The self-proclaimed king of the dancehall, Beenie Man, will again be one of the headline acts at this year's staging of the Guinness Sting event.
By Kesi AsherThe event will again be held at the Jamworld Entertainment Centre in Portmore, St Catherine on December 26. It will also feature Wayne Marshall, Gyptian, Luciano, Lady Saw, Aidonia, Prodigal, Macka Diamond, Half Pint, Little Hero, Ninjaman and Busy Signal as some of the other acts performing along with Beenie.
Like last year, this year's event will attempt to stay away from the the clashes for which the show has become known over the years. According to Supreme Promotions, the organisers of the event, they have assembled a line-up of artistes who they think will promote the message of peace, love and unity through their lyrics.
The event which was launched on Tuesday at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston will have the artistes performing under various categories including star makers, peace makers and dancehall praise.
"This year our focus is three-fold - peace, love & unity. With all the crime and violence plaguing the nation, we know that if there's one thing that can bring things back on a level, it's the music," said Isiah Laing, founder of Sting.
Guinness is the title sponsor of the event this year under their theme Guinness Riddim Culture. According to Dave DaCosta, brand manager at Red Stripe, the peace, love and unity theme being promoted by Sting, was one of the major factors which prompted his company's decision to be associated with Sting.
"We all know that Sting is a stage show with a long and somewhat mixed history. The theme this year really captured my imagination and I figured that if done the right way, herein lies the potential to make a change. Therefore, with our decision to come on board this year, we are anticipating that Guinness Sting 2005, will go down in history, in much the same way as that famous 'One Love Concert'," said Mr. DaCosta.
The Ministry of Health is also on board to support the peace initiative. The Ministry issued pamphlets at the launch, on how parents can teach their children peace, love and unity. "We believe that music has the power to change in a very positive way the culture of violence," said Dr. Ashley from the Ministry of Health.
On December 26, there will be complimentary give-aways at the gate, free Guinness until midnight and free water from 3:00 a.m. to the end of the show. The VIP area will have complimentary Guinness all night. There will also be easy access to two giant bars.
