Kartel’s ‘voice’ at Sumfest 2012

As stated on his book cover, ‘Incarcerated but not silenced’, Vybz Kartel will be miles away in confinement at the Horizon Adult Remand Center, but his voice may be louder than ever at Catherine Hall, Montego Bay.

His book The Voice of the Jamaican Ghetto will be sold to patrons with a special twist that only a Vybz Kartel team could come up with.

Keecha Gooch, chief creative officer of Whirlwind Entertainment Group, the company tasked with managing the book’s operation, explained, “As soon as Addi is legally able, he will be hosting a private reading and reasoning session on the book with five patrons who purchase the book at Sumfest and are selected from a drawing for those who enter.”

“Also, those five patrons will be among the first set to have signed copies by Addi with certificates of authenticity when he is legally able – any of the first signed copies will be worth millions in the near future,” she added.

Furthermore, Kartel’s team has announced the Summer Reading Essay Contest which will see the publishing company awarding five prizes of $10,000 each to entrants between the ages of 18 and 21 who submit a 500-word essay on ways in which this book can help Jamaica.

Improving lives

“Part of the book’s initiative is to establish what Kartel calls ‘family reading nights’. Kartel firmly believes that, if we are going to start improving the lives of ghetto people, it is going to start with the family and education. He is encouraging all his fans to dedicate at least one hour on a Tuesday or Thursday to read as a family together. It does not have to be his book, just something of substance; though he believes his book has topics that the family should read together”, co-author Michael Dawson explained.

Between 6 and 10 p.m., on a Tuesday or Thursday, Kartel expects all Gaza fans to engage in reading with their families. It is all he asks of fans right now, to be good to their children, read to them and cherish every moment.

“This is just the first of many plans that he had envisioned before his incarceration. We are starting with ‘Family Reading Night’, and then there will be scholarship programmes through Gaza Education and Literacy (GEL). Again, Kartel detractors are going to view this as a publicity stunt, but GEL was announced by him in May of last year. I think Jamaica has simply not seen anything yet. They are going to be amazed by the positive changes that are going to be effected through this book and Vybz Kartel. Remember, never judge a book by its cover,” Dawson added.

Kartel’s voice will certainly be loud at Sumfest, not only are his protegés Popcaan and Tommy Lee two of the biggest attractions this year, but his book and his influence will hover over the proceedings. There was also a Montego Bay book launch on Thursday, Dancehall Night, at the El Paso Clothing Store in the heart of Sam Sharpe Square.

Sam Sharpe is one of Kartel’s idols and was discussed in the book, so the venue was quite fitting for the occasion.

(from dancehallstars.com)