homophobia inna dancehall
i bet outrage! are quite pleased with the way their 'murder music' campaign is going- there is another article on the subject in the guardian today.
the debate continues, with the usual battle lines drawn: from those who don't want to stop listening to artists who express homophobia on records and seem doomed to be seen as apologists for 'burn the chi chi man' lyrics, a selection of which can be seen here (scroll down a bit), to those who don't want these sentiments expressed on record at all (and who are seen as 'white oppressors' and cultural imperialists).
whatever, the reality for gays in the caribbean is that they are a minority under attack (interview with julius powell of JFLAG here) and dancehall records seem to be, in some cases used as justifications for violence by the perpetrators (although the records are a reflection of that society, obviously).
more voices from inside JA culture/ society that counter the orthodoxy need to be heard- tatchell's heavy handed moralising don't go down very well with me, let alone a jamaican ghetto dwellor- surely there must be some reggae artists who can explicitly state that they are not homophobic in a way that goes beyond the half-hearted attempts at apologies usually made (stand up beenie man)?
i bet outrage! are quite pleased with the way their 'murder music' campaign is going- there is another article on the subject in the guardian today.
the debate continues, with the usual battle lines drawn: from those who don't want to stop listening to artists who express homophobia on records and seem doomed to be seen as apologists for 'burn the chi chi man' lyrics, a selection of which can be seen here (scroll down a bit), to those who don't want these sentiments expressed on record at all (and who are seen as 'white oppressors' and cultural imperialists).
whatever, the reality for gays in the caribbean is that they are a minority under attack (interview with julius powell of JFLAG here) and dancehall records seem to be, in some cases used as justifications for violence by the perpetrators (although the records are a reflection of that society, obviously).
more voices from inside JA culture/ society that counter the orthodoxy need to be heard- tatchell's heavy handed moralising don't go down very well with me, let alone a jamaican ghetto dwellor- surely there must be some reggae artists who can explicitly state that they are not homophobic in a way that goes beyond the half-hearted attempts at apologies usually made (stand up beenie man)?
