With U.S. borders becoming increasingly tightened, many international travelers have faced greater hurdles in entering the country--including prominent dancehall artists. As the Jamaica Observer reports, U.S. officials informed management executives last week in Jamaica that four of the world's top dancehall acts--Beenie Man, Bounty Killer, Mavado and Aidonia--"were in the process" of having their visas revoked. They later issued a warning to all dancehall musicians advising against traveling at all. With the dancehall industry already suffering, many execs and officials are concerned that another barrier into U.S. entry may only hinder an already sagging business. As manager Patrick Roberts says, "Any way you look at it, this is bad. What is a reggae festival anywhere in the States without Beenie Man, Bounty Killer, Mavado, Aidonia and Sizzla? And then there is Buju who is behind bars in the U.S." The move also came as a surprise to Roberts, who says in 17 years of working with Beenie Man, "We have always had our work permits renewed without any problems." With the potentially lucrative summer festival season looming, the dancehall and reggae communities is now forced to hold its collective breath and wait to see how their visa fates are determined.
