Caribbean Buzz
Trinidad and Tobago’s Solomon’s Bespoke Is Vybz Kartel’s Official Suit Designer.
The world is watching as the Caribbean’s collective superpowers unite to deliver style, music and professionalism. On December 31st, globally recognized Jamaican dancehall artiste, Adidja Palmer- best known as Vybz Kartel, wore a signature suit, tailored to the highest standard, as he mounted the stage at his highly anticipated return concert, in Jamaica. Freedom Street, the first major concert appearance by the entertainer in 13- years, was not only a pivotal moment for the artiste, but certainly the Trinidad and Tobago menswear designer who outfitted for the occasion.
In Trinidad, just weeks prior to the anticipated event, the dancehall artiste arrived on business. The launch of his Straight Vybz Rum, a collaborative business venture with Trinidad and Tobago’s House of Angostura led to an unexpected meeting with menswear designer, Abraham Hadeed and his team at Solomon’s Bespoke. “I received a call from the Chairman of Angostura, Terrence Bharath, on the morning after the artiste’s arrival in Trinidad,” explained Hadeed. Over the years, executives at the company, and many other corporate executives, parliamentarians and men within the legal fraternity, have turned to Solomon’s Bespoke for the suits that fit well and look even better. “They requested that Solomon’s Bespoke outfit Vybz Kartel on short notice; They didn’t have the confidence that any other design house could deliver within the short space of time.”
For Hadeed, rising to such a challenge was not uncommon, but this time around, he knew the need for complete privacy was essential. “I closed the store for half of the day and we outfitted him with two suits. He chose the ones he wanted, we made minor tailoring adjustments, ensuring that the fit was perfect and we completed the looks with shoes and the ties he needed,” said Hadeed.
When the Jamaican entertainer left Solomon’s Bespoke’s De Verteuil Street, Woodbrook location, Hadeed did not imagine what would happen next. “On the following day, ahead of the launch of the Straight Vybz Rum, I was contacted for two additional suits for the artiste. Needless to say, we made it happen. He got what he wanted and he was quite happy.”
Vybz Kartel and his team, satisfied with the products’ quality, service, fit and the attention to detail, proceeded to engage Solomon’s Bespoke for the immediate future. “Because of the service he received while in Trinidad, Solomon’s Bespoke is now Vybz Kartel’s official suit designer. We did the suit he wore at his Freedom Street concert in Jamaica on New Year’s Eve and there are some exciting developments taking place internationally,” Hadeed said.
The opportunity, derived from a simple request, is something that has generated tremendous regional and international attention to Solomon’s Bespoke. “We had over two million views on our Instagram platform after we shared the videos of the artiste’s consultation and fitting. Above everything else we’re happy to provide a service that was completely satisfactory to the client and his team,” said Hadeed.
The Trinidad and Tobago menswear brand prides itself on supplying the highest quality suits to its clients. “Our ready-made suits are imported from Italy and Turkey and our Bespoke suits are made in Hong Kong. These are created with the finest quality fabrics,” reiterated Hadeed.
He says the experience with Vybz Kartel has been a very pleasant one and now more than ever he looks forward to sharing his knowledge and educating young men on the importance of dressing well.
“He was quite receptive, quite interested with what he saw and he was happy with what was going on, without interruptions from the outside.” Hadeed now anticipates dressing more young men, sharing simple details about dressing well, as someone who has been in the business for over 40 years. “What I’ve realized is that due to much misinformation, many young men really do not know what a suit is supposed to look like when fitted properly. When they come to me, I explain everything about the fit, collar, sleeves. It’s something that I enjoy doing and I think we will do an educational campaign on it, specifically targeting young men, soon.” Passionate about the work that his company does, Abraham Hadeed insists that above all else, four things are important in the business of menswear. “Fabric is important, fit is important, detailing is important and matching for the specific client is important because everything isn’t for everyone,” he shared.
With more eyes now on the Solomon’s Bespoke brand in Trinidad and Tobago, Hadeed makes it clear that while his company affords clients high end, often high-priced Bespoke suits, there are cost-effective options at his store. “People often view us as a very expensive outfit, but we do have a lot of affordable suits as well, and we custom tailor these suits to make them all look very expensive. It’s how it’s tailored and how it fits that matters most,” he explained, adding, “Being able to buy according to what you can afford and having it properly tailored to fit well, is what we do.”
Caribbean Buzz
Caribbean Music Awards Adds ‘Zess-Steam Artiste of The Year’ Category.
The Caribbean Music Awards, set to take place on Thursday, August 28th, has announced its 150 nominees. Leading the nominations are Jamaican artistes, Masicka and Shenseea, who have been nominated for 7 awards each, while T&T’ Patrice Roberts and Kes have been nominated in six categories. Vybz Kartel, Nailah Blackman, Chronic Law, and Kranium each earned five nominations.
The event which will take place in Brooklyn, New York, and is being hosted for the third time this year, is presented by Caribbean Elite Group. Forty categories will see Caribbean artistes vie for awards in a ceremony that is tipped to be the most electrifying yet. Voting began on April 9th via www.caribmusicawards.com and will close off on May 31st.
This year, seven new categories have been added reflecting Caribbean artistry’s ongoing evolution and global influence. New additions include Reggae – Collaboration of the Year and Reggae Song of the Year. Also making their debut are Female – International DJ of the Year,Caribbean Fusion Song of the Year, Caribbean R&B Artist of the Year, Zess-Steam Artist of the Year, and Gospel Song of the Year. Artistes nominated in this new category are Lady Lava, Father Philis, Nelly Cottoy,
Sackie, Trinidad Killa and Yung Bredda.
“From unforgettable performances to cultural milestones, the Caribbean Music Awards honors the best of the best—from Soca, Dancehall, and Reggae to Kompa, Chutney, Gospel, and more. This celebration is not just an awards show—it’s a movement that pays tribute to the vibrant heartbeat of the Caribbean,” say organisers.
Caribbean Buzz
Jamaican Dancehall Kings, Buju Banton and Vybz Kartel Put Culture and Country First.
On Friday night in Brooklyn, New York, an extraordinary tell-tale of Caribbean influence showed boldly on the outskirts and inside the downtown Brooklyn, Barclays Centre. Jamaican dancehall king, Vybz Kartel, having survived incarceration and illness over the past 13 years, had returned to the spotlight and would be appearing on stage at Barclays – something thousands, unable to travel to the artiste’s Freedom Street return concert last December, in Jamaica, had been anticipating for months.
Adidja Palmer, famously known for his Gaza-touting refrains and suggestive lewd lyrical traps, thoroughly enjoyed by the opposite sex, had been freed of a murder conviction on account of the intervention of the London Privy Council in 2024. Upon his release from behind bars, he called on the youth to stay on the side of the law and refrain from ‘badness.’ In January, Palmer was granted his US visa. He now resides in Florida, something he confirmed last Friday, during an interview with hosts of the Breakfast Club, Charlemagne, DJ Envy and Jess Hilarious.
This past weekend, Vybz Kartel returned to his glory, single-handedly luring a massive crowd on both Friday and Saturday nights to the Barclays Centre. “Back to back, never done before – sold out, so let’s talk about this,” said female Dancehall superstar, Spice in a social media video. She too had made an impact on both nights, reveling in the spirit of camaraderie and culture.
Last year, the same venue had been sold out with double shows delivered by Reggae and Dancehall icon, Buju Banton. Like Vybz Kartel, he too had been imprisoned for many years and upon his re-entry into the United States after approximately 6 years of freedom, Buju’s desirability was unmatched. This past Friday, in what no one expected, Buju Banton would appear in support of Kartel at Barclays Centre. “This is Buju Banton doing it for the culture; supporting Vybz Kartel here in Brooklyn tonight. Let’s get it right,” he said in an online video post.
Many years before, in the early years of his emergence, Vybz Kartel had been infamously reprimanded by Buju on stage, something that many fans of Kartel had not forgotten. Fast forward more than a decade later and this simple show of support has been declared a winning move for Jamaica’s culture and the country’s brand. “Don; meh mentor,” hollered Kartel upon greeting the “Circumstances” singer. An embrace and a humble admission by Buju would lead to Kartel’s admission that Buju Banton has always been the artiste he’s looked up to. “One Buju Banton; my favourite DJ ever of all time. Him inspire me,” said Palmer.
Vybz Kartel has immensely impacted Caribbean brand awareness in present day, much like Bob Marley did over 30 years ago. Buju Banton, similarly increased caribbean brand value over the past 25 years, creating historic moments globally on stages around the world, and even winning a Grammy award for his album, ‘Before the Dawn.’
Most recently, Vybz Kartel released a new single honoring God. On stage on Friday night in Brooklyn, the artiste broke down in tears while performing the track. Fans who attended the show have since called that particular part of the event, the most impactful.
