Parillon to donate part of Vybz Kartel concert proceeds to education
Steve Parillon of YOLO Promotions has announced plans to donate a portion of the proceeds from the upcoming Vybz Kartel concert to educational.
During an interview with our news centre on Sunday, Parillon expressed his commitment to giving back to the community after the concert concludes.
“When all the dust is cleared and we’re out of the red, we plan to donate to an educational purpose,” he stated.
However, he noted that specific details of the donation have not yet been finalised, as he is waiting for the event to conclude before making arrangements.
Parillon’s announcement comes amid concerns from sections of the community regarding the perceived negative impact of the dancehall artist, given his past incarceration.
The concert, slated for Saturday, March 15, has sparked controversy, particularly among the BVI Christian Council (BVICC). In a statement last Friday, the BVICC revealed that they had spoken with Premier Dr. Natalio Wheatley and strongly urged him to refrain from financially supporting similar events in the future.
“We informed the Premier in no uncertain terms of our disappointment in the government’s financial support of the Vybz Kartel concert, as the messaging of this activity directly contravenes our Christian principles and greatly impacts our cultural and moral trajectory,” the BVICC stated.
In response to public concerns, Premier Wheatley, who is also the Minister of Finance, defended his administration’s $220,000 sponsorship of the concert. He emphasised that, despite Kartel’s past, he believes the artist can have a positive impact on the community.
“We have been preaching a message of condemnation. Let me say to you, I don’t advocate anything Vybz Kartel has been accused of, but he spent time in jail, he went through the legal process, and they set him free,” the Premier explained.
He also mentioned that Kartel was scheduled to visit prisons and schools in the week leading up to the concert to speak with at-risk youth and offer encouragement. However, with just days to go before his performance, there has been no official confirmation of these appearances.
Kartel, whose real name is Adidja Palmer, was released from a Jamaican prison in 2024 after serving 13 years. His murder conviction was overturned by the UK’s Privy Council.
Parillon remains confident that the concert will be a major success for the BVI, highlighting its significance as Kartel’s first performance in over 13 years outside of Jamaica.
The event will also feature other international artists, including Skillibeng and Jah Vinci, along with surprise guest performances.
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This concert should not be happening PERIOD.
Please buy tickets – at the moment the event is hugely in the red even with the $270k from the govt and the tourist board. It will be embarrassing if nobody there except wannabe vips!!!
Educate us against getting in this foolishness in the future. Leave it to private sector
Why Steve. Leave those dunce to their parents keep you hard earned money. They all been dissing your show.
lolololol
wtf
I don’t expect anything better to come out of your ghetto stinking hood rat peasant mouth. You are one of the ones that is grinding Steve under the steam roller then in his face dapping and KI KI ING in his face. Loserrrrrrrrrr
I doubt it will have enough remaining
Giving back from the same 250000 of taxpayers money
When our tax money could’ve gone directly to education in the first place.
How ironic? The donation, if it could ever be generated, would probably be much less than what the government has invested. The place is a joke!
I presume this is after he has given the $220,000 back to the Government.
How can he talk about profit if he given the money by the tax payers. That is not a business making a profit.
I could make a profit from a business tying peoples shoelaces if I was given $220,000 by the Government to run my shoelace tying business. I would even donate some money to YEP and Old People.
When he says jump
Premier says how high
Perhaps they sharing some of the loot
Who is taking the statistics of how much money was made to report to government?
Now you are trying to do damage control after fleecing the tax payers out of their money. Only con men and swindlers do things like that.Get up outta here in your farmer brown shirt and your * teeth. You should have beg for money to get braces for your * teeth.
dude have fr**d written all over his face.
…donate part of…..???
Promises are for fools.
Insulting the genorisity of the people of the VI andc intelligence? Dont blsmr you..they are the footstools of your country and the rest of the Caribbean along with the ingratitude that is so much you’ all..tek tek but still poor in mind body and spirit.
To anything the clout chaser have to say.
That dude is a sc**p without scruples. I am quite baffled that he is still held in high regards by many in society. But then again…
U.K. keep watching. Hopefully this will be The Nat’s downfall
Everyone is watching including the UK and the outside.The UK is giving the BVI enough rope to hang itself. When the BVI feel the rope it will be to late to be scampering around like headless chickens or deers lost in the headlights.
And the US tooo..these VI refuses to protect its borders and has them open to everything bd everyone passing thru to the US and it’s territories.A violation of International Law. Of those thousands of Caribbean folks deported,certainly there is plenty evidence of the more than enough illegal entries to the US and beyond,via these BVI. Our bro and family,the USVI Gov, will
be placed in a not good position as a result.
That’s all you goons be able to muster after this failed adventure with dirty $$ in the mix. Maybe your pal might pad it up somewhat, but then again; haven’t heard of him donating anything to the schools, elderly etc…
We all use money. People’s minds dirty not money. Furthermore, why would Kartel and his supporters seek forgiveness from the finite world, when we are all guilty and violators of the established laws of creation and the honorable commandment of the ALMIGHTY ONLY WISE DIETY in some way or another ? It’s true. Through out the millions and billions of years of humans history . The virtue of forgiveness doesn’t rest well with the mortal world, because unrighteousness cannot judge unrighteousness.
Come off whatever mind-altering hallucinations you in guy!
Billions of years of human history you said? Nah man. Come off the internet cause you ain’t making sense at all..billions? Wtf
Why is government this involved in a private concert. Let this be a lesson.
You have to turn a profit first! Secondly any profit should go back to the government until the $300k is repaid. Thirdly you will give US taxpayers back a donation from our money that was given tout you? Fourth Kartel was not found innocent and he did not serve his time. He was sentenced to a minimum 35 years of which he did almost 13 years. His conviction was overturned on a legal technicality not that he was found innocent! He is not an innocent man or a man who has paid for his crimes! He should not be anywhere near our schools OR our kids being celebrated like a hero! This is nonsense and Natalio and the government should be ashamed of themselves! Not one of them will get my vote next election! No morals or ethics!
How kind of him to give us back a small portion of our own money.
The giving back needs to be $250,000 or more.