pharoah
08-22-07, - 12:59 PM
Visiting Reggae Star Beaten in Bahamas
Reggae star DJ Chuck Fenda, who was visiting the Bahamas to perform concerts, was badly beaten when 12 men, some armed with guns, assaulted him on Monday night in the Jubilee Gardens.
According to eye witness reports, Fenda, 35, only narrowly escaped becoming the victim of a kidnapping.
Chief Supt Glen Miller yesterday confirmed to The Tribune that CDU officers are now investigating the matter.
Fenda, known as the "Poor People Defenda" and famous for such number one hits as "Life Ruff Out Deh", was in the Bahamas to appear with Buju Banton at a concert in Nassau on Saturday.
However, he did not perform at the event, because of a dispute over payment with the concert's organisers, Alpha Sound. He left New Providence for Abaco, where he performed at an event on Sunday, before returning to Nassau Monday.
When he arrived at Pindling International airport he told the person who had picked him up that he wanted to meet with his long-time friend 100 JAMZ DJ Dion "The Butcher" Knowles to record a message of apology to the Bahamian people and explain why he felt he had let them down.
"Butcher" suggested that Fenda come to his home in Jubilee Gardens to make the recording.
In the recording he apologised to the Bahamian people and explained that his failure to perform Saturday night was beyond his control. He claimed that the promoters "didn't want to pay me and did not want to pay my band members."
However, he said, he did not want to let the Bahamian people down and decided that he would work for free Saturday night.
He said he went to the venue intending to perform, but "they barred us and disrespected us." He said he was told "this is not Jamaica, this is the Bahamas, this is our country." He said he wanted to perform without pay and to explain to the Bahamian people what went wrong.
Fenda said he felt badly about letting Bahamians down and promised to come back to do a bigger and better performance. However, he said, "they told me they were going to call a friend at Immigration" to make certain that he and his band never returned to the Bahamas.
On Monday evening, having completed the recording, the reggae star was leaving Mr Knowles' home when four vehicles suddenly pulled up and blocked his exit.
Some 12 men, several armed with handguns, got out of the vehicles and reportedly attempted to lock Fenda in the trunk of one of their cars.
Fenda fought the men and was beaten badly in the process.
At one point, after the assailants had manoeuvred Fenda into the trunk, the reggae star fought to keep one of his arms outside the trunk to prevent the men closing it.
The attackers repeatedly slammed the trunk down on Fenda's arm and head, eye witnesses said.
When the attackers were unable to lock the reggae star in the trunk, they abandoned their attempt to abduct him and fled the area.
Fenda escaped back into his friend's house and later went to the Cable Beach police station to report the matter. He was then taken under police escort to CDU.
Chief Supt Miller yesterday said that Fenda made a report to CDU headquarters at 9.40pm Monday.
"He had some injuries. He had to go to hospital, was treated and then discharged," he said.
Mr Miller said police are currently pursuing leads based on information given to them by Fenda.
The reggae star left the Bahamas yesterday afternoon to return to his home in hurricane-stricken Jamaica.
Fenda, born LeShorn Whitehead in Brooklyn, New York, appeared on the reggae scene more than a decade ago and is now taking his career to a higher level - establishing his own recording, management and booking label to deal with his own affairs as well as exposing new talent to the world.
In 1997 Fenda relocated from New York to Jamaica, establishing - himself as a strong force on the dance hall scene.
In 2003, after embracing the Rastafarian way of life, he adopted the 'Poor People Defenda' cause, shedding his bad boy image and focusing on creating lyrics about the plight of the poor.
With hits such as "Rough Out Deh", "Better Days", "Haffi Win", and "I Swear", Fender established himself as a leading voice for conscious, violence-free Rastafarian reggae.
By KARIN HERIG
Tribune Staff Reporter
22nd August 2007
Reggae star DJ Chuck Fenda, who was visiting the Bahamas to perform concerts, was badly beaten when 12 men, some armed with guns, assaulted him on Monday night in the Jubilee Gardens.
According to eye witness reports, Fenda, 35, only narrowly escaped becoming the victim of a kidnapping.
Chief Supt Glen Miller yesterday confirmed to The Tribune that CDU officers are now investigating the matter.
Fenda, known as the "Poor People Defenda" and famous for such number one hits as "Life Ruff Out Deh", was in the Bahamas to appear with Buju Banton at a concert in Nassau on Saturday.
However, he did not perform at the event, because of a dispute over payment with the concert's organisers, Alpha Sound. He left New Providence for Abaco, where he performed at an event on Sunday, before returning to Nassau Monday.
When he arrived at Pindling International airport he told the person who had picked him up that he wanted to meet with his long-time friend 100 JAMZ DJ Dion "The Butcher" Knowles to record a message of apology to the Bahamian people and explain why he felt he had let them down.
"Butcher" suggested that Fenda come to his home in Jubilee Gardens to make the recording.
In the recording he apologised to the Bahamian people and explained that his failure to perform Saturday night was beyond his control. He claimed that the promoters "didn't want to pay me and did not want to pay my band members."
However, he said, he did not want to let the Bahamian people down and decided that he would work for free Saturday night.
He said he went to the venue intending to perform, but "they barred us and disrespected us." He said he was told "this is not Jamaica, this is the Bahamas, this is our country." He said he wanted to perform without pay and to explain to the Bahamian people what went wrong.
Fenda said he felt badly about letting Bahamians down and promised to come back to do a bigger and better performance. However, he said, "they told me they were going to call a friend at Immigration" to make certain that he and his band never returned to the Bahamas.
On Monday evening, having completed the recording, the reggae star was leaving Mr Knowles' home when four vehicles suddenly pulled up and blocked his exit.
Some 12 men, several armed with handguns, got out of the vehicles and reportedly attempted to lock Fenda in the trunk of one of their cars.
Fenda fought the men and was beaten badly in the process.
At one point, after the assailants had manoeuvred Fenda into the trunk, the reggae star fought to keep one of his arms outside the trunk to prevent the men closing it.
The attackers repeatedly slammed the trunk down on Fenda's arm and head, eye witnesses said.
When the attackers were unable to lock the reggae star in the trunk, they abandoned their attempt to abduct him and fled the area.
Fenda escaped back into his friend's house and later went to the Cable Beach police station to report the matter. He was then taken under police escort to CDU.
Chief Supt Miller yesterday said that Fenda made a report to CDU headquarters at 9.40pm Monday.
"He had some injuries. He had to go to hospital, was treated and then discharged," he said.
Mr Miller said police are currently pursuing leads based on information given to them by Fenda.
The reggae star left the Bahamas yesterday afternoon to return to his home in hurricane-stricken Jamaica.
Fenda, born LeShorn Whitehead in Brooklyn, New York, appeared on the reggae scene more than a decade ago and is now taking his career to a higher level - establishing his own recording, management and booking label to deal with his own affairs as well as exposing new talent to the world.
In 1997 Fenda relocated from New York to Jamaica, establishing - himself as a strong force on the dance hall scene.
In 2003, after embracing the Rastafarian way of life, he adopted the 'Poor People Defenda' cause, shedding his bad boy image and focusing on creating lyrics about the plight of the poor.
With hits such as "Rough Out Deh", "Better Days", "Haffi Win", and "I Swear", Fender established himself as a leading voice for conscious, violence-free Rastafarian reggae.
By KARIN HERIG
Tribune Staff Reporter
22nd August 2007