In the aftermath of the Sashi festival, the live show's host, Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean, praised the promoter, Horatio Hamilton, for not 'wallowing' in self-pity due to his unfortunate run-in with the law. He lauded Hamilton for reviving the festival with a positive plan towards youth and community development. "A lot of times we talk about the black man going to prison [but] we don't talk about the reform.
The idea and story of how Sashi was created, [is one example of] how black men have turned their lives around," said Jean. "[This] growth means to me that [for] every youth within the rural/[inner-city] communities, this should be an example for you to understand that you should go the positive route; negativity's not the route," he told THE STAR . Hamilton was convicted in the US for conspiracy to traffic in marijuana and was arrested in 2006.
He was slapped with a 25-year prison term, with conditions. However, he was released in 2021, after doing 18 years. In a statement prior to the four-day festival which was held in St Ann last weekend, Hamilton signalled intentions to make Sashi an event that directly targets local creatives, with an aim to expose their talent on a global level.
There was an islandwide talent search of creatives such as designers, whose pieces were one of the main attractions for the Sashi Fashion Show which kick-started the festival. "We want to channel our energy and resources into building a future where young people have opportunities to thrive .
