Grounded! ‘We’ve lost everything to corona’
Reality hits home as entertainment sector reels from COVID-19
THE REALITY is beginning to set in as a number of Jamaican entertainers have been grounded while others were forced to return home after cancelled shows and tours cut short, courtesy of the global novel coronavirus pandemic. Big Ship captain Freddie
McGregor shared with eProbe that he was worried. And veteran musician Dean Fraser said that the impact has been overwhelming.
In fact, just last week, multiple posts on social media suggested that no one in the entertainment business has been spared the impact.
Luciano posted on his Instagram page, “Postponed all shows and heading back home” as a video showed the singer strolling through an empty airport, pushing his luggage trolley, singing Wade In
The Water.
Elephant Man and Rygin King, who also returned home (from Europe) last week, are now in self-isolation at home, and other posts show entertainers grounded at home, facing their new reality of not having any events on the agenda for the foreseeable future.
STANDSTILL
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has virtually brought the world to a standstill as governments implement strict lockdown measures to stem the spread of the respiratory virus that according to the World Health Organization, has infected more than 169 countries and territories, with more than 209,000 cases and at least 8,778 deaths globally.
Practically every country has put a halt to entertainment and sporting events, including the ordered closure of clubs, bars, restaurants, etc, and the banning of gatherings of more than 20 people.
COVID-19, which was first detected in China in December last year, is expected to lead to more drastic measures and is projected to last for several months.
“Everything has changed, both at home and outside the home. We, as entertainers, have lost everything. The impact will be devastating. All income has been lost,” Fraser bemoaned.
Like everyone else who is left in a state of ‘wait and see’, he is hoping that the pandemic will die down soon, admitting that the industry will have to just wait it out and hope that things will get back to normal as quickly as possible.
“I can’t even say how long it will take us to get back up and running, but it doesn’t look good for us at all. The industry will just have to wait and see,” said Fraser.
For McGregor, “If this thing lasts through the summer, we can forget entertainment for the rest of 2020. This has really impacted our lives seriously.”
Noting that he has not travelled since the outbreak, he added: “All shows for me have been cancelled or postponed. I’ve lost two events in the UK in April with David Rodigan and his Outlook Orchestra; six dates in May, with myself, Morgan Heritage, Romain Virgo and Cocoa T; my European dates are all cancelled, and so, too, all our upcoming USA tour dates. These are great incomes lost for myself, our musicians, and crew members.”
Dancehall duo Tanto Metro and Devonte shared with eProbe how
the global public-health crisis has curtailed everything.
“It slow down the progress of things ‘cause yuh know everybody haffi tek precaution in this time. Suh it put a damper on everything. Road empty, people a stay in,” said Devonte, Tanto Metro adding, “we can’t get to do the work like how we want to overseas or even in the studio.”
PREPARATION AND SAFE PRACTICES
For now, like the rest of the world, entertainers are focused on a more personal task, which is observing safe practices and ensuring that their families are taken care of and provided for.
A quick check with a few entertainers revealed that many have been taking the situation seriously, preparing and taking the necessary precautions.
Fraser said, “I have put in place the necessary everyday needs so as to combat this situation – water, food, juices, vitamins, sanitizers, bleach, soaps, clean linings, clothes, etc.”
For McGregor: “We’re doing what everyone’s doing – wash hands and face as often as possible, careful not to touch surfaces unnecessarily, using wipes, etc., and just generally try to keep our family safe. I’m also using this time to try and complete my new CD.”
Tanto Metro and Devonte have been observing social distancing while enforcing hygienic practises.
“We keep far and keep safe as much as possible,” said Tanto Metro, noting that the duo is always prepared for a rainy day.
“We always stock up, suh we nuh wait pon da day dey. We were concerned before, but as soon as it reached our shores, den you know sey that’s the time people really tek it serious,” Devonte stated.
Tarrus Riley said that for him, some of the safety measures are things that he has always practised despite being ridiculed at times.
“Me did done know from morning sey the quickest way fi catch disease a yuh hand, suh from me a likkle bwoy, me a wash wi hand nuff. Me a walk wid sanitiser and people a sey a wah dat? A wah him a put inna him hand every minute? Suh me did have da likkle knowledge dey different. Me did know sey hands a sum’n wey you need fi tek care of,” Riley said as he hailed a fan saying, “mi haffi gi yuh a cordless hail. Yuh know di vibes (no handshakes or touching).”
USE TIME TO REFLECT AND PLAN
In the meantime, while the world is forced to sit and wait for things to return to normal, Kamal Bankay, chairman of sports and entertainment in the Ministry of Tourism as well as a director on the entertainment advisory board in the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment, and Sports, says members of the entertainment industry and all affected should use this time to reflect and plan.
“We have to just find other ways of keeping ourselves occupied. Spend time with loved ones and strategise on how to come back bigger, better, and more efficient,” he advised.
Bankay added, “It’s a tough disposition that we are in” as many people look to the industry for their sole source of income.
“My life is entertainment, and from a personal standpoint, it’s just stagnation right now. We have never seen anything like this in our lives. This is catastrophic for the industry – artistes can’t perform or tour, deejays have nowhere to play, lighting companies and decor people have no events to set up, so it’s far-reaching. Everybody is literally grounded to a halt. And with the cessation of all entertainment activities and everything on lockdown, virtually everybody, over the past few days, have not been earning anything from the industry. But we all have to just play our part in helping to stop the spread of this virus,” said Bankay.
He also shared concern for the line staff in the entertainment industry, who he said would not have huge cushions of earnings to fall back on, but he was hopeful that the ‘stimulus packages’ being offered by the Government would also take these persons into consideration.
Finance Minister Dr Nigel Clarke unveiled a $25 billion stimulus package during the recent Budget Debate to cushion the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. It would see the Government providing temporary cash benefits to select businesses and persons in Jamaica that have been directly affected.
See related video online, with Tanto Metro and Devonte talking about the Coronavirus, its impact and their upcoming projects.