Promoter attempts to set record straight

One of the organizers behind the Caribbean Got Talent Dominica show to be staged in Portsmouth and to feature R&B artiste, Mario, is attempting to set the record straight on published reports that appears to be dogging him.

Promoter, Osron Dennis, also known as Mr. King, has, according to him, been living in Dominica for over a year now and recently held a press conference on that upcoming show.

However, many have taken to social media and blogs pointing to reports that have been published concerning Dennis, noting that he is someone not capable of delivering.

In 2012, Dennis, as part of an organization called Matrix Music Group, planned a concert in St. Vincent, where he was living then, called “Irresistible Temptation” in which Jamaican reggae artiste, Jah Cure, was expected to perform live.

However, Jah Cure and a Trinidadian artiste who was also expected to perform, did not show up and some 6,000 patrons were left dissatisfied.

According to the Grenada-based The New Today, “Confirmed reports are that the Trinidadian promoter, Osron ‘Mr. Matrix’ Dennis of Matrix Music Group failed to pay Jah Cure and his band their fee causing the entertainer and his entourage to refuse to perform.”

A near riot followed and there were reports of explosions, which some say were gunshots fired, as patrons vented their dissatisfaction, according to The New Today.

But speaking on privately-owned Q95 earlier this week, Dennis said Jah Cure’s no show was due “to reasons beyond our control.”

“He was unable to perform due to a riot which took place at the venue pertaining to him not getting his other 50 percent down payment to perform,” he said.

Dennis went on to say the organizers had to deal with over 3,000 bogus tickets when only 2,000 real tickets were printed for the concert.

“The venue had an attendance of over 6,000 patrons,” he remarked. “During negotiations with Jah Cure to perform, unfortunately some scandal was going on at the venue which caused one of the officers to fire a shot in the air, which led to a serious riot at the venue itself.”

Dennis stated that Jah Cure was on island at the time of the incident and the event was not a con game or a gimmick.

“It wasn’t any of this sort,” he noted.

“So you did not collude or contrive to promote an event to gain financially from it knowing full well all along that there is no way Jah Cure is going to be there?” host of the show, Giselle Francis asked.

Dennis responded, “Correct. I have never hosted an event like that.”

To show that he is capable of delivering, he pointed to what he described as a ‘major event’ called RBD 2014 which was recently hosted here featuring Christopher Martin and which he said was “very successful.”

“I personally am well connected with the music industry, locally, regionally and globally,” he stated. “So I have the ability to negotiate on the island and so forth.”

Concerning Mario, Dennis said, “Now Mario management team are good friends of mine ….so he is actually coming on a holiday and during the course of the holiday we will be bringing him to Dominica where he will have the opportunity to perform at the same time.”

There are other published reports concerning Dennis which he did not address.