Sashi looking into refunds after Busta Rhymes, Keyshia Cole absent from festival

Sashi Executive, Catherine Goodall, has confirmed to The Gleaner that in the wake of patrons vigorously demanding refunds, following the absence of international headliners Busta Rhymes and Keyshia Cole, her team is looking into the matter.

"People are asking for refunds and I'm speaking with the ticketing platforms right now," Goodall said in a telephone interview.

Persons who purchased tickets for Saturday night's Sashi Experience Festival, with the expectation of seeing performances from rapper Busta Rhymes and American singer and songwriter, Keyshia Cole feel cheated and have been loudly voicing their ire at the Plantation Cove venue in St Ann.

Goodall said her team was also looking into the possibility of slashing the ticket prices.

Busta Rhymes, who performed at Sashi nearly two decades ago, has special ties to the island, as his parents are Jamaican. He told his three million Instagram followers Saturday afternoon that due to “unforeseen circumstances that are totally out of our control" he would not be performing at Sashi.

Hours later, he again apologised, adding "sorry I couldn't be there, but business has to be done properly". This led to speculation about the real reason for his pulling out of the even.

Sashi founder, Horatio Hamilton, sent out a release apologising for the absences, but again, no reason for their no-shows was given.

“Sashi Festival is thrilled to reaffirm its commitment to showcasing the best of Jamaican and international music. The lineup remains packed with talent, including international R&B star Ne-Yo, who is already in Jamaica and preparing for an electrifying performance. He’ll be joined by a star-studded lineup of Jamaican artistes,” Hamilton said.

He could not be reached for comment.

Not only has there been the no-show of two of Saturday night's top artistes, the event has also been delayed by hours, causing more pain for patrons.

"The rain set back everything," Goodall, whose portfolio is production, explained.

The Sashi Experience, scheduled to take place from May 23 to May 26 over the course of four days, was first held in 1992. It was last staged in 2001.

yasmine.peru@gleanerjm.com