Wednesday, September 11, 2024

NATASHA WILLIAMS STAR Writer F ol lowing recent comments in an interview that he supports the People’s National Party (PNP), fans of Vybz Kartel are anticipating that he will make an appearance at the PNP’s 86th Annual Conference this Sunday. The artiste, who is known for his styles, slangs, spurred another fashion trend when he stepped out from behind prison bars in his orange handkerchief tied around his face and mouth – orange being the primary colour of the PNP. In the aforementioned interview, the artiste, in addition to the public endorsement of the PNP, said he was open to representing the people in the political arena. PNP General Secretary, Dayton Campbell, said he respects the mileage Vybz Kartel still has within the music space despite being formerly incarcerated. “I think his musical repertoire is extensive. He is ahead of his time – a generational talent that has done tremendously well and clearly has a solid fan base who is very loyal to him. His talent is clearly undeniable. Even without being a free man, he stayed current and ensured that he was still [Caribbean Music Award’s] ‘Artiste of the Decade’ with millions of streams on different platforms. So clearly, he’s a generational talent and someone we wish well, especially in relation to health,” Campbell told THE STAR . “We’d want him to do positive music to allow his influence on the population to be one that he can be proud of and the rest of the population can be proud of, and that he’ll live a long, healthy life and be a positive influence on society.” When pressed if the PNP would extend an invitation to Vybz Kartel at the party’s upcoming conference, he replied: “If he is willing to endorse the party, I’m certainly welcoming of it. We’ll take an endorsement from any well-thinking Jamaican,” he said. Though Campbell said he’s not aware of the deejay making an appearance at the conference, he implores other artistes and “all Jamaicans” to come out to the conference this Sunday. With reggae stalwart Buju Banton making an appearance at last year’s conference, the expectations are brewing as to who will be the entertainer to represent this year. “This year we haven’t made any such arrangement, but it’s the people’s party, so anybody may turn up. But our focus is on our comrade leader [party leader Mark Golding] speaking to where our future PNP government is taking the country. We consider ourselves the people’s party – we’re the ones who give the power to the people, so we are welcoming of all well-thinking Jamaicans,” he said. “We’ve always been the party to fight for the country and an entertainment industry. It is one with tremendous potential to earn… so we are always welcoming to persons who practise their trade in those industries and any form of endorsement is welcomed,” he said. The political landscape, especially around the election period, has always merged with the entertainment sector to create lyrically charged songs with political references for each group. With artistes from both the reggae and dancehall genres representing through their music, the parties’ candidates are always pumped up with the entertaining elements that this creative initiative brings to their political campaigns. 10 THE STAR ENTERTAINMENT • Wednesday, September 11, 2024 @JamaicaStar www.facebook.com/JamaicaStar • www.jamaica-star.com Vybz Kartel ‘welcome’ at PNP conference, says Campbell Vybz Kartel (right) sporting his now famous orange handkerchief as he walked free. R icaRdo M akyn