Business is business. This is the philosophy of music producer Skatta Burrell, who has weighed in on the ongoing saga between former dancehall artiste Lady Saw turned Minister Marion Hall and several other current female entertainers.
Recently Marion Hall announced that she would be stepping away from her current format of preaching on social media. Many have since speculated that this could possibly signal a return to the dancehall arena, and Burrell is quick on the draw as he says if she does, he would love to book her for Reggae Sumfest 2022, slated to take place in the summer.
Skatta Burrell is a marketing strategist and part of the Down Sound Entertainment team that currently holds the franchise for Reggae Sumfest. On Wednesday, the Sumfest manager declared that Lady Saw would be welcomed back to the stage much like the biblical parable, “the prodigal daughter.”
The last time Lady Saw graced the Sumfest stage was in 2015. Burrell reminded his social media followers of the thrilling performance when she shared a clip from her closing set, becoming the first female entertainer to have that distinct honor since the show’s inception. That morning, Saw held the crowd for over an hour, delivering such a sterling performance that fans were still clamoring for more at the end of her daylight performance.
Burrell made his intention known publicly when he shared, “Lady Saw please come to #reggaesumfest and minister to the audience. I believe you alone can quell the crime wave currently sweeping the island starting with the City of Montego Bay…this July is the right time for a season of prayer and worship.”
He continued, “I’m so loving this. #reggaesumfest misses you Lady Saw. You are a dancehall icon and deserve to be celebrated on the biggest platform for our music. She’s got so much more to offer and don’t deserve to be limited to any gospel audience. We welcome her with open arms to deliver whatever song she wishes to perform because she’s great at any and everything she does on stage. She is a great artist who deserves to do what she does best and until then she won’t be at peace, not even in the church.”
While Skatta’s praise and endorsement seem heartfelt, and her fans are certainly agreeing with him about the power of her stage presence and lyrical talent, many are wondering just who Skatta would be booking if she does consent to appearing on the stage. In his post, he addressed her as Lady Saw but then spoke about ministering and how the island needs deliverance that would come in the form of prayer and worship, which is not what her Lady Saw persona was about. That would come under the umbrella of Minister Marion Hall, but it does not seem that it is Minister Hall that Burrell is keen on booking.
The 52-year-old former queen of the dancehall has become the number one trending topic in entertainment for at least the last two weeks after she made some shocking and disparaging remarks about the current queen and other women in the fraternity. Since then, there have been many allegations made with the overall sentiment. Her rivals have concluded that if Hall wants to ditch the ministerial outfit and come back into dancehall, she should just do that without stirring the pot.
In late 2020, Hall said that she would be returning to the dancehall to bring some people to the church halls, while hinting that a dancehall album could be on the table. A year later, in late 2021, she shared on the Trailblazer Show that through the use of her talent, she could utilize the word of God in dancehall style to minister to and even clash with current or old rivals as no one can beat her once she touches a stage and has a microphone in her hand. When others have challenged the authenticity of her Christianity based on her recent utterances, Hall has simply invited them to come “Kiss out me Bible.”
