No sabotage at Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall finals, producers say

EXECUTIVE producer of Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall, Mark Kenny, says he is very disappointed with the way the issue surrounding an incident with runner-up Reggae Queen has evolved, but maintains that the competition will continue to unearth authentic Jamaican talent and try to present palatable entertainment for the viewing public.

In a release, the producers noted that "the recent finals of Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall was regrettably not without controversy as Reggae Queen, who was sanctioned due to her violation of the Broadcast Commission's rules and regulations has sought to counter the reasons for her sanction. Accusations against the competition by her were printed in several publications and as such Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall wishes to clear the air."

According to the release, the infraction had an adverse effect on TVJ, the station with exclusive rights to air Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall. General manager of Television Jamaica, Kay Osbourne, says that after the infraction the station was inundated with complaints from the viewing public and TVJ was also directed by the Broadcasting Commission to make amends.

"After the clash episode was aired, we received numerous complaints from our viewers who were appalled by Reggae Queen's lyrics and conduct. We are now in the process of reviewing our internal procedures and speaking to the producers on how to manage the process in future to avoid our viewers from having to experience such deplorable conduct. We wish to again apologise to our viewers for this breakdown which should not have occurred," Osbourne said.

Reggae Queen has also accused the producers of Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall of sabotage. Assistant producer of the show, Sanjay Ramanand, maintains that Reggae Queen was warned about her content on several occasions. "We vet all contestants' lyrics before they perform. Reggae Queen was warned on several occasions before her clash performance about the suggestive content in her lyrics."

According to Ramanand, the artiste was given specific instructions on how to frame her lyrics. "Reggae Queen's lyrics for her clash against Bumpa were vetted by the producers of Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall, however, despite being told to change many of her lyrics, Reggae Queen ad-libbed during the clash and reverted to her original lyrics. She got into trouble because she did not follow instructions and did not adhere to the rules that were laid out to her. Contrary to the rumours out there, Reggae Queen did not curse on stage, however her lewd lyrics breached the Broadcast Commission's rules," the producer is quoted in a release.

Executive producer, Mark Kenny dismissed the accusation by Reggae Queen that she had won the competition but was robbed.

"The producers of Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall stand by the votes 100 per cent as we have nothing to hide. Bumpa is the clear winner as for last two weeks before the final night Bumpa had the highest votes and in the days following the clash, Bumpa's votes doubled that of Reggae Queen's.

"Voting is unpredictable because people always assume that the crowd favourite at Weekenz will have the highest votes. No one expected that the popular Tanto Blacks would have left the competition so early, neither did they expect Chozenn to leave before Press Fyah. The streets were buzzing about a clash between Chozenn and Juggla yet people voted and decided it would be Juggla vs Press Fyah".

He continued: "It is very unfortunate that Reggae Queen's conduct on stage outshone her talent as she is indeed a talented performer. Behaviour like this not only reflects badly on the contestant but also on the competition."

Assistant producer, Natalie Parboosingh added, "whether you are crowned the Magnum King or Queen of Dancehall or not all contestants are winners as the show provides positive exposure and great opportunity for all the contestants and it is unfortunate that Reggae Queen has chosen to continue her journey on this negative path. We do wish all the Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall contestants the best on their continued journey to success."

The producers and creators of Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall say they will continue to ensure that the highest standards of music is put forward as Dancehall does not have to be dirty to be good.