Well well looks like somebody has had an epiphany of sorts. I'm wondering how this will play out but Jamaican regulators have now banned all songs with lyrics mentioning murder, arson, rape, violence, gratuitous sex amongst other things. They don't even want club djs to play these songs and aren't allowing edited versions. Does this include homo-bashing songs as well? What will be left to play? Will it be Bob Marley and Peter Tosh 24/7?
This is so much better than Clear Channel's blatant censorship when they pulled "questionable" songs off their playlists after 9/11. Who in their right mind would ever consider John Lennon's Imagine an offensive song? At least there's an attempt at decency though the cynic in me wonders how long this will last. I'm certain pressure from record labels will start to chip away at this stance to erode it to the point of uselessness. If the regulators can hold firm I believe the audience won't miss it. A steady diet of junk food may keep you from going hungry but it doesn't nourish your body. We need music that lifts our spirits as well as delights our senses. So bravo to them for making such a courageous decision.
Now onto the United States.....
So, I guess there won't be much played on the radios because a lot of reggae has gotten to be quite raunchy. Who has the job of deciding what plays I wonder? The biggest problem is that a lot of reggae is about the problems in society so they can't help but to reference some of the subjects above. Maybe it will get the artists to clean up dancehall reggae a bit, because I love the sound, just don't always want to hear about the nastiness.
ReplyDeleteWell perhaps this will inspire artists to tap into their more spiritual sides (if they have any) and discourage the more depraved natures of others from flourishing.
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