Dancehall Week CEO cries classism after parade issue

Dancehall Week CEO Dave Goldson is disgruntled with the Jamaica Constabulary Force's (JCF) handling of his recently held Street Parade event which he described as an act of "classism and marginalisation" of dancehall.

In a letter dated January 27, 2025, Goldson wrote to Police Commissioner, Dr Kevin Blake, requesting further approval of a waiver for the Dancehall Week Street Parade to traverse the route, starting at Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre - proceeding to Half-Way Tree Square - and returning to Ranny Williams between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. on March 2.

"The commissioner approved it. I was then contacted by SSP (Senior Superintendent) [Michael] Bailey, stating that he got directives from the commissioner [and] when I went to the meeting, he had the actual letter in his hand or a copy thereof. But he said it was approved... . The following day, he called us to say that he wanted the traffic department to weigh in. When we went to the second meeting [on February 20], he then told us, someone at the meeting said that [we] can't parade past six," Goldson told THE WEEKEND STAR. He noted that he immediately called it "unfair treatment," stating he was "certain about other carnival events being granted permits to operate street march beyond 6 p.m". He said he was then asked to change the date, "but we told him that all communications had already gone out so it's virtually impossible".

Bailey told THE WEEKEND STAR that the decision was made based on the Public Road Act.

"We were executing the instructions given based on the law which states that 'No public procession or march shall take place on any public road or in any public place outside the hours of 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.' They were advised from in the meeting of the time that's stipulated by law and we do not allow for events like parade to take place at nights," said Bailey.

He refuted Goldson's claims that permits were granted for parades or marches beyond 6 p.m. in the past.

"No carnival events that I know of were ever granted a permit to allow for road march to take place beyond 6 p.m. If they are referring to the dancehall event that took place on March 1 at the Ocean Boulevard, it was not a march and that event never took place any time before that with a night march involved, not according to my knowledge," Bailey pointed out.

Goldson said the cops's decision has impacted not just his event but dancehall in general.

"I am deeply, deeply, deeply upset. It is classism at its worst but mi upset bad, it hurt mi bad. We paid artistes to come and this portion of the event, we're doing it for national pride - we doing it for free... . Our intention was to build a vibe there with the entertainers and patrons and when they come back to Ranny Williams, they'd have just the one paid event - the Carousing - and all a that was thrown under the bus," Goldson said.

The street parade was eventually staged "in a rushed manner" between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Sunday, however, the promoter said he suffered a significant loss.

"Artistes [booked to perform on the trucks] are now refusing to give us back money because they were scheduled to come there at 6:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. to perform. But at that time, who were [they] gonna perform to? We were told to leave... . The entertainers that didn't show up, that is over $750,000 down the drain. The time change also affected our ability to deliver the event as planned - impacting the overall intended experience," Goldson added. He estimated that the Carousing saw a turnout of approximately 800 patrons.

Addressing the alleged "bias and double standard", Bailey reiterated the law, while saying that, "the law does not allow for us to specify which event we allow to and don't allow to go through with activities involving parades and road marches beyond a certain time. So whether it's dancehall or carnival, the law applies right across the board".

In moving forward, Goldson said he was advised to write a formal letter to Blake about the overriding of his approval. He promised to have the letter delivered no later than March 7.

"All we want is a level playing field. Whatever law obtains, we conform to the law," Goldson stated while remaining confident that Dancehall Week 2026 will return with a better approach.