Lutan's 'Fire' misunderstood - Says he has no issue with homosexuals

Reggae artiste Lutan Fyah, who is known for songs such as 'St Jago De La Vega' and 'Save the Juvenile', wants to set the record straight after seeing what he described as a 'misunderstanding of his lyrics' in another newspaper.

The matter at hand he said was the 'bunning out' of homosexuals which he was said to have done at the recently held Western Consciousness stage show.

According to Lutan Fyah, this was not the case.

"Yuh always have some people inna the media weh seh me a bun out homosexuality but anuh suh it guh, mi a bun out the Catholic priests dem weh a molest the youth dem when dem guh a church," Lutan Fyah told The STAR.

mi nuh business

He explained, "Mi sing it di other day at Western Consciousness and mi see where the paper tek it an seh mi a bun out gays. Is not even something weh mi guh studio an record, is just a lyric weh mi jus guh di stage show dem an sing."

He went on to say that he does not have an issue with homosexuals because he does not care what one does.

"Really an truly mi nuh business if a man waan have im boyfriend, but mi do lyrics offa the situation weh mi see wid the Catholic priests dem but di way how dem write it a like seh mi guh pon stage an bun out the people for no reason," he said.

Due to the misunderstanding, Lutan Fyah said he has missed out on a show and he doesn't want the matter to get out of hand.

"Mi even lost a show because of the mix-up. The promoter read what dem write and was worrying that corporate sponsors would pull out and cancel di ting. Anuh like seh yuh see nuh bag a gay a run mi dung fi ban mi or nothing but mi want it fi stop before it even reach dem stage deh," he said.

Lutan Fyah said he will now be singing more cultural, roots and friendly songs. He is busy working on his new album and singles and is promoting his latest single, Be Mine, for which he is organising a video shoot.

A recent write up on his last CD Phantom War by Rick Anderson says:
"The big turban and the prominence of fire imagery may have you wearily anticipating yet another hour-long screed on the perfidy of women, the destruction of homosexuals, and the desirability of killing Babylonians by fire, but Lutan Fyah's take on "Bobo Dread" doctrine is refreshingly openhearted and tolerant. "Screaming for the Poor" is more sad than angry, and it's a lovely song to boot; "Blood Stain" rides on a sturdy but not overbearing rockers rhythm, while "Rasta Still Deh Bout" -- a combination track featuring up-and-comer Josie Mel -- is a pop-smart gem, a highlight on Phantom War as it was (in exactly the same version) on Mel's debut.

(The video featured on this album's CD-ROM track also duplicates the one found on Josie Mel's album.) "Reflections" brings a slightly different vibe, a bit more soulful and R&B-ish, and also features what may well be the first-ever use of the "reciprocity" in a reggae song. "Still Deh Deh" does a brilliant job of bringing high energy to a midtempo groove, and "Bet on It" is built on a sharply skanking electronic beat that works perfectly. There's some filler, like the self-indulgent twaddle that opens and closes the disc, but within this hour-plus program there's a truly outstanding 45-minute reggae album."

This response from Lutan was unexpected as he never normally has issues with the quality of his music as he is more a poor people defender and on unemployed youths advocate also on ganja as well. The "other paper" referred to above seems to not exist as a search for this story proved futile unless I am missing something here. What we now know is that Sizzla Kolanji had committed an infraction by performing his version of Buju Banton's Boom Bye Bye at a recent Coke Zero event in Montego Bay. Could this be a publicity stunt to put himself in the limelight following on the Sizzla incident, one gets the impression that not all of the Rastafari movement is in league with this anti gay lyrics but also want to promote their own stuff but are clouded or blocked by mainstream dance-hall which more and more presents a very metro-sexual image which hits close to the stereotypes used in anti gay lyrics.

Let's continue to watch this story if it goes any further.

Peace and tolerance

H

(parts of this post contains excerpts from the Star)