Kartel promotes St Vincent as perfect getaway

Dancehall superstar Vybz Kartel has endorsed St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) as a 'nice Caribbean getaway'.

In a 25-second video posted on social media, with his Summer Time instrumental setting the tone in the background, the artiste appealed to persons who are seeking to spend their vacation in the Caribbean, to make SVG their place of choice.

"Hey, planning a vacation? Wanna spend time in a nice Caribbean getaway? This is Vybz Kartel and take my advice -- come to St Vincent and the Grenadines, Yuh know a mean? Doh? Oh," the deejay said while flashing his 'Gaza sign' across the screen before he stepped out of the shot and allowed the lush mountainous trees, clear blue sea and scenic views to capture the minds of his intended audience.

The Fever deejay, who recently visited the eastern Caribbean country, has been trending with his regular updates of his time spent in the country. Renowned for its yacht-filled harbours, luxurious private islands, and striking volcanic landscapes, SVG is regarded as an ideal destination for sailing enthusiasts.

Carlos James, SVG's tourism minister, said the short 'advertisement' done by Vybz Kartel was not part of a formal arrangement involving the government. Rather, he said Vybz Kartel was moved by the "great treatment" he received there and it was his way of showing appreciation.

"The video speaks for itself. The man [Kartel] loves the place and that's just really what there is to it. I'm happy that he enjoyed his time here and I'm inviting more Jamaicans to come and visit; come and see what he's talking about and enjoy it - get the experience as well," James told THE STAR.

Just over 206,700 tourists visited SVG between January and May this year. Visitor arrival for 2023 was 394,000. Comparatively, Jamaica welcomed two million visitors during the January to May period this year.

Meanwhile, James said that the influence that Vybz Kartel has would cause an "inevitable increase" in whatever the powerful deejay is involved in.

"Naturally, as you notice, anything that is put out there from Kartel is doing well, he's just a phenomenal person and an interesting study," James said.

The musical impact and influence the artiste has on the 'Vincy' market is vast according to the tourism minister who shared that "Kartel is a big deal globally, not just in St Vincent [where] he is very popular among the youths".

"Dancehall is a big part of our cultural landscape but for tourism, Vincy Mas is what really drives people here for festival tourism. Vincy is really the home of ragga soca so [dancehall] is a fusion of it; and Kartel is so versatile that even a lot of his rhythms are pretty much resonating within that soca genre in itself," James said during a previous interview with THE STAR

The formerly incarcerated deejay who had missed almost 13-years of the world's happenings, also shared that a part of his visit to SVG was to "take a mental break from Jamaica," the place where all that time was lost, as he slowly redeems himself and recharges his energy while focusing on his family and health. Vybz Kartel has been back home and is also celebrating the accomplishment of his 2016 single, Fever, hitting one million streams on Spotify.

The artiste is set to perform at his upcoming 'Freedom Street' concert on December 31, 2024 - a highly anticipated one-night event starring 'Vybz Kartel and Friends in concert'.