(Trinidad Guardian) Multi-platinum Grammy Award-winning dancehall artiste Sean Paul Henriques is once again advising Trinibad artistes to strike a balance with their music instead of focusing only on the negative.
He made the statement after he was asked about the situation facing Trinibad artiste Kashif “Kman 6ixx” Sankar, who has been banned from performing in Grenada, Guyana and several regional territories after surviving a deadly drive-by shooting on a highway on his return to T&T from performing in neighbouring Barbados. Sankar was also recently charged with being affiliated to a gang.
In a Zoom interview during the COVID-19 pandemic, Sean Paul had advised Trinibad acts to “balance their catalogue with positive messages.”
After appearing at the Island Music Conference on Saturday for a one-on-one conversation with Jamaican publicist and co-founder of the conference Judith Bodley, he was asked again about the situation and any possible advice he could offer to artistes in that position.
He said: “People will do what dem want to do. You cyan lead the horse to the water, but you cyan make dem drink it, yuh see …
“Me cyan only tell yuh de truth wey me know. Writing and singing and speaking about violence brings it into your life more so, that’s all I can say. He must weigh him life and the people around him and his family and know there’s steps that he can take—where he has opportunities and doors open to him now—me na tell him fi sell out—he afi do what is true to him, but at the same point in time, well if we are gonna be artistes that reflect life, reflect some ah the light too cause everything that is dark is not the whole truth. There is always light as well and we should speak about that as well as artistes.”
Sean Paul praised and thanked the people of T&T for supporting reggae and dancehall music and culture and said he was looking forward to returning to the country soon. He said he had representatives recently for T&T Carnival 2024.
“My wife came down for the Carnival just the other day, so I sent representatives, but ah doh reach yet and she bring back couple doubles fi me so I was satisfied ah lickle bit, but ah wan come thru. It’s always been a territory that has supported reggae and dancehall … and my music especially too, so big up Trinidad and we soon forward.”
Scores of entertainment industry personnel from around the Caribbean and even as far as Zimbabwe assembled in Kingston, Jamaica, last week for the sophomore edition of the five-day Island Music Conference, which hosted by Diamond-selling, Grammy Award winning superstar Orville “Shaggy” Burrell, alongside co-founders Sharon Burke and Judith Bodley.
The seminar featured informative and interactive panel discussions daily with several showcase and performance events nightly, including the launch of Teejay’s new EP, I Am Chippy, and an engaging concert featuring up and coming young acts alongside regional and international stars such as Wyclef Jean, Stonebwoy, Yohann Marley and others.