The saga continues in the Christopher “DUDUS” Coke drama (yes I call it drama because the script was written by … and so many role players involved), now a US Newspaper is claiming that some of Jamaica’s top artistes are linked to the DON. One will ask where is the evidence to back up their claims? If you are going to wag your fingers and name names then at least produce the evidence.

You may be wondering what I’m rambling about, its about an article I read in the Jamaica Observer, which states that popular US newspaper has linked the names of deejays with former Tivoli strongman Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke but offered no evidence for its claim, which International Reggae Day founder Andrea Davis called unfortunate for the industry.

The lengthy article, entitled ‘The Great Dancehall Freeze-Out of 2010′, published June 29 in the liberal, New York-based Village Voice claimed that “some cite perceived ties to Coke, whose entertainment company stages Kingston’s annual Champions in Action concert” as the reason for “those artists now remain(ing) sidelined from US travel”.

The deejays referred to in the article are Aidonia, Beenie Man, Bounty Killer, and Mavado whose US visas were revoked in April. The Observer was unable, up to press time, to contact the artistes or their management for comment. The US Embassy has not revealed why it revoked the visas of these artistes citing issues of confidentiality. The writer, Jesse Serwer, did not substantiate the claim or quote sources despite the article’s intent to explain why “many of Jamaica’s biggest acts [are] now barred from entering the US?”

Davis, not commenting on the assertion posited in the article, said that it would further sully Jamaica’s image. She, however, added that Jamaica’s high murder rate and aggression make such articles easy to be believed.

“Forget about the (Village Voice) for a second, yes it is bad public relations, but we are a society that is brutalised by violence. So, long before we talk about record sales, Billboard or this Village Voice article, we have to clean up for the sustainability of our society because Jamaica is falling apart,” she stated.

Business and entertainment activities in the capital city came to a halt in May after heavily armed thugs attempted to prevent members of the security forces from accessing a barricaded Tivoli Gardens in West Kingston to serve an arrest warrant on alleged drug baron Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke. More than 70 persons, including two policemen and a soldier, were killed during the unrest, which lasted for three days. The unrest gained attention from the international media, making headlines across the globe.

On June 24 Coke was eventually extradited to the US.

“The last few weeks have definitely created a negative light on not only the music brand but the country’s brand and this article will not help. But I don’t think that we are out of the game yet and it is time for us to step up more than ever. We spend so much time celebrating the negative and disposable music when there is a whole stream of new music, in the tradition of Marley, and they [are] not getting the airplay. The media has a role to play in this,” stated Davis. “There is a new generation of positive music.

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