King of Dancehall, Beenie Man, was not pleased with a Ugandan promoter for hosting an event many called classist as the overpriced tickets targeted only the upper echelon of the country.
The promoters from Top Boy Entertainment are being blamed for overpricing concert tickets resulting in a very low turnout which seems to have also embarrassed Beenie Man and led to the artist criticizing the event.
According to news reports from Uganda, the legendary Jamaican deejay arrived in Uganda on Wednesday for a concert to be held on Friday, Nov 10. at Lugogo Cricket Oval alongside a list of international artists, including Nigerian Oxlade Official and South African entertainers Focalistic, Mellow, and Sleazy.
The event, promoted by Top Boy Entertainment, saw just a few hundred people despite the event capacity being in the thousands. There are reports that the promoters failed to market the event, while persons online said the event was overpriced. Ugandans chose to attend cheaper events happening that same weekend in Kampala.
“The Beenie Man flop wasn’t a case of bad marketing or marketeers. Problem was the price, and lets not pretend it’s rocket science. There’s literally been a concert at these venues every other week. In a struggling economy. Something had to give. And many more shows will,” one person said online.
Another said, “Really wanted to go for it then i checked out the price at the gate n it was 150k there n then I changed my mind …even early bird was 100k…wth was that.”
“Now they’re blaming it on others. U can’t make a concert of 150k ordinary in just a few days u think money is just got from trees like leaves?” a third person added.
According to a Kampala news outlet report, the event charged 150,000 Ugandan shillings and was marketed as a VIP and VVIP concert. That’s about USD 40.16 and above what the ordinary middle class could spend.
Beenie Man, who performed at the event for just about an hour, was also not pleased, and at the end of his set, the artist addressed the promoters for the blatant classism.
“What I want to do is a show for the nation. Now the next promoter call me with a show like this, I’m gonna tell him where to stuff it,” the artist says.
“The show was good, the audience is nice but I need to sing songs for the nation. I need to sing for the nation, am I lying?” the artist asked the crowd.
“We need to sing for the rich, we need to sing for the poor, we need to sing for the have-nots,” an appalled Beenie man said.
The artist who comes from humble beginnings also added, “Mek me tell you something, a poor man with a voice will get an ear, and once him get ears, him get two so him become an important person, do not look down on people, always look up.”
Beenie Man has been traveling to Uganda over the last 13 years, and there are reports that this is the first time he has experienced a sparsely attended event. Nevertheless, Beenie had a great time in the country and those fans who attended the show says it was a good performance from the Doc.
