A Trinidad and Tobago entertainment company has launched legal proceedings against dancehall heavyweight Vybz Kartel following the collapse of his highly anticipated performance at the One Caribbean Music Festival last year.
The claim was filed by Jacho Entertainment Limited in the High Court, where the promoter alleges that the artiste breached contractual obligations after failing to appear at the May 2025 staging of the event. Court documents indicate the company is seeking damages exceeding TT$7.3 million, along with the return of more than US$1 million already transferred to the entertainer as part of a performance deal.
According to filings, Kartel — born Adidja Palmer — had been contracted in late November 2024 to headline the festival for a total fee of US$1.35 million. The show, initially scheduled for February, was later postponed to the end of May. By two days before the event, the promoter says most of the agreed sum had already been paid, with a small balance to be settled upon the artiste’s arrival.
Jacho Entertainment claims that although short-term foreign exchange delays affected the timing of the final transfer, the outstanding funds were available on the day of the concert. Despite this, Kartel allegedly refused to travel unless the remaining balance was cleared in advance — a condition the company insists was never part of the agreement.
The promoter further alleges that the artiste cancelled the appearance without issuing the formal notice required under the contract and instead announced the withdrawal publicly. The fallout reportedly triggered mass ticket refunds, additional operational losses, and reputational harm to the company.
In its claim, Jacho Entertainment also accuses Kartel of making damaging public statements that portrayed the promoter as incompetent, further compounding its losses. After several failed attempts to resolve the dispute privately, the company says it had no choice but to seek judicial intervention.
The lawsuit requests reimbursement of all sums paid, compensation for financial and reputational damage, an order preventing further allegedly defamatory remarks, and the recovery of legal costs and interest.
