THERE will be no staging of the popular charity show A St Mary Mi Come From this year. The annual concert is organised by deejay Capleton, who hails from that parish.

Claudette Kemp, the artiste’s manager, spoke about the decision to cancel the show.

CAPLETON

“It’s a lot of stress, we are still recovering from last year. Plus, the sponsorship to offset the cost of staging an event of this nature was just not forthcoming, so we are gonna ‘wheel and come again’ perhaps looking to early next year,” she told the Jamaica Observer.

Kemp says effort is being made to find another venue as the Gray’s Inn Sport Complex in Annotto Bay, home to the event, has become too expensive for promoters.

She, however, indicated that even in these harsh economic times, there is a glimmer of hope. A potential sponsor has already come forward and requested a proposal for next year’s show.

The event takes its name from a popular song by Capleton, whose given name is Clifton Bailey. First staged in 2000, it has provided funds for the St Mary Infirmary, a number of schools, sports and social clubs and community groups in St Mary.

Kemp says the postponement has allowed Capleton to take up offers to perform at various European reggae festivals.

“For a number of years, Capleton has taken the decision not to do events in Europe in order to prepare for A St Mary Mi Come From, but this year we will be taking up some of those events.”