United Kingdom: City council proposes ban on 'murder music'
Brighton and Hove City Council may become the first in United Kingdom to place a ban on music which encourages violence towards minority groups, reports The Argus
Proposals to outlaw so-called 'murder music' in venues, pubs and clubs are being considered as part of a review of Brighton and Hove City Council's licensing policy, writes Lawrence Marzouk in The Argus on 5 February 2007.
In 2006, the council threatened to withdraw the licence of Concorde 2 if it allowed Buju Banton – a Jamaican singer known for his controversial homophobic lyrics – to enter stage. Consequently, the concert was cancelled.
In 1992, Banton wrote and recorded a song called 'Boom Bye Bye' which advocates the shooting of gay men. He is banned from singing it in the United Kingdom but gay campaigners claimed he performed it abroad as recently as 2005. Buju Banton's promoter for his last UK tour said on the other hand that the offensive comments were made when Banton was just 15 years old, and that he had stopped performing the song.
The council's move could lead to that artists such as Buju Banton, Beenie Man and Elephant Man will never be able to perform in public in the city.
You can leave a comment to this on the newspaper's web site.
While struggling with censorship in Khartoum, the Sudanese singer-songwriter Abazar Hamid hopes to bring peace to Sudan with his music, reported Stephanie McCrummen
The Canadian group that called for a boycott of Jamaica unless the country's government take action on homophobic violence has called it off after recieving an official letter
Online music stores that sell so-called 'murder music' (reggae with lyrics inciting to violence against homosexuals) receive complaints from Danish gay rights activist
The rap artist Azagaia was summoned before prosecutors to explain the allegedly violent lyrics of a song he has written about the February 2008 riots in Maputo
In January 2008, a performance by Jamaican dancehall artist Mavado was banned by authorities in St. Vincent because his lyrics which are considered to be violent
Jamaican reggae stars Elephant Man and Sizzla have been forced to cancel two concerts in Toronto, Canada, after locals protested against their homophobic lyrics
Reggae and dancehall star Buju Banton is the fourth artist to sign the 'Reggae Compassionate Act' which is part of the gay rights campaign ‘Stop Murder Music’
On 4 July 2007, David Cameron renewed his call for the music industry to "show leadership" by banning violent lyrics from songs, reported The Guardian.
200 activitsts demonstrated against Jamaican rapper and DJ Elephant Man in Copenhagen on 21 May 2007 because he has incited to violence against homosexuals in his songs
Brighton and Hove City Council may become the first in United Kingdom to place a ban on music which encourages violence towards minority groups, reports The Argus
A UN war crimes trial charges a musician with inciting genocide in Rwanda. An unintended consequence could be repression elsewhere of legitimate forms of musical expression
On 19 October 2006 two pupils on Køge High School, south of the Danish capital Copenhagen, were convicted for having written a rap song which threatened their teacher
A group of 750 Neo-Nazis demonstrated in Berlin to demand the release of a jailed right-wing musician of the banned rock group Landser, reports several news agencies
