life them in, I guess we will see more “tears” with these youths as well
government shout stop the violence and killings just come to village and party…
when the same village singing about killing, gang wars, sex, indecent women. some real idiots
Yall better don’t be giving that POS S* our tax dollars and he pockets all the profit?
If the promoter wanna bring him or any other dancehall music man, then no problem here. I do have a problem and stand against tax payers money being spent to bring them in the country. We got some serious stuff here that need fixing, and even if we had the money to play around with, I still wouldnt support it. Festival just done and we just spent heaven know how much on the admin complex fete with no accounting.
I have a little business and aint no way government going inject money in my business which help all kinda people. What then makes the entertainment industry so special and deserving?
If we have money to spend, then send some children to school, do some more for the elderly and seniors, get all of the senior citizens programs up and going, do more for our special needs community. But no, we going lift up a convict.
Wha wrong with we mehson
There is a reason why the late iconic, national hero , first chief minister Hamilton Lavity Stoutt from 1957 to to 1995 never lost an election. He did through common sense, vision, self-discipline, self-confidence, compassion,smart retail politics, etc. Moreover, HL Stoutt didn’t have the alphabet soup of letters either before or after his name. HL Stoutt demonstrated that experience matter. He understood the value of teamwork. Today, it appears we want to substitute education for experience. Education without experience gets one little mileage. There is a huge opportunity cost, for the lack of political governance in the HoA, ie, Legislative arm and the executive arm. They are all learning on job; OJT ( on the job training) is important. But it is coming at a high cost to VI residents. Someone quipped the other day that VI political leadership is an oxymoron. Our leaders in addition to attaining some experience, must show some humility, civility, teamwork, unity , compassion, etc.
Precisely, Stealth. There must indeed be a balance between those with professional credentials and those who possess real-world business acumen. Some of the most successful entrepreneurs in the BVI hail from vocational backgrounds, demonstrating that practical experience often speaks as loudly, if not more so, than academic qualifications. As the saying goes, common sense is not so common—nor, might I add, is wisdom necessarily a byproduct of formal education. One must guard against the perils of the ‘educated fool.
Stealth, good read. Going a little deeper,,leaders take care of their people, listen to their people,, protect their people and look after their welfare, ie, economic, social, Political, etc..VI leaders must get the most from limited resources. They must manage resources to provide the most benefits to the most people. “ . Someone quipped the other day that VI political leadership is an oxymoron.” Epic!
@Stealth, Good Point, GateKeeper, informed comments. The current political class needs restructuring. There seemed to be a poor handoff from the prior political class to the current one.The current class needs to effect a recovery from the apparent poor handoff.
Smartness is better than intellugence…We have to give this infamous dude his props..He is making maximum use of his smarts..Good work Parillon.
@Let’s Face It, one needs both intelligence and smartness for success. One can be intelligent but not smart and vice versa.
Intelligent But NOT STREET SMART.. LIKE MY NEPHEW.. LIAR..
He actually begs sponsors for all of his events the other two on the team ain’t got no quarts to put up …so this is nothing new wa she name just let the cat out the bag
Dude looks like a pokemon.
How the government operates. They knew they were to stay far away from this but they involved themselves against common sense & decency. You know he will come with a bad spirit.
Simple said dont give him a visa. Who is more important to not offend the people or….
would never go down on Ralph’s watch,never.
Change has come to the territory, and it is abadtye ofchange.
And, all of us are to blame, because all of us remain openly silent.
Who tourist going this concert ?
Afew crackheads may attend if any
I just hope is not taxpayers money going toward this crap
It is our tax money going to support this to the tune of nearly quarter million dollars!
Best we bring the fireman.
Fisherman in the day, promoter at night. Now thats rangeeeeeee
Lizzad catch kartel a f*k ba**y and ki** him kartel a FISH
Lizzard
this is what happens when the voices of the wicked are loud and the voices of the saved are quiet like lambs. So called God fearing people need to stand up and make their voices heard. We can’t keep allowing people who capitalize on the detriment of our families and communities by promoting nonsense to continue to live among us with a lack of care for a country that is so called a Christian country by majority.
‘Professor’ Sowande must wake up every day and say to himself in the mirror “How I could pi** off these poor people today mehson”. If he had a just fix the sk**ting roads…he would be considered the best premier we ever had! Big man LOVE to assassinate he own character….smh