As the Red Stripe sponsorship withdrawal saga continues to unfold, the latest report in this newspaper last Friday was that a few prominent performers are actively pursuing putting on a massive free concert without Red Stripe's input or products.
Leading the charge is Beenie Man, immensely popular with the public inside and outside dancehall but notoriously unpopular among his dancehall colleagues. Coming out in support is Mr Personality, Elephant Man.
Dent
Oneil, from Voicemail pointed out that if the product ban was extended to more shows then a serious dent could be put in Red Stripe's revenue.
So what this is shaping up to be is a battle of power, the sponsor versus the artiste. And the artistes have a problem of unity to contend with. Of course, the ill feelings between the Alliance, of which Mavado is a part, and Beenie Man is well known.
So, in the end, where the balance of power will be shown to lie is anyone's guess. However, the elder Ninja Man pointed to the most logical route for the entertainers to take.
Constraints
He said, "It simple; wi get back to the days of the '80s, mek wi leggo di sponsorship an start promote wi own ting again without all the rules and constraints wey these sponsors come wid."
And that is indeed what it comes down to. In addition to that, less materialism would do wonders for the peeved performers' cause. The cost of one Range Rover would go a far way to putting on a major concert, would it not?
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