Sizzla Concert Cancelled in France ..................

JOINT PRESS RELEASE FROM TJENBÉ RÈD | COULEURS GAIES

(LGBT CENTRE METZ)

Fort-de-France - Metz, Thursday 19 August 2010
Press release No.TR10INT11B
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Sizzla was supposed to appear at Palavàs-les-Flots (South of France) the 21st of August. In 1998, this singer of Jamaican Reggae-Dancehall called for «burn the Whites in Jamaica», following his crooning in 2001 to «shoot queers, my big gun goes boom». He signed the Reggae Compassionate Act (RCA) on 15 April 2007, which was supposed to put an end to these lyrics. However, he later showed no intention of respecting it and performed «Nah Apologize».


In a communiqué of 5 August 2010

[1], four human rights organizations in France and UK suggested to human rights organizations in South of France that they should, in particular, open up a dialogue with Sizzla’s fans. This dialogue will not now take place as we learned from the local newspaper Midi Libre (Wednesday 18 August)

[2] that the organizers of the concert scheduled for the 21st have decided to cancel it. We were sorry to note on this occasion that Midi Libre had asserted that «Sizzla has never been found in default» after having signed the RCA. In fact, he increased his public homophobic utterances between June and December 2007.

Sizzla is still scheduled to appear at the Élysée Montmartre on Friday 24 September 2010 at 19:00hrs. Just for the record, this venue happened to host the Que Fuerte Paris Gaypride Party on 26 June this year.

We once again demand that those singers highlighted by the international Stop Murder Music campaign (of which Tjenbé Rèd is a coordinator in France) should sign and respect the RCA. These include Beenie Man, Bounty Killer, Buju Banton, Capleton, Elephant Man, Sizzla, TOK and Vybz Kartel as well as Mavado, Dr Evil and Leftside.


Pour Tjenbé Rèd

(Association afro-caribéenne de lutte contre les homophobies, les racismes & le sida),

le président, David AUERBACH CHIFFRIN

contact@tjenbered.fr - +596 6 96 05 24 55 - +33 6 10 55 63 60

English translation of this French original text. In the event of any differences between the English translation and the French original, the French text shall prevail. Translated by T. E.

19 août 2010 - Campagne Stop Murder Music - Un concert du chanteur homophobe Sizzla annulé - Communiqué commun Tjenbé Rèd | Couleurs gaies (Centre LGBT Metz) - Communiqué de presse n°TR10INT11B

http://www.tjenbered.fr/2010/20100819-00.pdf [fr]

http://www.tjenbered.fr/2010/20100819-09.pdf [en]

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[1] 5 August 2010 - Stop Murder Music Campain - Sizzla in France: «Shoot queers»?! (Signatories send out an alert to human rights organisations in Languedoc-Roussillon) - Joint press release from OutRage! (London), Tjenbé Rèd, Girofard (Bordeaux LGBT Centre), Couleurs gaies (Metz LGBT Centre) - Press release No. TR10INT11

http://www.tjenbered.fr/2010/20100805-00.pdf [fr]

http://www.tjenbered.fr/2010/20100805-09.pdf [en]

[2] 18 août 2010 - Midi libre - Les lobbies gays font annuler le concert

http://www.midilibre.com/articles/2010/08/18/MONTPELLIER-Les-lobbies-gays-font-annuler-le-concert-1349680.php5

http://www.tjenbered.fr/2010/20100818-99.pdf