He's possibly the world's most famous homophobe - so why are Guinness sponsoring a gig where Beenie Man calls for the death of homosexuals? Oh, and by the way, he wasn't alone - there was consensus at the Beach Flex Extravaganza in Jamaica last December as many of the acts took the stage to preach the final solution for gays and lesbians. Nick Sommerlad reports from Jamaica
IT'S 5 a.m. on a windswept Jamaican beach. An enthusiastic crowd is jumping up and down, their hands punching the cool, starry sky. Illuminated on stage, a beaming Beenie Man is pumping out his global hits while the crowd chants along to the chorus "All battymen fi dead". With a commanding wave he pacifies them and says: "Me tell them before and me gonna tell them again - a man not supposed to have another man in a bed." He is preaching to the converted. Battymen, slang for homosexuals, are bogeymen - reviled in song, banned by law and beaten, even killed, for the love which in Jamaica still dare not speak its name.
Proudly homophobic Beenie Man tops the bill at a concert which has seen a succession of singers and DJs talk about burning, stabbing and hanging "battymen".
The Beach Flex Extravaganza, one of the most popular nights in the Jamaican musical calendar, has been billed as a family event and Guinness is among the main sponsors. It serves up Jamaican dancehall, currently the most popular music on an island rich in culture, which has millions of admirers across the world and, for stars, household names like Beenie Man and Sean Paul.
But how many fans off the island have penetrated the rich patois of its lyrics to understand fully the ferocity of its homophobia? An apparently successful campaign by British lobby group Outrage! to expose "murder music" has seen 30 Beenie Man concerts cancelled - along with other gigs in Europe and the US by artists including Sizzla, Capleton and Bounty Killer - in the last six months.
Guinness has already promised not to sponsor "hate music". In a statement the company's owners said: "Diageo does not tolerate 'hate statements' of any sort, including music that endorses violence against gay or lesbian people, and is discontinuing and will not sponsor in the future, any artistes who incite violence through their lyrics or performances.
"We are committed to living the values of our marketing code everywhere and every day."
No explanation for their sponsorship of the Beach Flex event on December 19th, 2004, could be had after three days of asking, apart from the comment from Beth Davies Ryan, spokeswoman for Guinness Ireland, that it was "unfortunate".
But while the debate has prompted much soul-searching in the Jamaican press, there has been little contrition from the artists themselves. Most have responded with defiance in the face of what is seen as a neo-colonial assault on Jamaican society where sodomy remains illegal and 96 per cent of people want it to stay that way. Now the talk, according to a recent front page of the Jamaica Observer, is of a "terrible backlash".
The island's fearful gay community are wondering how much worse it can get.
Beenie Man's predecessor as King of the Dancehall, Buju Banton, was identified by international human rights organisations as among a group of armed men who broke into a Kingston home last June and assaulted the gay men inside. Also that month, prominent Jamaican gay activist Brian Williamson was found murdered, with his throat slit and multiple stab wounds.
So an apology issued by Beenie Man's record label, Virgin, on his behalf last August amounting to a ceasefire surprised some. He said: "It has come to my attention that certain lyrics and recordings I have made in the past may have caused distress and outrage among people whose identities and lifestyles are different from my own. I do not write with the intent of purposefully hurting or maligning others and I offer my sincerest apologies to those who might have been offended, threatened or hurt by my songs."
It came after he was quizzed by detectives from Scotland Yard as he arrived at Heathrow Airport for a concert. No charges followed, but the gig was cancelled nonetheless.
In front of a home crowd at the Beach Flex Extravaganza, Beenie Man's message strikes a less conciliatory pose. He asks the crowd to help him sing his 2002 hit Badman Chi Chi Man - another epithet for homosexual - with the lyrics: "Some bwoy will go a jail fi murda tun badman chi chi man". He turns sombre and hushes the crowd: "They tell me I am banned from England. This morning they tell me they won't let me in without a visa. Me don't have a visa, them stop me.
"But them pussyclat. Them a talk about man apologise to achieve my goals in life. So me tell them, 'The fans put me where I am'. I'm not gonna give up my career for no battyman, I swear."
Both Virgin and his Jamaican promotor, Shocking Vibes, deny Beenie Man is banned in the UK. He has no plans to tour there.
Homophobia is a badge of honour increasingly worn with pride in dancehall circles, and tonight is no exception. Some artists are given just a few minutes on a crowded bill to make an impact on an unforgiving crowd who will heckle, and even pelt, them if unimpressed.
The evening opens with DJs rallying resistance against "foreign interference" and playing Buju Banton's gay-bashing anthem Boom Boom Bye Bye. One of the first musicians to take the stage is a rastaman who rants: "This group Outrage! is outrageous, contagious and dangerous. Them boys spread AIDS virus. They are constipated worse than a toilet. All original who burn battyman let me see the hand in the air." Though, being midnight, it is still early, the thickening crowd break into appreciative dance moves.
"Cut them throat and slaughter them... me incite violence against battyboy," he continues. "Me tell the people let me stab battyboy, me tell the people let me shoot battyboy, me tell the people that me hate battyboy, me tell the people they have to kill battyboy."
Another sword-wielding singer says: "Can you believe it? Battyman come tell rasta we can't burn faggot". After the obligatory request for hands in the air if you burn "battyman" he adds: "Battyman make nuff clothes. FILA - faggots in LA, Nike - the Greek goddess of sodomites, Calvin Klein - a battyman, Polo, Ralph Lauren - a battyman, Tommy Hillfig - a battyman." He slamms Sizzla and Beenie Man for their fashion sense then adds: "Just wear who you know".
Later still, Capleton, one of the biggest Jamaican stars, respected for his sincerity and righteous rasta passion, delivered a broadside at Babylon - the corrupt West.
"They don't teach you nothing about yourself - European curriculum, European philosophy. They teach about Marco Polo, Christopher Colombus, Napoleon, Shakespeare, King James, racialism, colonialism," he says. "Me know about rooster and hen. Me know about bull and heifer. But me don't know about cock and cock and hen and hen. Everyone who know about cock and pum, say boom." His recent hit revives the flagging audience, "Burn them up, burn them up. Dash of fire, dash of fire. Battymen you get a good patch of fire." And, warming to his theme, he explains: "Battyman say they protest against reggae music, but let me tell you now, they don't really want to fight against the artist or artist's lyrics. It is all about the music, the music is the message, and reggae music is the ultimate music."
Outrage!'s Peter Tatchell reckons his campaign has cost the musicians, promoters and venues in the region of £5 million. Yet the view in Jamaica holds that apologising to Tatchell could cost even more in the long run.
Shabba Ranks, a huge dancehall star in the early 1990s until his attempt to broker peace with the gay lobby ended his home career overnight, acts as a cautionary tale.
FULL TEXT OF THE DIAGEO STATEMENT:
"Diageo does not tolerate 'hate statements' of any sort, including music that endorses violence against gay or lesbian people, and is discontinuing and will not sponsor in the future, any artistes who incite violence through their lyrics or performances.
"Diageo markets its brands under one of the strongest marketing codes in the beverage alcohol industry with guidelines to promote responsible marketing and advertising practices, including music sponsorships. The Diageo Marketing Code specifically prohibits marketing activities that promote hatred or violence against people based on their race, gender, culture, religion or sexual orientation and we are committed to living the values of our marketing code everywhere and every day.
"As part of living these values, Diageo has joined a coalition of Jamaican public and private sector interests that sponsor the entertainment industry, which are deeply concerned over violent lyrics in the Jamaican Dancehall Music genre.
"The coalition is taking active steps to develop sponsorship policies and artists conduct guidelines that do not advocate violence."
