Kesi Asher, Staff Reporter
( L - R ) LUCIANO, LADY SAW, MACKA DIAMOND AND AIDONIA
SUPREME PROMOTIONS, the promoters of Sting has decided to continue steering away from clashes and will again be promoting peace at this year's event.
'Peace, Love and Unity' will be the theme for Guinness Sting 2005 slated for December 26, at the usual venue, Jamworld in Portmore, St. Catherine, Jamaica. The annual Boxing Day show is expected to begin at 7:30 p.m.
"This year our focus is threefold - peace, love & unity. With all the crime and violence plaguing the nation, we know that if there's one thing that can bring back things on a level, it's the music," said Isaih Laing, the founder of the event, while speaking at the event's launch on Tuesday at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel, New Kingston.
VARIOUS CATEGORIES
This year the show will operate with various categories including Dancehall Praise with Prodigal and The Super Special featuring Beenie Man.
Busy Signal and Aidonia will perform under the Young Super Stars category while Lady Saw and Macka Diamond will perform as the Fabulous Ladies of Dance. In keeping with the peace and love message of the show there will also be the category Peace Messenjahs with Luciano and Half Pint.
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 that prompted his company's decision to be associated with the event. The company is sponsoring the event under the Guinness Riddim Culture theme.
"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 in the right way, herein lies the potential to make a change. Therefore 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 the famous 'One Love Concert'," said DaCosta.
CREATING CHANGE
UNICEF and the Ministry of Health are also on board to ensure that the message of peace, love and unity is maintained. "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. The ministry issued pamphlets that encouraged parents to teach their children peace, love and unity.
XCHANGERS
"Music is an integral part of the XChange movement which targets the youth and sets out to bring about that vital change in their behaviour. XChange is the brainchild of Trinidadian soca giant Machel Montana, therefore the fusion of XChange and Guinness Sting is certainly a move that can only empower the Xchangers, the patrons of the event," said Bertrand Bainvel, head of UNICEF.
Patrons will receive complimentary giveaways at the gate, free Guinness until 12 midnight and free bottled water from 3:00 a.m. to the end of the show. The VIP area will have complimentary Guinness all night and there will be two giant bars with easy access.
