Fri. September 17, 2004
Chicago, IL -
Barely a month after its cancellation of a performance by Reggae/Regga star Beenie Man due to homophobic lyrics, Chicago's House of Blues nightclub has booked another Jamaican singer, "Capleton," who calls for "burning," "shooting"and other violence against Lesbians and Gays.
Capleton is scheduled for an appearance at the club, 329 N. Dearborn Street, Chicago, on September 23, 2004. If the concert takes place, the Chicago Anti-Bashing Network, a gay activist group, vows to protest at the club at 7 pm that night and launch a full scale boycott of the entire venue
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When RJ Reynolds dropped Beenie Man from its sponsorship of artists on a national tour, House of Blues announced its cancellation of the concert, citing the company's policy of eschewing violence and promoting diversity. Specifically, the House of Blues' corporate mission statement says the company works "to promote racial and spiritual harmony through love, peace, truth, righteousness and nonviolence."
A look at Capleton's song titles and lyrics shows he clearly advocates violence against gay people and thus violates the House of Blues' stated principles.
Below are Capleton's lyrics in the original Jamaican slang, followed by a U.S. English translation with some notes on the meaning of the language:
From the song "Bun Out Di Chi Chi" [Burn Out The Queer]
Bun out ah chi chi, Blood out ah chi chi
[Burn out a queer, Blood out a queer. "Blood out" is a particularly violent, graphic expression meaning to chop, cut, stab, shoot]
Batty dem ah f--- and ah suck too much p_ssy
[Queers are f---ing and sucking too much p_ssy. In Jamaica, "p_ssy" can refer to oral sex in general, which is also considered sodomy]
Blood out ah chi chi, Blood out ah shitty
[Blood out a queer, Blood out a shit (f---er)]
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From the song "Whoa!"
Sadomite and batty man mi shot up....Whoa
[Sodomite and queer man, I shoot up… Whoa]
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From "Give Har"
Shoulda know seh Capleton bun battyman
[You should know that Capleton burns queers]
Dem same fire apply to di lesbian
[The same fire applies to lesbians]
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The Chicago Anti-Bashing Network (CABN) believes that there is a difference between freedom of cultural and artistic expression on the one hand, and incitement to violence against a whole class of people on the other. Freedom of artistic expression does not cover encouraging others to engage in violence, any more than it covers shouting "fire" in a crowded theatre.
CABN is opposed to censorship, which is the limitation of speech by government. When we encourage PRIVATE individuals, businesses and other organizations to not sponsor someone who advocates violence against us, we are engaging in free speech of our own.
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