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Publication date : Sunday, February 13th 2005 - 25 971 views
La fin des "burn battyman"?
The open conflict between gay rights groups and reggae artists may have just found a way out: a ceasefire has been signed with the record companies. Artists will be able to perform concerts without pressure from the campaigners, but on condition that they stop voicing "burn battymen" lyrics.
It took four months of negotiations to reach an agreement between the two parties. On one side were the gay rights defenders (the British group Outrage! and the Jamaican group J-Flag); on the other, the record companies Jet Star, VP and Greensleeves (90% of the dancehall market between the three of them), along with the promoters Jammins and Apollo Entertainment. All the protagonists in the conflict were therefore present... except the artists.
Under the signed agreement, no artist belonging to these record companies will from now on be allowed to utter insults against homosexuals, in the studio or in concert, in Jamaica or anywhere else in the world. The six biggest sponsors in Jamaica have made it known that they will not support artists who refuse to abide by the ceasefire. For their part, Outrage and J-Flag are ending the Stop Murder Coalition campaign, and complaints aimed at cancelling concerts or preventing artists from visiting will no longer be pursued. Last summer, the confrontation between numerous artists (Beenie Man, Elephant Man, Buju Banton, Vybz Kartel, Sizzla...) and the gay rights organisations had taken a new turn, with numerous concert cancellations, travel bans and radio boycotts (see feature).
This ceasefire is therefore a victory for the record companies, who are restoring the image of reggae with the international general public. "The discussions were rather tense," Montieth Illingworth, VP's spokesman, admitted to the Guardian. "These affairs hit reggae hard, both financially and in terms of image. We hope it won't happen again. The deal took a long time to conclude." Satisfaction is therefore the order of the day. It is much the same story at Outrage, where they claim that "everybody is happy. The singers can perform concerts, the fans can see their idols, and gay people will no longer be insulted. It's a first step towards restoring Bob Marley's "One Love"."
Or almost. For while it is a time for congratulations, the fact remains that no artist was present at the signing of this ceasefire. And the promise of no more insults is guaranteed only by influential labels and generous sponsors. Nor does it mean that certain artists will return to Europe, as they might refuse to comply with these new rules. On 25 November, on the BBC airwaves, Sizzla refused to apologise despite his ban from the United Kingdom. We also remember the about-turn of Vybz Kartel who, shortly after publicly announcing that he was giving up "anti-batty" lyrics, recorded No Apology, in which he plays down the scope of his statements. Finally, the agreement concerns only the three record companies that signed it: Capleton, who has just left VP for his own label (David House, on which his next album will be released), will de facto no longer be covered by this ceasefire.
Report written by Sébastien Jobart
Tags : Homophobie (33)
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