Marlon “Icon” Samuels Declares Himself Ambassador, “Son Of The Soil”, Of St. Vincent & The Grenadines
Former West Indies cricketer turned Dancehall artist Marlon “Icon” Samuels, declared himself a “son of the soil” and an ambassador for St. Vincent and the Grenadines, in a promotional video produced by the country’s Tourism Authority.
Samuels, who recently accompanied Vybz Kartel to St. Vincent for medical treatment, is the second Jamaican Dancehall figure to publicly endorse Vincy tourism.
In the video, Samuels spoke of not only the beauty of St Vincent and the Grenadines but also the improved accessibility to the country from the United States.
“Hi, I’m Marlon Samuels. I’m here in the beautiful island of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. It’s such a wonderful place. Back then it was a little bit challenging to get here. From then to now it’s been a hidden gem. But it’s much easier to get here now, to see the 32 islands, unlimited keys,” the Kingston native said in the video.
“You can now leave from New York, straight to St. Vincent, carrying other international airports, and you can fly from Miami straight to St. Vincent. I’m definitely an ambassador of St. Vincent. I’m from Jamaica, where you’ve got a lot of beaches, you have mountains, very beautiful island,” he added.
The Tourism Authority captioned the post, which showed aerial footage of various parts of the islands: “Marlon Samuels shares his love for the ‘hidden gem’ that is St. Vincent and The Grenadines – The Caribbean you’re looking for”.
Over the past several years, influential Hip Hop and Rap figures have increasingly used their platforms to spotlight the beauty, people, and culture of Jamaica which is known for attracting Hollywood stars and prominent figures in the music industry.
Jamaica has become a playground for younger celebrities such as Future, 2 Chainz, Quavo, and Lil Boosie. Additionally, global superstar Rihanna has shown considerable affection for the island nation.
In light of this, Samuels extended an invitation to the international stars who frequently visit Jamaica, encouraging them to also explore St. Vincent and the Grenadines. He also expressed his desire for the country to experience the same financial benefits from tourism as Jamaica.
“You all are welcome here. Jamaica has made $2 million in January and February with tourism. And I’m looking forward and I’m wishing that St. Vincent starts seeing those traffic coming here also. And all those stars that come to Jamaica. This is definitely a destination that you have to come before you all leave this beautiful earth. St. Vincent and the Grenadines, I am now officially a son of the soil,” he said.
Whilst paying homage to his birthplace, Jamaica, Samuels noted that, “there’s a little bit of uniqueness about St. Vincent”.
“Because you have the main island, where you have beach, you have white sand beach, black sand beach, you have the volcano. There’s so much attraction here to see. There’s so much to do, and if you want you can go on the boat and go and see the keys. You can see Bequia. There’s so much here to see,” he said.