Minister of Tourism for St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), Carlos James, said since dancehall hitmaker Vybz Kartel 'touch down' in 'Vincy,' the country has been "trending number one on social media". James told THE STAR that the deejay is enjoying his stay while meeting with major dignitaries. "He's having a really good time and I'm not sure he's coming back," he joked.
"We are delighted to welcome Mr Adidja Palmer to St Vincent and the Grenadines and we are pleased to provide the most comfortable and tranquil environment for Mr Palmer as he embarks on a new chapter in his life. He's here and we happily welcomed him; he may or may not look on the issue of his medical but it's not for me to comment on that." "Though we'd have to measure this over time, right now the island is the number one trending Eastern Caribbean island as we speak.
I don't know if that is gonna translate into sales for travel, hotel and airlines, but people are now glued to this island because Kartel is here," he added. The artiste, who landed in SVG last Friday night, was seen in a post on his Instagram page boarding a private jet with his fiance Sidem, cricketer Marlon Samuels and his lawyer Isat Buchanan. While previously indicating that SVG is one of the three places he saw fit to seek medical treatment, since his arrival, the deejay can be seen getting in shape through his gym exercises, showcasing his new diet regime, and his meeting and greeting popular faces in SVG, including Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves.
"St Vincent and the Grenadines is known for celebrity visits, our brand is more an ultra-luxury, high-end accommodation. Our island has long been a destination for A-listers who quietly indulge in some of the world's most picturesque off-the-grid locations, particularly on the islands of Mustique and Canouan in the Grenadines. [Some] of our visitors would often come to bars and sit with people and just have a good time.
Nobody's taking photographs, nobody is asking for autographs, and people come here because they recognise that we afford them that level of privacy," said James. He noted that due to the nature of SVG tourism, which includes full VIP treatment and ideal privacy, the country has received frequent visits from celebrities such as Mick Jagger, Oprah Winfrey, Denzel Washington, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, and Kendrick Lamar. James opined that Vybz Kartel's presence and his music played a massive role in the musical landscape universally.
"Kartel is a big deal globally, not just in St Vincent. He is very popular among the youths and in fact, one of our local artistes, Problem Child, met Kartel yesterday [Sunday] and he was just so excited that Kartel is one of the influences in his life and that's why he got into music," he shared. Though the country's main musical genre is ragga soca, it is also infused with dancehall, reggae and soca music, that James said also plays a vital role in the main carnival event, 'Vincy Mas'.
"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," he said. Vybz Kartel is set to host his first major 'Freedom Concert' on December 31 in Jamaica.
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