Professionalism in the Dancehall: Is it lacking?
Written by Malessia Martin

Isn t it amazing how little we actually utilize our brains before taking certain courses of action? It is times like these that a time machine would come in handy. We could then change some of the ridiculous things we managed to do. Too often we people try to gain success at the expense of others. It follows, that whatever career path is chosen, professionalism is imperative at all times. This however was not to be the case at popular entertainer Bling Dawg s Summer Jam party.

This sixth staging of the show started out smoothly with performances from Sizzla Kolonji, Voicemail, Movado and others. All this niceness came to a halt when the Dub duo Twin of Twins graced the stage. Their performance was nothing more than verbal attack on the Doctor Beenie Man who is undoubtedly a dancehall icon! This of course did not go down very well with the patrons who responded in disgust - with booing. Twin of Twins responded by hurling obscene and obnoxious words, which angered the crowd. The show came to a premature end when audience started hurling projectiles on stage.. Artistes such as Bounty Killer, Wayne Marshall, Vibes Cartel, Busy Signal and Idonia were unable to perform because of the abrupt ending of the show.

Let s face it Twin of Twins have been around for quite some time but only got their big break like two years ago. It seems to me that they have run out of material and as such gnawing at a Super star like Beenie was just a desperate attempt to conceal their own inadequacies. Suffice to say Twin of Twins has cast a negative image of Bling Dawg s Summer Jam. Their behaviour perpetuates the stereotype of dancehall being vulgar and peripheral. At this stage the dancehall does not need this kind of disregard for the industry. With the negative perceptions held by powerful international groups - artistes need to maintain the highest level of professionalism.

For Jamaican entertainers a significant proportion of their success particularly the financial aspect is determined by how well they figure into the international market. They should also take into consideration that their demeanour out in the world impacts on Jamaican society on a whole. The simplest form of bad publicity can be like a virus that spreads through every institution, weakening and destroying the already fragile state of affairs in the island. Many may not look at it as unprofessional, but situations such as this put may alter the view of stage shows. For example, a tourists hearing of this incident may associate dancehall with hoodlum and hooliganism then that s how they re going to view the culture and the people. So a word of advice for entertainers think before you act, avoid making a mess that cannot be cleaned up.

The views expressed inside this editorial aren t necessarily the views of PeppaPot.com or its employees.