A section of the audience at 'Praises for Life', held at the Family Church of the Rock in May.
Teino Evans, Staff Reporter
IT IS not very often that complaints are made to the police or promoters about gospel events and concerts disturbing the peace.
Lightning has struck twice in Kingston over the last few months, as two such events have had to come to a premature end due to complaints that the shows were disturbing the peace. Normally, dancehall sessions and soca parties are allowed to go until around two in the morning; at times, they are lucky to be allowed until 3 or 4 a.m.
PREMATURE ENDINGS
However, the gospel concerts like 'Praises for Life' and 'Recharge 3' were cut long before their slated ending times.
'Praises for Life', which was held on the grounds of the Family Church on the Rock in St. Andrew on Saturday, May 15, was in high gear when neighbours called the police to have them turn down the music at the concert.
The concert, which was being held in an effort to raise funds for a heart patient, was interrupted at 9 p.m. when the police turned up at the venue to inform the organisers that they were disturbing the peace and so had to keep it down.
In the more recent case, the 'Recharge 3' concert that was held on Saturday, July 24, on the lawns of Devon House, St. Andrew, was also brought to an early end. This case was slightly different, however, as it was not the police who actually came to lock off the sound, but the chairman of Devon House.
MISUNDERSTANDING
The misunderstanding between the management of Devon House and the Radikal Communications Group, promoters of the event, left a bitter taste in the mouths of both promoter and patrons.
According to Joan Wilby, spokesperson for Radikal Communications Group, "Francis Kennedy (chairman of Devon House), accompanied by two police officers, turned up at the venue (at 10 p.m.) to lock off the sound. He said someone had called him at his house saying that the noise was out of control and in the same breath said that we should have been out of there (Devon House) by 8 p.m."
So, in addition to the neighbours complaining that the gospel show was disturbing their peace, the chairman was about to pull the plug because he thought they should have been off the property already.
CONTRACT
This Mrs. Wilby said, was highly inaccurate, as they had signed a contract which clearly stated that they were entitled to much more time. The contract reads in part, that "the evening event must come to an end no later than 2 a.m., in keeping with the Noise Abatement Act..."
Mrs. Wilby also went on to say that they paid a total of $50,000 for the venue, only to have the show end in an untimely fashion. "It speaks to the greediness that the rich will get richer and the poor, poorer. If they knew that the area was a silence zone, then why rent the place and then come to lock off the sound early because you got your money?" Mrs. Wilby charged.
NOISE ABATEMENT ACT
What of the Noise Abatement Act? Under the Act, the security forces have the power to abort dances/shows, as well as to prosecute violators who are within 100 metres of a dwelling house, hospital, hotel, infirmary, nursing home or guest house during specified time periods.
The specified time periods are between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays and between midnight and 6 a.m. on weekdays.
This only proves, however, that gospel shows like 'Recharge 3' were still well within their rights.
TOTALLY DIFFERENT REPORT
However, when contacted, the Half-Way Tree police gave a totally different report on the matter. According to Sergeant K. Steele in the operations division at the Half-Way Tree police station, he says the information that he received from the senior superintendent (SSP) in charge of St. Andrew Central, was that no permission was granted for the event to be held.
"They did not apply for any permission for this event and the police had no knowledge of it being kept there and, as a result, it was turned off," he said. Sergeant Steele also said that they had no reports of neighbours complaining about the noise level.
According to Calvin Wilby, a.k.a. Prodigal Son (C.E.O. of Radikal Communications), it seems as if there is a law for the rich and one for the poor.
"We need some justice in this country. Dem have one law for the rich and one for the poor. Yuh can't disrespect almost 7,000 persons like that... I'm so vexed in my spirit," Prodigal complained.
Prodigal Son, however, has decided not to take this blow lying on his back, as he says he is planning to take a serious stance.
"If him don't apologise wi goin' to sue him. In fact, I am even planning a hundred thousand man march," he said, outlining his plan to seek some justice.
UNFAIR TREATMENT
According to Prodigal, the treatment being meted out to Christians is unfair, as he even recalled a show earlier this year that he had performed on that was also brought to a premature ending.
Prodigal, however, warns that Christians have a say as well. "People who are not Christians, we need not support dem. Dem resources fi bun out an dry up!" Efforts by The Sunday Gleaner to reach Mr. Kennedy for comment on the matter were unsuccessful. He was reportedly "out of office all day for back-to-back meetings and there is no other spokesperson for Mr. Kennedy on that matter," his secretary said.
NO PUBLIC APOLOGY
However, since the event, even though no public apology was made to patrons as requested by the Radikal Communications Group, the management of Devon House has reimbursed the group 50 per cent of the rental fee that they had paid earlier for the venue's North Lawn, where 'Recharge 3' was held.
"I think Prodigal should have had his time. Di man get dis an' a idiot ting dat, so something needs to come out of this," Roger Shaw, a patron who attended 'Recharge 3' said.
Another patron, Juana Williams, said because of how the world thinks, everybody believes that Christians should always be willing to turn the other cheek and take what they get. Not so, Christians have rights too, she said.
"It did upset me; it obviously upset everybody and I think it was unfair. Looking at the whole set-up, the way in which the speakers were positioned and the volume at which the music was playing, I don't see how we could have been disturbing anyone," Williams said.
CARNIVAL
Another patron, who wished to remain nameless, was also not very understanding, as he insisted that Christians were being treated unfairly. "Tru wi a Christian dem think dem can jus deal wid wi any ole way. When carnival an dem ting deh a gwaan, nobody nuh complain; as a matter a fact, a mussi dem same rich people out deh a jump up suh nobody nuh have time fi call 'bout disturb peace," he said.
