Beenie Man pulled from NZ show

Beenie Man was officially pulled off the line-up for Big Day Out, which will be held in several cities in Australia and New Zealand in January. Beenie Man was billed to perform in Auckland, New Zealand.
Gay activists in New Zealand have been protesting on the Internet, in local newspapers and on air against the performance of Beenie Man in New Zealand due to anti-gay lyrics he had recorded in the past. He was the only reggae/dancehall act billed to perform on the show.
However, the promoter yielded to pressure and decided to remove Beenie Man from the line-up. In a release on the event's website, the promoters said: "Although aware of the controversial nature of Beenie Man and his previous lyrics that have caused offence with the gay and lesbian and wider community, the producers understood that the artiste had renounced these sentiments and no longer expresses those views."
Big Day Out It continued: "Notwithstanding claims of a commitment to the Reggae Compassionate Act, which he signed in 2007 and a promise of adherence to peaceful and humanistic values for the dates here by Beenie Man, the depth of feeling and hurt amongst these groups has convinced us that for us to proceed with his Big Day Out appearances was, and would continue to be, divisive amongst our audience members and would mar the enjoyment of the event for many. For this reason, we have decided not to proceed."
Although there were protests, Beenie Man's brother and manager, Rohan 'Blue' Smith, said the artiste was not officially booked for the show. He said contractual arrangements were still ongoing because they were not comfortable with some aspects of the agreement. He, however, said that if the contractual matters were sorted out, Beenie Man would have been willing to perform.
Repost from: JAMAICA STAR

Reigns of Power - Transfer Complete

Reggae Music as we have known, loved and embraced it is no more - The almighty forces behind international capital have won out yet again. What pains me most is that the battle was not even lost it was given over as the troops put down their arms silently in the face of what they assumed to be a superior power, without even really trying, really. The few voices of resistance were so small, feeble, and few and far between they may as well have not existed. The question remains though, now that little Reggae has been conquered and the artists voices silenced, what does it really mean to the gay community now? Are they any more empowered by subjugating a group that pretty much admitted it was no match? Tried as I might to reignite the sparks of old that sustained the early battles our forerunners had fought to uphold truth and rights at all costs, the point is now moot, and so I too rest my case.

It takes a nation of millions, they say, and we definitely had that. What we did not manifest was the will to win and moreover not even any real will to fight. Furthermore just like the panthers, the nation, garveyites, and others of the early pioneers of truths and rights, the defeat came from within as divide and conquer proved its efficacy in history yet again also.

The black West Indian gays alligned themselves with the powerful gay agenda and flipped the script on their indigenous culture which, not unlike black culture in America on the whole, frowned, to put it mildly, on what is deemed in the Caribbean, and many other places I might add, as being deviant, homosexuality.

And so they sang. The artists in their defiance of "nastiness" sang the glories of Ital living...but in the end what did it really mean when it seems for the most part they sang in jest in large measure. With few exceptions, many of the most militant artists embraced the very vices they decried in their lyrics. Not that all artists have to be role models, but imagination of artists as practicing what they preached might well have been equally moot.

If you think about the lifestyle choices in general of many artist and hangers on in the genre, one can not actually take them seriously. Just look at their lifestyles. I mean its all rhetoric, the truth and roots, with only rare exceptions. It would take retiring to the hills in a literal sense to transcend the business side of the runnins, which is what rules.

Nevertheless its a done deal in any case, and my words, this blog, the Reggae by the Bay that once offered rich, historical culture to overflowing crowds, its all moot now, the passing of an era. What remains are only the memories. Its clear the downturn started with the crack epidemic in the mid eighties and so the end should not be a surprise since its been a long time coming.

It's official now. Outrage cosigned on the dotted line. The almightly euro/dollar "rises" highest again...

BEENIE MAN, SIZZLA, & CAPLETON STEP UP TO STOP HOMOPHOBIC LYRICS IN REGGAE
Category: News and Politics

Reggae stars Beenie Man, Sizzla, and Capleton have taken the lead in pushing reggae artists to stop releasing anti-gay hate songs.

According to Britain's Pink News, the three reggae stars were the first to sign the Reggae Compassionate Act in a deal that was brokered by reggae promoters and Stop Murder Music activists.

The Act reads, in part, "It must be clear there's no space in the music community for hatred and prejudice, including no place for racism, violence, sexism or homophobia. We do not encourage nor minister to HATE but rather uphold a philosophy of LOVE, RESPECT and UNDERSTANDING towards all human beings as the cornerstone of reggae. We agree to not make statements or perform songs that incite hatred or violence against anyone from any community."

The deal culminates a three-year-long campaign by the Stop Murder Music activists, which resulted from the cancellations of shows and several sponsors pulling their support of reggae acts.

Peter Tatchell, the Stop Murder Music worldwide coordinator, said, "The singers' rejection of homophobia and sexism is an important milestone. We rejoice at their new commitment to music without prejudice. This deal will have a huge, positive impact in Jamaica and the Caribbean. The media coverage will generate public awareness and debate, breaking down ignorance and undermining homophobia."

The campaign against the three reggae stars will be suspended but Tatchell will continue his campaign against the other acts. He said, "The other five murder music artists - Elephant Man, TOK, Bounty Killa, Vybz Kartel and Buju Banton - have not signed the Reggae Compassionate Act."

In the past, Beenie Man has shared his frustration that reggae music was being singled out especially during the second to last season of the Sopranos when a homosexual mobster was killed because of his sexual orientation. The Grammy Award winner said: "They never attack hip-hop. They never attack the comedians. They never attack none of the moviemakers, none of that. Look at the Sopranos right now, you know, so they not coming under no attack for that, you know. That's it."

from Nikki Woods - - CEO of 360° Media and Entertainment Corp.