Cartadon still healing after near-death ordeal

Dancehall artiste Cartadon is riding on a high from his collaboration with Dovey Magnum titled ‘Motion’.

The song, which peaked at No. 6 on USA’s iTunes Reggae Singles Chart, was released approximately three weeks ago.

“My publicist, Karl Durrant, reached out to Dovey about a collaboration and then we met, and it was smooth sailing from there. It wasn’t even written, we were just having a vibe in the studio. Dovey is full of excitement, so that was how the track came about. It is a seductive track but it is not too raunchy. It’s a good feeling to see it peaked on the chart, but I am always pushing myself to do better, so I would feel better if I see it land at number one,” he said.

But Cartadon, whose given name is Richard Anderson, said he is still using music to heal following a near-death experience in July 2021, when he was shot by gunmen on Jarrett Lane along Mountain View Avenue in Kingston. Two men were killed in the attack. The entertainer told THE STAR that the incident had taught him to appreciate life, but has also left him extremely traumatised.

“I look at life differently and, big man ting, if yuh don’t have God, you don’t have anything. Just a day before [I got shot], I had released a song about getting shot up, but being protected by God. And then the next day I actually got shot up. It was horrible and I was hospitalised for about a month. There were persons around me dying, and that even traumatised me more. A lot of times I would be sleeping and get nightmares, where I am watching my body got shot up, and then I would just [get] frighten [and jump] out of my sleep,” he said.

Cartadon said that he tries to forget about what happened, but that is really hard.

“Recently, I was coming through the airport and I saw four guys staring at me, and in my mind, I believe they were ‘running programme’ on me. So I walked pass them, and then I realised that they knew me through music and they were just fans. I don’t really like crowd, and after each performance I am not going to hang out; mi gone again,” the entertainer added.

Dragging his memory to the horrifying ordeal, Cartadon said what was supposed to be a day of celebration had turned out to be a life-changing experience.

“It was one of my friend’s birthday and five of us went out. We were standing at a location and two cars pull up and [persons] opened fire. I was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. Two of my friends died in the incident and persons initially thought I had died. I woke up in the hospital, as I had passed out. I remember just feeling my eyes closing, but I wasn’t doing it myself. At one point I had stopped moving and a staff told my family I had passed away,” he said.

Convinced that he was not going to survive, Cartadon said he sought forgiveness from the Almighty.

“I woke up, and I remember wiggling my toes in my shoes, but no one saw me and I just remember begging Father God to forgive me of my sins and protect my kids dem and loved ones. After that my eyes closed again, and when I woke up, there was this brightness over me. It was the doctors working on me. I got three shots in my upper body, and I still have one of the bullets in my lungs right now. My breathing is still affected, but I am so grateful to be here,” he said.