Queen Kamarla takes anti-crime tour to Trelawny

Retired American admiral William McRaven said it best: You can’t change the world alone, you will need some help, and to truly get from your starting point to your destination takes friends, colleagues, the goodwill of strangers and a strong coxswain to guide them.

Reggae singer Queen Kamarla has been on a mission to rid crime in the country for more than a year through her ‘Stop the Crime and Violence’ tour. Already making stops in hotbeds for criminal activity like Mountain View, Rockfort, Cassava Piece, Tivoli Gardens, Payne Land, and Fletcher’s Land, the tour will break ground in Litchfield Battlefield, Trelawny, on October 19 to continue the initiative.

“The Almighty chose me to do this work, so I keep doing it,” Kamarla told The Sunday Gleaner. “I see the need for this tour because I see the crime and violence going, and I know that through music and love, we can curtail it.”

The free series has received the support of her peers, with acts like Sizzla Kalonji, Turbulance, Zesty Ice, Sativa Di Black 1, George P, Kerry Starr, and Reel Steel lending their talent to the cause. The upcoming event will see the return of Turbulance, Zesty Ice and Sativa Di Black, who will be joined by artistes including Lutan Fyah, Mr Peppa, R Embassida, and the organiser herself.

“It’s not hard getting artistes to come on board. Dem always decide fi come and give me a strength, and mi give thanks because it’s a Jamaican thing, and crime and violence is everybody’s business,” she said.

If only corporate entities shared her view and expressed it in a tangible way.

The singer has been trying to get sponsorship to provide the resources needed to pull off the event, and expand the scope, however, her primary support comes from Catalyst Entertainment Group label.

“Mi wish more corporate people would see the need for this Stop the Crime and Violence tour and see that it is working and come a give it a strength,” she stated. “It’s a constant struggle, and I have made so many appeals. (One radio station) always show me love because they run the advertisements, but I have no official sponsors.”

Despite her plight, Kamarla pushes through and is excited about the growth the tour has made.

The event will kick off at 11:00 a.m. with a fun day for kids, inclusive of amusement rides and music by Green Lion Sound and Soul Beat, and continues with a feeding programme in the selected community before seguing into a motivational session.

“The turnout is always good. We ensure there is entertainment for the kids, and our motivational speakers usually come in at 5p.m. We’re talking about positive figures like pastors and comedians. We close off with the entertainers.”

Embracing this new role also means striking a balancing with recording music. Her latest release, Mi Tired of the Crime and Violence, features Sativa Di Black 1 and complements her current activism.

“Mi haffi tek time out for my career and multitask. It’s not easy, but I have a passion for what I am doing, so I try my best to make it work,” she said. “Any spare time I get, I go to the studio to voice, and I also try to get some rest, but I keep going because the message is very important to get out there.”