Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer

Half Pint

When singer Half Pint left Jamaica on Wednesday for Hartford, Connecticut, USA, it was one of his more unusual trips.

The singer of reggae anthem Greetings, and whose latest single Unity calls for calm ahead of the general election, will not only be performing, but will also be honoured with a special proclamation tomorrow.

The invitation came from Councilwoman Veronica Airey-Wilson.

"I am grateful and I was surprised in a sense," Half Pint said. He said that he has been performing in Hartford since the 1980s and is "still recognised there".

The proclamation will be issued during the West Indian Week Independence Celebrations.

It will not be an entirely new experience for Half Pint, as he says he was honoured in Florida in the late 1990s. However, over Half Pint's 25-year career he has not been honoured by the Jamaican government, the recognition in his homeland coming from "the local reggae awards shows back in the '80s."

Half Pint's manager of 15 years, Loyal Haylett, pointed out that the demographic of Hartford makes the proclamation even more significant, as "it is not a lot of Caribbean people, so to speak ... It is mainly mainstream America".

Impressive lyrics

"It was a surprising thing, that they have been following him. The councilwoman (Airey-Wilson) saw him perform a couple years ago and was impressed by his lyrics," Haylett said, pinpointing One Big Family and Cost of Living. In addition, Half Pint's performance at the opening ceremony of the 2007 Cricket World Cup, where he sang Greetings, was also seen. Behaviour was also taken into consideration, as Haylett said "Over the years he has conducted himself as a professional and maintained his integrity."

Publicist Ra-Umi Alkebulan said "Half Pint has been representing Jamaica and reggae music for the past 25 years. He is a gem. He has been admired and appreciated by fans worldwide. He has respect anywhere he performs."

That includes, of course, Jamaica, as Half Pint closed this year's Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest in Montego Bay, St. James. However, Alkebulan points out that Half Pint "has developed a cult following. If he is performing in France, for example, people leave from Australia and California to see him, as happened at Reggae Sumfest recently. As a result, and with the fan base he has, one can understand why he is being offered this proclamation by the city of Hartford."

Haylett pointed out that being honoured like this is not a new experience for Half Pint as he was given the keys to Pembroke. However, as Half Pint puts it, he feels "good, good. Another milestone".