The organisers of the international reggae festival Raggamuffin have removed the "King Of The Dancehall" Beenie Man from its 2016 line-up, The STAR understands.
Raggamuffin Music Festival is an annual event that tours Australia and New Zealand and usually includes popular reggae, hip-hip, funk, dub and soul acts.
Beenie Man was removed following concerns raised by the New Zealand gay community.
Raggamuffin had included the Grammy Award-winning artiste after being assured that his past homophobic comments and lyrics had been retracted.
However, concerns were raised by popular New Zealand LGBT movement GayNZ forcing Raggamuffin organisers to seek clarity from the artist about his stance on homosexuality.
It is reported that they offered Beenie the opportunity to publicly state his support of the gay community and retract his past lyrics.
However, Raggamuffin spokesperson Brotha D (Danny Leaoasavaii) said Beenie Man failed to answer questions about his past lyrics and his current stance on the gay community.
“ ... based on this, we have removed him from the line-up," the spokesperson said.
“We took the concerns of the gay community very seriously and sought to address them with Beenie Man. Raggamuffin is a family festival and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, gender or sexuality.
After being made fully aware of his past comments and lyrics, and continued homophobic attitude the Raggamuffin team made the decision to remove him from the festival line-up,” Leaoasavaii further stated.
Beenie Man has been replaced by Jamaican reggae and reggae fusion artist Diana King.
The singer, whose chart-topping hits have included ‘Shy Guy’ and a cover version of Dione Warwick’s ‘I Say A Little Prayer’, is known as the first Jamaican artist to publicly come out as gay.
On their website, GayNZ wrote an article about Diana King, informing the LGBT community that King is the replacement for Beenie Man at next year's show, which gets under way February 2016.
READ GayNZ article: Get to know Jamaica's first openly gay artist Diana King
Beenie Man, Shabba Ranks, Buju Banton and Queen Ifrica are just a few Jamaican artistes who have been bashed by international gay communities for their homophobic lyrics.
Beenie Man is among the Jamaican artistes who have supposedly retracted homophobic comments made in the past.
Earlier this year, Jamaican pop artiste Shaggy also made headlines when he referred to himself as "the biggest lesbian" when quizzed about his stance on the LGBT community.
See below for some popular Jamaican artistes who have performed at Raggamuffin Music festival in previous years:
Maxi Priest
The Wailers
Shaggy
Ziggy Marley
Sly & Robbie
Ky-Mani Marley
also see an older podcast:
Well as I said in a previous post If Bounty and company really want to be legitimate as I have said in previous posts they need to rescind or discontinue the public availability of their offending lyriced songs and openly apologize or show some true remorse for their hurtful words; then and only then will they will begin to get my support. But I may have to wait a lifetime for that to happen as violence and homophobic songs still sell. Buju Banton claims his Boom Bye Bye track was when he was fifteen years old yet he still earns from the song from iTunes etc while not separating himself from the track or pulling it from the market as a show of true tolerance.
Buju Banton's Boom Bye Bye still available on iTunes despite so called ban in 2008 2014
One half of sometimes anti gay duo Twins of Twins Double Standards - Politicians Use Music To Promote Their Own Agenda - Patrick Gaynor (Gleaner 22.11.15)
Andrew Holness & that 'Fish' comment; politicians who exploit homophobia
Not Impressed!!!! Beenieman ................... artist supposedly backtracks on gay stance 2012
Beenieman Says apology to gay community had no influence in his return to performing in the US 2012
Who will have the ethical cojones to separate themselves from previously recorded murder materials? None for now I imagine.
Peace & tolerance
H
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