00:00On Saturday evening, word in some quarters was that dance hall star Adija Palmer, better known by his stage name Vibes Cartel, was not in Trinidad and Tobago.
00:10This was amid him being the headline act for the One Caribbean Music Festival, having a start time of 9pm at a Queen's Park Savannah.
00:17While Cartel's management team is laying the blame on the promoters of the event, a release dated May 31st said,
00:24Despite numerous efforts to resolve the issues over the past couple of months, the promoter was unable to fulfill the stipulated requirements as outlined in the performance agreement.
00:35The management team went on to relay Cartel's commitment to delivering a captivating and unforgettable performance for his fans.
00:43However, they said,
00:44We cannot in good conscience allow him to participate in an event where the organizers have not honored their basic contractual obligations.
00:52We value professionalism and respect in all business dealings, and we expect the same in return.
01:00Cartel's team went on to thank the government of this country for granting the artist permission to enter and perform at the concert,
01:07as they expressed hope that he will be able to have the opportunity in the future.
01:11VIP tickets for the event ranged from $1,680 to $2,780, and $5,000 for additional perks such as meet and greet with the artists.
01:23OCMF promoters were said to be trying to resolve the issue after 5pm.
01:27But as the news spread, so did unverified reports that the actual concert had been canceled.
01:33TV6 News reached out to Acting Commissioner of Police Junior Benjamin given that the TTPS is an integral part of the safety and security apparatus for the event.
01:43What I can see at this time is that the TTPS have not received any report that the concert has been canceled.
01:49So we are going to be out there in our numbers, and we will have even police officers from the Guard and Emergency branch there with their public order team
01:58to ensure if there's any eventuality that we are there prepared to handle any situation.
02:05But we are there to maintain law and order, and we will continue to do that even until the end of the program.
02:11So is it that those officers who would be there would have been there regardless, or are you reinforcing manpower?
02:21Well, when we catered for the concert, we would have placed the necessary manpower that we believe was sufficient to handle both where things are normal
02:33and even if things became violent in any way or from one way or the next.
02:39So I'm saying based on that, a proper risk analysis was done, and therefore the strength that we have, we are going with that strength.
02:47And we would also have additional strength from the IETF as well, so that we are well prepared to handle any situation in relation to the concert tonight.
02:56Alicia Boucher, TV6 News.
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