Valiant pleased with Caribbean tour - Makes it his duty to give back to communities in Guyana

Rising dancehall sensation Valiant and his team are overwhelmed by the level of support he received on the Guyana stop of his Caribbean tour.

He performed to a sold-out crowd in Guyana, twice, in less than a month, which is considered ground-breaking and a first in the country. Valiant and Stalk Ashley were both invited by one of Guyana's premier promotional companies, Slingerz Family Entertainment, for its Westside Mashramani Weekend event.

Speaking to THE STAR, the deejay said that the Caribbean tour is going "better than expected".

"All ah my songs seem to be popular where we have gone already and the support has been very great. Me and my team don't plan on easing up anytime soon. It was actually my second time there and both times it was welcoming," Valiant shared.

Songs such as Speed Off, Dunce Cheque and Glock 40 have been earning the artiste encore performances. However, one thing he wants to receive as much attention as his music are his philanthropic efforts, and he made it a duty to visit several communities across Guyana including Regent Street, Tiger Bay, Albouystown, Stabroek Market and Leopold Street prior to the event. He wanted to show his appreciation through monetary gifts, taking photos, speaking and engaging fans throughout the communities.

MAXIMISING POTENTIAL

Valiant's desire to show young people the benefits of following their dreams and maximising their potential was the driving force behind the initiative.

He said, "Giving back [is] important. The support has always been massive, since my first visit it was always in my intentions to give back to the people who have been supporting me especially the kids because it gives them hope. Lots of respect to Slingerz Family Entertainment for making this possible."

At the start of 2023, Vogue magazine named Valiant, given name Raheem Bowes, an artiste to take over, which he said has had major impact on his career. He is seeing the results based on the number of international labels that have reached out.

"My music is soulful and melodic, pleasing to the ear. It's the new age of raw dancehall filled with melodies, something that is not heard very often. [So] lots of labels had been reaching out before and after Vogue say that, but also a lot of international opportunities for collabs. Look out for a few big surprises for 2023," Valiant said. Kevin Balgobin of Slingerz Entertainment said in five years, Valiant is going to be a household name because of his consistency.

Valiant is further scheduled to perform in Barbados, Grenada, Bermuda, St Maarten, St Lucia, St Vincent and Trinidad over the coming months, and will announce dates for his Canada, US and UK tour schedule. He continues to dominate trending charts. His single Rasta, which was released on Sunday, is trending at the number four position on YouTube.

"He has the drive, he's determined, a perfectionist and he is going to be the biggest name and I wanted him to see how people in the streets love him. Some artistes, and Jamaicans, don't even know how big dancehall music is here," Balgobin said.