Cayman approves banned artist

(CMR) Jamaica dancehall artist Skeng, who is slated to perform in Cayman in August, has been banned from performing publicly in Guyana after gunshots were fired while he was performing at a concert in Georgetown last month.

The Cayman Music & Entertainment Association (CMEA) is required to endorse a person who works in the entertainment industry before a permit is granted; it is not clear if this has already happened for this artist.

According to reports, Skeng (21), whose real name is Kevaun Douglas, was approximately 15 minutes into his set when an unidentified patron discharged his firearm in a gun salute as he performed Protocol.

Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn announced that the artist had been banned from performing publicly in Guyana, adding that a similar stance would be taken against other artists promoting vulgarity and gun violence at public events and on the airwaves.

“No artiste like Skeng will ever come again into this country under the signature of any person from the Ministry of Home Affairs or from the Guyana Police Force,” Benn said at a Guyana Police Force (GPF) Community Relations Department meeting recently.

“Any artist who has a record of promoting vulgar and lawless behavior, including the firing of gunshots in public places, will not be granted permission to appear on a public stage. They could still make private club appearances and behave as badly as they want,” Benn added.

According to a Jamaica Observer report, Skeng and his management have distanced themselves from the shooting. The report also stated that Skeng has recently been at the center of controversy after being charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston while trying to board a plane to Trinidad and Tobago. He is expected to go before the court on that issue on 21 June.

Supporters have since said the artist cannot be blamed for Guyana's social problems and that banning him would not solve the country's crimes.

Skeng is not the first Jamaican to be banned in Guyana. In 2008, Mavado and Bounty Killer were temporarily banned after a concert they headlined ended abruptly following sporadic gunshots. Three years later, dancehall act Vybz Kartel's songs were banned from radio.