PM Holness Says He’s “Embarrassed” About Skeng’s Guyana Ban

Prime Minister Andrew Holness has weighed in on the recent banning of Skeng from performing at public events in Guyana, saying that the developments have left him feeling ashamed.

“It is an embarrassment to me when another country say I don’t want your artiste in my country,” he said during his address at a Jamaica Labour Party Area Two Council Meeting in Sydenham, St Catherine yesterday.

Following Skeng’s performance at the Baderation concert on May 22, which ended prematurely end after some patrons began firing gunshots in the air and hurling bottles, Minister of Home Affairs for Guyana, Mr. Robeson Benn, had announced that the Protocol artist and others who have a record of “promoting vulgar and lawless behaviour including the firing of gunshots in public places”,  would be prohibited from performing publicly in the country.

The Minister had said that his Ministry and the Guyana Police Force had been instructed to withhold consent and approval for any future public performances featuring Skeng, or any performer whose lyrical content promotes the kind of conduct exhibited at the Baderation event.

Wayne Chen, attorney-at-law and co-author of the book, Reggae Routes, had weighed in on the issue of Skeng’s banishment, on Radio Jamaica’s weekly news discussion programme That’s a Wrap on Sunday, noting that while artistic expression must be protected, freedom of expression comes with great responsibility.  He also indicated that the Guyanese government has a right to be concerned that that freedom of expression is balanced against the rights of their society to safety.

“Freedom of expression, to use the old guideline, does not give one the right to shout ‘fire’ in a crowded theatre.   Societies have to protect themselves and they have to be judicious in the messages that are put out in the public and how they will influence action.  If they can demonstrate that certain types of music can in some cases be so violent and lawbreaking, they have a right to protect themselves.  But it has to be judiciously thought out, so it does not become a blatant breach of our rights to express,” Chen said.

On Friday, Chen had also shared the news of Skeng’s ban from Guyana, which resulted in a slew of responses from Jamaicans, some expressing agreement with the Guyanese Minister’s decision, some not.

“Not the first CARICOM country: 2010 Dominica and St Lucia banned Vybz Kartel. Dominican minister told me she was protecting her young people from negative influences and wasn’t too concerned about right of free movement of musicians under CSME treaty agreement,” Chen had captioned his post.

“Good. On principle alone, they should be banned everywhere until they can produce & deliver better quality music. Tired of the singular note. Jacns should want & dream of better for ourselves but we dont & wont,” puddnpan responded.

One commenter, while noting Holness’ expression of discontent, said he believed the PM has been reticent about banning violent Dancehall songs and sanctioning artists, due to his name being “bigged up” in several of the violent and lewd songs recorded by some of the same entertainers.

“Andrew Holness wouldn’t do that because of popularity at stake plus these artist who sing about crime and murder mention anju name In these songs .. Hehehehe,” Zzadiki noted, while tagging Holness in his response.

Some, however, argued that it was unfair to blame Skeng for the misdeeds of the gunslinging partygoers.

“I don’t understand the hate… wul heap a positive music out deh n the majority nah swing to it. Nuff a dem who glad skeng get ban deven listen cultural music. Skeng went there to perform nuh si how skeng cause the shot dem fi buss n venue get rob,” Biscuitman said.

“The guns are already there. So they need to look at the root cause,” Ambrosia added.

The recent developments come a year after Barbados’ Prime Minister Mia Mottley addressed her nation about a music video compilation put out by Barbadian dancehall artists on the Trojan Riddim on which she said she found “impossible to remain silent” as the songs “glorified gun violence.”

In June last year, Mottley said she was “horrified” at the video, and “personally disappointed in the artiste whom she said had failed to recognise that they had an obligation “to accept that to whom much is given, much is expected”, dismissing the “artistic license” defence by indicating that some Barbadians lack the maturity required to not interpret the musical message literally.

In addition to a demand for a public apology to the people of Barbados, Prime Minister Mottley had said that that the persons who had uploaded the video, had a responsibility to take it down,” explaining that performers, cannot expect the government to compartmentalize its support for their artistic endeavors.  Two of the artistes in the video, Peter Ram and Mole had been involved in the Ministry of Education’s COVID-19 safety campaign targeted at the nation’s youth.

Since the imposition of the ban, Skeng’s management team have responded, noting that there is an attempt to unduly assign blame to him for the chaos which ensued at ‘Baderation’.

According to them, Skeng had performed in several cities prior to and subsequent to the incident in Guyana, none of which resulted in mayhem.

The management also pinpointed subpar security arrangements which failed to prevent disorder at the event, noting that Skeng himself was in grave danger.  They said the ban was merely an attempt at deflecting blame from the promoters, onto Skeng whom they said is” aware of the negative effect of gun violence and do not and will never condone same anywhere”.

“We would appreciate the opportunity to perform in Guyana again, to remove any bad taste that has been left in the mouths of the Authorities. We remain resolute and supportive of our CARICOM partners and the exchange of our unique Caribbean culture,” they stated in a release.