André Jebbinson, Staff Reporter

Prodigal - Contributed

Cable and Wireless recently added Prodigal, dancehall gospel artiste, to the list of entertainers who are aboard the "feel good" campaign.

"It's an honour and it feels good that the hard work is paying off. I can say yes, they looking in the direction of righteousness," Prodigal said.

Big artistes such as Beenie Man, Bounty Killer, Voicemail and a few more have signed with Bmobile, but that is nothing out of the ordinary. Big secular entertainers are expected to ink big endorsement deals because of their wide fan base. This move is, however, an unprecedented one since Prodigal is the first gospel artiste to accomplish this feat.

"We didn't make a decision to branch out but from what we see, Prodigal is a great artiste and thought it would be good to have him on," said Kevin Barton, head of mobile marketing at Cable and Wireless.

Last week at Prodigal's annual show, Recharge, the banners bearing the face of the 'radikal' Christian were revealed. This is something the gospel fraternity welcomes as it mean gospel artistes are having more of a presence with sponsors. Bmobile was also a sponsor of the show. As part of the deal, Bmobile endorses all of Prodigal's projects. Prodigal also gets to sport a Blackberry cellphone from which his calls are free.

"We have mutual benefits. It enhances my portfolio and others get the opportunity to see that we can have an impact on the country. It shows that Bmobile is also seeking to add moral values to the country," Prodigal said.

Barton agreed by saying Prodigal's message is positive. He said he has only been in Jamaica for about a year but has heard only positive thing from colleague and others about Prodigal.

"He is not only able to manage his own career, but to put on a show like Recharge is really good," Barton said. "We want to be associated with those who can represent our brand and do it well."