The recent reports about artistes and the state of the dancehall music is not good.
Recently it was reported that four deejays and one selector had their visas, both visiting and working, to the United States of America cancelled.
This follows after reports also surfaced that a deejay popularly known to be flossing was held after allegedly illegally trying to enter the United States in a boat.
There was also more bad news earlier of popular dj, Buju Banton being locked up in the US and now awaiting trial for possession and alleged trafficking of cocaine.
Recently yet another door was shut in the face of the music when Vbyz Kartel and Mavado were banned from going to Barbados because the authorities there said the artistes promoted violence.
Promoters overseas are worried and say the potential to market dancehall music overseas has fallen significantly with the travel of some key artistes now curtailed. Those who lost their visas now join a number of artistes who already could not travel to the US such as Busy Signal and Kartel.
It is sad what has been happening and it seems all these things are nails now being drilled into the coffin of dancehall.
Dancehall music is clearly going through some serious times. But are these challenges or just retribution for a controversial expression, which has been blamed for violence and over exposing the society, particularly the youth to sex?
Has the lack of standards and guidelines helped to cause these problems, which now threaten to end dancehall music as we know it?
