Sadeke Brooks, Staff Reporter

Mavado - Contributed

Dancehall artiste Mavado will be making a number of public service announcements (PSA) for The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) to raise awareness for the hurricane season.

In the PSA, Mavado is referred to as the 'Gully God'. He urges citizens to keep their drains and gullies clean and free of debris and garbage in light of the hurricane season that officially began on June 1.

Mavado's manager, Julian Jones-Griffiths, said, "Mavado is often criticised, rarely constructively, so it is very refreshing to see a government agency reach out to him to be a part of the solution."

He added, "ODPEM approached us because they recognise the influence Mavado has in Jamaica and it's a smart move to utilise someone of his stature to get over a message as important to the nation as this. I'm sure it will make a lot more people aware of the dangers of blocked gullies and drains during hurricane season."

Charmaine Gentles, marketing manager of ODPEM, added that Mavado's popularity and influence had a lot to do with his selection. In addition, she said the agency intended to get fellow dancehall artiste Serani to do a similar PSA.

"Artistes have their own power and influence over the younger generation. With the following that Mavado has, this will help to push the message of being proactive (during the hurricane season). It's just reinforcing the message through music," Gentles told THE STAR.

She said that the ODPEM wanted to change the culture of Jamaicans towards disaster management. She said if citizens were more aware it would minimise the loss of lives, damage to the infrastructure and lessen the negative impact on the Jamaican economy after a natural disaster.

Gentles said the PSAs would be aired on radio and television. However, the frequency with which the PSA would be aired was dependent on the amount of sponsorship the agency received. She was, therefore, seeking assistance from companies in corporate Jamaica to help fund the campaign.

However, this is not the only new project that Mavado has on his hands as he is also getting set to make his film debut this summer in What Goes Around, which is directed by Steve 'Tehut-Nine' McAlpin.

Mavado, flanked by ODPEM's director general Ronald Jackson (left), and marketing manager Charmaine Gentles. - Contributed