Dancehall Gully Gad Mavado performs in Cayman for the first time last week Friday (May 27).
Cayman is among a slew of Caribbean islands that lift their ban on the dancehall deejay, paving the way for Vado to perform live for fans across the region.
Mavado arrived in Cayman on Thursday to a welcome party at Margaritaville, and on Friday he made a number of radio and television appearances to promote his show. Peep video below.
“It’s the shortest plane ride from Jamaica, and with are so many Jamaicans there its kinda crazy that its actually my first time in Cayman,” said Mavado. “The response from the fans was great as usual. It’s a beautiful, very clean island, and I was determined to deliver a performance that reflected that. Everyone left the concert very happy, including the authorities that attended to monitor the event, so we are looking forward to returning to Cayman in the near future. Just got to big up the promoters for working hard to make it happen.” The promoters were also reportedly pleased with the concert and Mavado’s professional conduct throughout his stay in Cayman.
Mavado manager Julian Jones-Griffiths also weighed in on the performance.
“It was a long process to get Mavado cleared for entry into Cayman but judging by the fans reaction and the fact that the show was incident-free, as we were confident it would be, its definitely been worth the wait,” said manager Julian Jones-Griffith. “Mavado doesn’t have a police record which is one of the major requirements for gaining a work visa for Cayman. When we arrived I attended a top level meeting with senior representatives from Cayman’s police, immigration and intelligence units just to reassure them we were all on the same page. Our intention whenever we travel is to obey the laws of the land and give a good clean show for the thousands of fans who support Mavado. It does place an extra burden on the promoters as rumours that Mavado wont be allowed into the country are rife until he clears the airport. Ticket sales are always slow until people actually see Mavado in the country so it creates a last minute rush and Mavado has to work extra hard to promote the show upon his arrival.“
Including Cayman Islands, Trinidad, Guyana and Barbados also recently lifted their bans on the deejay.
