In other news, yesterday we brought you one part of the Dexta Daps debacle. As you may know, the dancehall reggae artist was supposed to be live in concert back in 2020, but the pandemic cancelled that and all other events. Now, he's coming back under a new promoter, and the old one, Deon "DJ Dixie" Longsworth applied for an injunction to block the concert. However, the judge sided with the new promoter, Amir Garcia, and dismissed the injunction.
Still, Longsworth wanted his side of the story to be told, and what a story it is. He explained that he and Dexta's management team had agreed that the show would go on once the pandemic was over, since Longsworth had already spent tens of thousands of dollars, and all those who had bought tickets would be able to use them.
So how did it get here? Courtney Menzies was at the press conference and has this story.
Dexta Daps
"Are you ready, my Belizean ladies? Bring it to the owner…. Watch this no man, it's official, it's yuh owner, Dexta Daps and I will be performing March 14 at the Marion Jones complex. Belize, it's official, shub out. Ladies, get your tickets right now, no ramp with me. And remember, please don't wear no… wha? Shub out."
Dancehall and Reggae artist, Dexta Daps, was set to perform live in Belize in March of 2020.
But March 2020 was also the start of the COVID pandemic in Belize.The country went into lockdown - borders were closed, businesses were shut, and streets were practically empty.
Now, three years later, Dexta Daps is set to return to Belize but under a new promoter.
So what happened to the previous promoter, the ticket buyers, and all the money that was spent just for the concert to be cancelled two days before?
Well, Deon "DJ Dixie" Longsworth explained in a press conference that after paying for the venue, the plane tickets, the advertising, and Dexta's required US 11k deposit, when it was time to pick a new date, they were given the runaround.
Deon "DJ Dixie" Longsworth, Promoter
"No reason, we got no reason like you do this, you do nothing, just a lot of lingering, lingering, lingering until they finally said, Dexta got new management, so we're like, what does that have to do with us? He never did get all the money, and like what does that have to do with us? We didn't book through a booking agent."
"We held out, didn't make any noise about it, we emailed them and told them we were worried about our reputation now. I do from Popcaan to Kes the Band to Omar, you name it. Our reputation is on the line. Money is not the problem. All we want, is a date for our people because if we didn't sell ticket, like 100+ ticket, to our people, we weren't going to worry about the loss and all the back and forth, but people bought tickets and I'm somebody that likes to give so I done tell everybody when we do the show back again, if you have a general, I will upgrade it to a VIP, if you have a VIP I will upgrade it to a platinum, if you have a platinum I will give you a bar tab."
But that never happened, and Longsworth would end up incurring a loss of some 80 grand. But when he and his business partner, Sheila Pollard, leant that Dexta would be coming to Belize with another promoter - who could afford the artist's increased rates - they decided to take legal action, but wanted to make it clear that this is business, not personal.
Deon "DJ Dixie" Longsworth, Promoter
"While the other promotion team is saying that we're trying to put something over the show, nothing like that. I could show you from October we send Dexta Daps, I could give you a copy of this, from October we were telling him about he needs to settle, because from the beginning Dexta said whoever book him, have to settle with me."
"We started it in the US but when we figured they are coming home we said, oh you are still coming, so let me start here. I don't want to discuss the legal part of the thing but we have more than enough grounds because it's not like they're telling us we don't have grounds, it's just, you're missing a dot, but we don't want to discuss the legal part of it but we have more than enough grounds."
Courtney Menzies:
"Are you taking any more legal action?"
Deon "DJ Dixie" Longsworth, Promoter
"Yeah, we will continue, we will fight, we will do whatever we need to do with Dexta Daps."
Courtney Menzies:
"So since the injunction was dismissed, what's your next plan?"
Deon "DJ Dixie" Longsworth, Promoter
"Well, it's in the court, if we have to fight it out of the country to get justice, that's what we will do."
Reporter:
"To get back your money?"
Deon "DJ Dixie" Longsworth, Promoter
"Yes, to get back our money."
And so now, what happens to the 160 or so Belizeans that had bought tickets back in 2020? Well, their tickets won't get them into this concert, but Longsworth said they will be getting a refund.
Deon "DJ Dixie" Longsworth, Promoter
"Everybody the purchased a Dexta Daps ticket, we will do a full refund, so this is an extra loss that we will take one because we are about our people, so everybody that purchased a ticket, we will put up, give us like a week or two, so that we put up a proper thing so we could get the guidance. You will get refunded, you will get your money, you will get a full refund."
"The main thing is to tell people what is happening and to inform the people to go on the Belize September Festival Weekend page and we will get them all the details with their refund."
Courtney Menzies:
"Do you think that you will ever work with Dexta Daps or try to work with him in the future or he would ever work with you?"
Deon "DJ Dixie" Longsworth, Promoter
"Uh, none at all. Disrespectful and he disrespected Belizeans and he doesn't care."
But what does the famed Jamaican artist have to say about all this? …
Dexta Daps
"They can't keep a good man down, always keep a smile when they want me to frown. Listen to me, young survivor, no worries, Dexta Daps will be in Belize fi shut down Belize, February 11th. Ladies and gentlemen, don't watch the commotion, hear that, just watch the promotion. Young survivors, Dexta Daps live, February 11th, legit... Belize, I'm there!"
And today, Dexta Daps put out a statement on his Facebook page. He said quote, "I never planned to address this craziness in Belize but being called a thief isn't on the resume… So let's start it with the unsigned contract you provided me… Please pay close attention to who you sent your money to… also please understand that you didn't even have a signed contract with them people." End quote.
Dexta Daps also provided a photo of the said "unsigned contract," and reiterated in the comments that he never received the eleven thousand US dollars that was supposed to be his deposit.
Still, with the injunction dismissed, Dexta's concert this Saturday will continue.
