Dancehall Artists React To Tourism Minister’s $500 Million Comment

Jamaica’s Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett is being taken to task by Dancehall artists and their music industry colleagues after he, according to the Jamaica Observer, “claimed that local players in the entertainment sector have earned some $500 million for the provision of services to hotels” from January to May.

Bartlett had told reporters in Montego Bay on Sunday that the tourism industry was bouncing back and that over the last five months the “entertainment sector, where nearly $500 million has actually been expended to provide entertainment services into hotels to guests who come in,” had benefitted immensely.

“So, Jamaican musicians, Jamaican artistes, Jamaican singers, Jamaican bands, and so on have all become part of this, and we made a big thing of it because it is important,” Bartlett said.

Bartlett had also said that since the start of the year, Jamaica has welcomed more than 400,000 visitors and that as tourist arrivals increase and hotel occupancy grows, “then our involvement with the entertainment industry is going to expand”.

But over on ZJ Sparks Instagram where excerpts of Bartlett’s comments associated with the article titled Entertainers earning big bucks as tourism rebounds- Bartlett, were shared, Dancehall artists said they had no clue about what the Tourism Minister was talking about, as neither they nor any other entertainer that they knew had benefited from the half-a-billion dollars.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CP0gxG0HmRR/

Singjay Ce’cile pointed out that Bartlett’s comments were ‘news’ to her.

“Me know mi nuh earn one cent,” she wrote.

Beenie Man laughed, while Mr. Lexx declared in mock astonishment: “Pupah Geezas… Den a which industry me ina????”

Lexx then added: “Ooooh… a nuh ova our path him a talk… a di ppl dem weh sing an perform a di hotel dem.. I think… 🤔 or maybe I didn’t actually see 0.5 billion which is 500 million… either way it still sound like lie,” he jeered.

Popular dancehall selector Richie Feelings, also joined in with a query of his own.

“Local players like who?” Richie asked, to which bloodlinefranco responded sarastically: “@richiefeelings1 Rick from uppa Ricks Café” referencing the illegal Mocha Fest party held in West End Negril just over two weeks ago.

Irie FM disc jockey DJ Amber, who is also an event promoter, demanded that Bartlett disclose the identities of the artists he claimed were ‘raking in the dough’.

“Name them. And who cares anyway when entertainment industry players who are not contracted by hotels still hungry and tiad a di lock down on dem income,” she declared.

Comedian Tripple X was just as strident in his remarks, as he drove home the point that and that he found Bartlett’s statements to be not only incredible, but highly exaggerated.

“That is most definitely inflated…. first of all the vast majority of entertainment provided at hotels are dome by there contracted staff.. whom are grossly underpaid….. and when they outsource …. the low ball entertainers worse now in the pandemic…. so there is no way that 500 million dollars have been paid out…,” he said.

“So when the minister claims 500 million was paid by the hotels to the entertainment providers… we who know better know that those numbers are inflated not only to make them look good … but to also give the hotel industry tax Wright offs,” he added.

Tripple X also said he had first-hand knowledge that entertainment coordinators in the hotels were poorly paid.

“I know for a fact that entertainment coordinators dont earn shit from those hotels… as i have been offered several positions and mi haffy laugh at the salary proposed……. so if u see people wid big house and bus…. anuh the hotels put that directly in there pockets… the majority of that is tips earned from gratitude,” he said.

Canada-based wizologyshow also expressed disdain that the Government of Jamaica was allowing hotels to import dancers from overseas and Michael Jackson impersonators to make up the nightly entertainment package at their properties, instead of booking Jamaican recording artistes.

“Every Resort I been to in Jamaica could of and should of had a Jamaican Artist Perform that would of been better than the fake Michael Jacksons they have wearing make up all over the place and the importing of other island dancers…thats just my opinion from a Canadian tourist perspective…but i don’t speak for all ..same goes for the food…people want what Jamaica has to offer and if u go to the resort u dont usually get that unless u go into the island,” he argued.

Another overseas follower, steadyskitchen_nyc disputed Bartlett’s assertions, declaring that it was foreign disc jockeys who were being flown into the island provide the music at all the hotels’ major parties and not Jamaican nationals.

“Lmfaooooooooooooo LIES. Ah nuff NY dj’s mi see ah get “flewed out” to the big private party dem, weh dem ah keep at di hotel dem. Gweh!!!!” he said.

There were also commenters who chose to ridicule the Andrew Holness administration.

“Look like the govt preeing them calculator upside down 🙄,” colinrootz said.

“Jamaica has always been a trendsetter, we are now the only country in the world with invisible entertainers,” l.duane_james quipped.