2 Guyanese artistes to get “opportunity of a lifetime” with Vybz Kartel collaboration

– auditions to be held in Guyana before Badderation concert in May

Jamaican Dancehall sensation Vybz Kartel has announced that he will be returning to Guyana to seek out local artistes to collaborate with on upcoming projects – an initiative that President Dr Irfaan Ali has described as an “opportunity of a lifetime.”
On Friday, President Ali facilitated an engagement session between Guyanese artistes and Vybz Kartel at State House. Kartel, formally known as Adidja Palmer, is in Georgetown to promote the launch of his STR8 VYBZ Rum. He is also slated to headline a major concert in Guyana in May.
During the interaction, Kartel announced plans to collaborate with a male and female Guyanese artiste.
“Me and the President had a reasoning earlier and we ah go do a showcase. So, Vybz Kartel will be coming back to Guyana before the [May] show, and we ah go do a showcase with just the artistes here, and two things are gonna come out of that – two collaborations. One with me and a man, and one with me and a woman. So, dat we ah deal with. We ah spread the love right across – not just [in] Jamaica, not just Miami, no! We here in Georgetown and we doing it big,” Kartel revealed to loud cheers from the gathering of local artistes at State House.

This collaboration will not just be on a song but also a music video, Kartel explained.
In fact, President Ali committed Government’s full support for this venture, stating that technical support will be provided for the creation of this music video, as well as the promotion of it.
On this note, the Head of State charged Guyanese artistes to begin preparations for the upcoming auction, in this once in a lifetime opportunity.
“Guys, you have to get to work now, get serious because we’ll have the audition here. You’ll have your opportunity of a lifetime to share the stage with Vybz, with all the international spotlight on you – but you have to get serious and sharpen up,” the President noted.
According to the president, Kartel’s life, trials, challenges, victories, and failures are an important showcase of how to overcome one’s situation and come out on top. He recognised the positive work that the Jamaican artiste has been doing over the past year following his release from prison in July 2024, after 13 years.
“Vybz… has been doing a lot of work on promoting positive living, mental health; supporting community plans and showing that the masculinity in men does not have to be strength and power but can be love, can be sharing, can be the softer side that is critical,” Ali noted.

Meanwhile, during his interaction with the Guyanese artistes, Vybz Kartel spoke about how music can help change certain social scourges such as bullying in schools and masculine toxicity.
“A lot of young men feel the need to push toxicity and mistake that with masculinity… You don’t have to be on the corner, smoking a big splif thinking that is manhood or that is manliness. You have to understand, you have one life and you have to use it wisely, because many of us get a second chance like Vybz Kartel.”
“So, moving forward now, we ah promote positivity, we ah promote love, we ah promote respect and we ah promote communication. Talk to one another; everything don’t have to end in a fist fight or a gun fight or a knife fight… Believe that you can be a man without having to take up a gun, take up a knife [or] shoot someone. And in everything, never leave God out of it,” the renowned artiste stated.
Vybz Kartel also addressed a number of issues raised and gave advice to young artistes on how to not only promote their music but also use it to drive change, especially among the youths.
“Music definitely can do a lot,” he said in response to a question about school bullying. He urged students to not be bystanders but take in action. “It needs a community, a group effort, so be aware kids. If you see bullying in schools do something about it [but] don’t get involve and be a bigger bully. Break it up or get a teacher [or] get someone in authority to come in and solve the situation,” he advised.
Meanwhile, at Friday’s launch of his STR8 VYBZ Rum in Guyana, Vybz Kartel promises “high-quality, high-energy” performance on May 2024 when he returns to Georgetown for the Badderation Concert that is being hosted by Hits & Jams Entertainment at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD).
Similarly, Kartel promises that his STR8 VYBZ Rum, which is being distributed in Guyana by A.S Bryden & Sons (Guyana) Inc., is high-quality. In fact, it was noted that dozens of bottles have already been sold out in Guyana.