The Trinidad promoter behind the failed Vybz Kartel concert is now claiming that his life is in danger.
There has been a big uproar among concertgoers in Trinidad who feel fleeced after buying tickets to see Vybz Kartel headline the One Caribbean Music Festival concert last weekend on the Caribbean island.
Promoter Odane Anderson, head of Jacho Entertainment, has come under fire from the dancehall legend and the Trinidad government over the failed show as concertgoers demand a refund. Earlier this week, Vybz Kartel shared a video response explaining his no-show, citing a breach of contractual agreement. Other artists like Sizzla Kalonji’s camp have also echoed similar sentiments.
According to reports, Kartel was contracted to perform at the event for a booking fee of US$1.35 million. Reports suggested that he had received US$950,000 of the amount. Other dancehall artists were booked for the show, like Rvssian, Sizzla, Malie Donn, and Chronic Law.
The Trinidad Ministry and Finance have since launched a probe into the concert dispute amid ongoing backlash from ticket holders and the artists. Finance Minister Davendranath Tancoo raised concerns over the foreign currency payment amid ongoing foreign exchange challenges in that country.
Anderson spoke to the Trinidad Guardian, alleging his life is now in danger of the dispute.
“Kartel said the fans get robbed, his supporters get robbed,” the promoter said. “I get robbed too because right now my life is in danger because of borrowing investors’ money; (I) cannot pay it back. The shareholders have to get paid. Other service suppliers have to get paid. So, my next step is to try to find common grounds to work it out.”
The promoter says he had no issue with Kartel pulling the plug on the performance but took issue with the timing of his cancellation.
“My problem is not him cancelling, my problem is the time he do it,” Anderson continues. “If he knew he was uncomfortable with the Government restriction on him, I find weeks before or days before he could have said it and make a notice to the public, ‘Well, I’m not comfortable performing in Trinidad at the moment because of the stance the Government take’ and I would make preparations to postpone the show to move forward.”
Vybz Kartel maintains that he did nothing wrong and had no issue with the Trinidad government and places the blame squarely on the promoter’s breach of contract and adding things to his itinerary that had nothing to do with his performance at the event.