Entertainers leave Seaview

SEAVIEW Gardens has produced a good crop of entertainers.

Just think about it. There is Shabba Ranks, who has won the Grammy award twice and Bounty Killer, the self-acclaimed 'Warlord'.

Others include deejay Elephant Man, Nitty Kutchie and Harry Toddler.

And they have all left Seaview Gardens for better life elsewhere.

Shabba Ranks has made his home in the United States and, whenever he comes to Jamaica he is in and out of Seaview Gardens in a jiffy. Bounty Killer visits his mother and friends, but hardly remains there for too long.

So the question is, why do these entertainers shun Seaview Gardens?

Shabba Ranks mother, 'Mama Christie' believes her son has good reasons for keeping the community at arms-length. "He was robbed in Seaview Gardens and people generally feel that when Shabba Ranks is here he comes with a lot of money," she said.

It is not an unusual situation, especially for entertainers who have established themselves. There are fans who believe that entertainers are obligated to give them hand-outs.

There are other reasons why someone like Elephant Man has chosen to live elsewhere. He believes that entertainers are not safe in communities which are always "on the warring front".

"More time when they have war, the people fighting want to draw you into the war telling you to do wrong things. But we (entertainers) have we career to think about and we also have our families too," he said.

Elephant Man also feels that entertainers who have achieved success must be ready to 'step up in life', because people expect this to happen.

Elephant Man explains that he has not forsaken his fans in Seaview Gardens. "I go there to visit friends and relatives," he said.

Bounty Killer's case is different. He tried to be a mediator between two warring factions in Seaview Gardens when things began to turn sour, so Bounty Killer felt it would be wise to live elsewhere. However, it does not prevent him from hanging out with his friends or attending parties in the community.

Both Elephant Man and Harry Toddler still visit Seaview Gardens, because they feel the community has contributed to their success as entertainers.

Do the residents of Seaview Gardens feel these entertainers have a right to live outside their community?

There were mixed views when the question was put to them. While some felt the presence of entertainers would encourage more youths to better their lives, others felt entertainers had the right to choose where they wanted to live.

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