The Great Dancehall Freeze-Out of 2010
The Great Dancehall Freeze-Out of 2010
When word spread on April 1 that the U.S. Embassy in Kingston was stripping dancehall stars Aidonia, Beenie Man, Bounty Killer, and Mavado of their visas, many Jamaicans figured the news for a joke—just more fodder for Clovis, the Jamaica Observer cartoonist whose satirical barbs target trouble-prone musicians just as often as inept politicians. For the artists themselves, though, it was no laughing matter. “It was a big shock for us,” says Lav Lawrence, Aidonia’s brother/manager. “These are maybe four of the five top artists right now. They’re ambassadors for the country.”