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Artist News Gigs & Festivals
Beenie Man cancels OVO Fest appearance after contracting Zika virus
By Andy Malt | Published on Monday 1 August 2016
Dancehall artist Beenie Man was forced to cancel an appearance at the OVO Fest in Toronto at the weekend after he contracted the Zika virus and was denied a visa to enter Canada.
Ticketmaster confirmed that Beenie Man would no longer be performing, due to “immigration issues”. The MC has had problems performing internationally in the past due to objections to the homophobic lyrics in some of his songs. But on this occasion it was being struck down by the much talked about Zika virus that caused him to be blocked from crossing a border.
In an Instagram post, Beenie Man said: “No visa fi mi Canada show. Zika virus hol mi. The same Zika mosquito gi mi dengue. Blood test, injections, pills. Wi a hol firm still”.
The cancellation came the day after the UK government warned anyone travelling to Florida to be cautious, after the first cases of the Zika virus in the state were confirmed. Spread by mosquitos, the virus is fairly mild and not harmful to most people, but can be more serious for pregnant women and it is thought that it can lead to birth defects.
