A woman dropped to all fours in the VVIP section — skirt hiked — and crawled, danced and howled across the plastic flooring at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port of Spain, as if possessed.
Nobody flinched. Nobody blinked. It was that kind of Saturday night.
That now-viral moment from the One Caribbean Music Festival captured the chaos and immense frustration that blanketed the event after a cascade of cancellations from the advertised cast.
Headliner Vybz Kartel (Adidja Palmer) was the first to pull out. He was soon followed by Ghanaian American artiste MOLIY (Molly Ama Montgomery), reggae icon Sizzla Kalonji (Miguel Collins), and Jamaican dancehall acts Malie Donn (Kimalie Hylton) and Rvssian (Tarik Johnston). Each exit came with the same refrain—breaches in contractual agreements by the promoter.
Fans left reeling
The Savannah was well laid out, boasting elevated VIP platforms and a visually striking stage complete with a futuristic spaceman. But that just made Kartel’s absence sting more.
The “Amout” singer had been cleared to enter the country, after Government restrictions on his itinerary and song selection.
Then in a dramatic twist, the “Gaza Boss” pulled the plug just hours before showtime.
In a statement issued Saturday afternoon, Kartel’s management cited non-fulfilment of contractual obligations. This, despite promoter JACHO Entertainment’s statement that US$950,000 had already been paid directly to the artiste, with an additional US$150,000 sent to his legal team. According to Kartel, the final instalment was never delivered.
In an Instagram video, Kartel placed the blame squarely on the organisers: “You missed deadline after deadline. I begged for you. You’re bringing me now in a loggerhead with the Government of Trinidad…Not every promoter can manage Vybz Kartel. It takes a lot.”
Kartel also said he personally discouraged JACHO from hosting the event during Carnival earlier this year.
“I said don’t mess with the culture. Carnival is Trinidad’s thing. Let them do their thing,” he said.
The show, originally set for Fantastic Friday—Carnival Friday—was quietly rescheduled to May 31 after fierce backlash from the public and industry insiders who felt dancehall had no place in the middle of the annual festival.
Finance Minister Davendranath Tancoo said he has requested the Ministry of Finance to investigate and report on the quantity of foreign exchange mentioned in the media reports relating to the concert.
“Just to be clear, this is a fact-finding effort. Our Prime Minister and Government is fully supportive of private sector development of foreign exchange generators, including the commercialisation of the music and entertainment industry towards greater contribution to our country’s Gross Domestic Product. We will share the results of this enquiry when we get same,” he stated in a WhatsApp mesage to the Express.
Uncertainty the only certainty
On Saturday night, fans arrived at the Savannah unsure of what, if anything, would unfold. The show began after 1 a.m. with Guinness World Record pannist Joshua Regrello attempting to open with improvised tenor pan riffs atop dancehall riddims. He was met with stiff silence—until he delivered this line: “At least you know I real brave. They put me in front a setta angry Trinis who watching me vex and I come out and perform.”
That moment cracked the tension. Karma the Band, led by Ravi B, followed with guest performances from KMC and Iwer George. KMC worked overtime to engage the restless crowd with classics like “3 Miles”, “First Experience” and “Bashment to Carnival”.
“Trinidad, I love allyuh. I would never do allyuh dat,” KMC said, referencing Kartel’s withdrawal.
Ravi B leaned into his rum-soaked catalogue “Rum Is Meh Lover”, “Prescription” and “Drinka” to loosen the audience further. It worked—for a while. But whatever goodwill had been gained vanished during an extended and unexplained DJ set that followed.
Many patrons were unaware that singer MOLIY had also pulled out of the concert. In a statement, the “Shake it to the Max” singer’s team explained:
“MOLIY arrived in Trinidad ready and excited to perform, but since landing, her team has not received any communication from the festival organisers. Combined with their failure to meet key obligations, this has made it impossible for the performance to proceed.”
Sizzla Kalonji, who was already in Trinidad with his full band, released a statement of his own Saturday night:
“After weeks of back-and-forth communication and multiple attempts to resolve pending financial issues, Sizzla has made the difficult decision to withdraw from the vent due to the promoter’s failure to meet key terms outlined in the performance agreement,” the release stated.
Saving face
While major names exited stage left, one Jamaican dancehall act stepped forward: Chronic Law.
The Jamaican DJ brought energy and a slew of hits, including “Empty” “Walk With Faith” and “Legend.”
“Mi no like di situation, but wha mi go do? Stay in mi hotel lock up? Mi cyah dweet. Mi have to come out and represent di people,” he told fans, who roared in appreciation.
Lady Lava further unleashed pent-up emotions with her defiant anthems “Ring Finger,” “Bare Bounce” and “Bob the Builder” that lit up the Savannah.
There was no final announcement to close the night. The event simply fizzled out. And with security nowhere in sight, exiting the Savannah became equally chaotic. Cars jostled, stalled and jammed for hours with no clear direction.
It was an unravelling that mirrored the night itself: disjointed, unsatisfying, and marred by broken promises.
JAHCO Entertainment could not be reached for comment yesterday.
