Mavado is again making big strides on the international market, as Hold On, a collaboration with Wyclef Jean, is now being heavily rotated on several cable music stations and on the Internet.

On the weekend, the video for the song was officially released on MTV and subsequently on VH1 and BET.

However, this release is not the original version of the song Mavado did in September. His lines remained the same but Haitian-born Wyclef Jean changed the chorus and a verse to reflect the devastation that took place in his native country. Exactly two weeks ago, Haiti was rocked by a major earthquake that left the country's capital in ruins and hundreds of thousands of people either dead or injured.

Since the song was done months ago, it is quite obvious that Mavado and Wyclef Jean did not have such a devastation in mind.

"We did the song not really for the Haiti thing, we did it for someone that lost a friend and then this happen with Haiti. Mi feel even more greater inna myself fi know seh dem a use di song fi deal wid Haiti," Mavado told THE STAR.

He said the images from Haiti were very sad to watch.

donation

"When mi see it, mi a think bout if a did Jamaica. It a show Jamaica and the rest of the world a sign seh God serious," Mavado said.

To aid in the fund-raising efforts, he said, "I have donated my voice and that's the biggest donation for me. I think it's a great song and with promotion, it can only get better."

He said, along with his management team, a decision was taken to donate all the proceeds from the iTunes sales of the song to the charity.

Nonetheless, he is pleased that the song is being played on the cable stations, as he had problems getting So Special on MTV.

"That really mek mi feel like mi really a put out the work 'cause the last time things didn't go the way they were supposed to," Mavado said.

He added: "It's great, Mavado always been working and trying to take dancehall international. It's a great feeling and I put a lot of work in that song, a lot of energy."

JAMAICA STAR