The pros and cons of celebrity pairing

Krista Henry, Staff Reporter


Sasha performs with Turbulence

Celebrity couples attract extra attention from fans and the entertainment community alike.

The added 'star quality', the duets and the very public break ups keep people tuned in to the drama unfolding before their eyes.

However, while the public enjoys the fodder entertainment couples provide, being in the public eye is not all good for the persons involved in the relationships.

In an industry where females have a number of difficulties in making it big, being involved with a male entertainer can propel them into the limelight, or result in a backlash when things go wrong.

Rivals

No one knows this better than Michelle 'D'Angel' Downer who was linked to dancehall's two long-standing rivals - Beenie Man and Bounty Killer.

Having married, and then separated from Beenie Man, D'Angel has had to struggle to get her name out as an artiste. She has also had to try to escape the 'fallen angel' title attributed to her by her ex, Bounty Killer.

D' Angel felt first hand the disadvantages of a public break up when she was booed at 'Dancehall Divas in Action' in Mandeville last October. Beenie Man's popularity is undeniable and his fans have not viewed the rising starlet highly as a result of the break up.

Perservere

Yet, D'Angel has persevered reaping success with hits like Blaze, High Intensity, Caan Stall (featuring Vybz Kartel) and the continuing work of Angel's Production. D'Angel, the artiste, is moving past her public affairs and working on her career.

Stacy Scarlett, aka Stacious, has been romantically linked to dancehall singjay Mavado since he made a cameo appearance in her Falling Down video. While Stacious denies that they are together, there has been a number of rumours in the media about the nature of their relationship.

For Stacious, artistes having relationships with each other is not just about getting a hype but also about how they feel about each other.

Right vibes

Stacious says she will have no problem getting involved with another artiste if the situation feels right.

"If it's the right person, I'm gonna fall for the individual and not his profession," she said.

Newcomer Loraine Sewell has to face the difficulties of keeping her private life under wraps. Girlfriend to fellow artiste Bugle, Loraine wants first to be seen as an artiste and recognised for her work rather than her personal life. For Loraine, being with another entertainer has its advantages and disadvantages.

She explained "due to the fact that I'm with Bugle and I'm not really out there as an artiste, I get a lot of recognition, like 'wow that's Bugle's girlfriend' and stuff like that. Knowing that I'm coming into the industry now they say that's Bugle's girlfriend, she can sing yuh know. So it's kinda hype, but at the same time it has it's disadvantages, but that's how it goes."

Other high-profile 'celebrity' couples included Sasha and Turbulence who recorded We've Got The Love.

Their relationship soon turned sour with Turbulence recording No Man No Perfect about the relationship following the break up.

Sasha replied with the song Got What You Need.

Sasha was also linked to reggae crooner Jah Cure while he was incarcerated, but both later denied the rumours.


>Moses Davis (Beenie Man) and Michelle Downer (D'Angel Stacious) - file