PROMOTERS SUPRISED BY BOUNTY KILLER AND MAVADO BANS

Deejays Bounty Killer and Mavado, has been banned from entering the Guyana, the country's Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee, said yesterday.

A report from the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC), quoted Rohee as saying that Bounty Killer, whose real name is Rodney Price, is known for his lyrics glorifying guns and bashing gays while Mavado is a security risk.

With Jamaicans Bounty Killer and Mavado now banned from the country for security reasons the promoter of a show this weekend which was to feature the latter yesterday expressed his dismay and said the move was unfair. Mavado was scheduled to perform at an upcoming show this weekend in Linden which was being promoted by Ryan Apple but arrangements have since been made for another Jamaican, dancehall king, Beenie Man to be here instead.

Apple referred to the ban as “an unjustified and unfair move by the government that ignores the investment made”. He said government appears to be putting Mavado in a box by pointing to a few of his songs, adding that the artiste has a variety of music that speaks to other things, and has wide appeal. When the ban announcement was made only security concerns were mentioned.

“I find it strange that government is moving to ban an artiste that was here last year and sang those very songs that are now popular and someone whose music receives much airplay. They have no idea how many persons came in for Linden town day to see Mavado and the efforts that were put into the promotion”, Apple stated.

Though no official word has reached him on the ban Apple said he has already made contact with Jamaica and according to him, they were not as stunned as him. He said that discussions were held in advance with Mavado’s people about how sensitive the local atmosphere is right now.

Julian Jones Griffith of The Alliance agency in Jamaica which manages both Bounty Killer and Movado declined to comment from the island on the ban when contacted yesterday saying, “I have nothing to say”. Sources on the island said the agency was shocked and unhappy with the recent developments.

Apple said that if government had issued guidelines for the Linden show instead of banning the artiste, he would have abided by them. He added that the security concerns being cited need to be elaborated upon.

In announcing the ban on Monday on Bounty Killer and Mavado, Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee said his ministry had exercised a lot of patience with entertainment organizers over the types of shows they hold here, pointing out that not long ago the authorities had sat down with some of the organizers to draft a set of conditions by which shows would be guided. But he noted that these conditions had not been upheld and as such they were blacklisting Bounty Killer and Mavado.

SOURCE:stabroeknews.com

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