Sizzla Kolonji 2005  Photo: Caspiax  Public Domain (Creative Commons)

Sizzla’s Entire U.S. 2013 Tour Canceled! Click Here for Information

Sizzla Kalonji, real name Miguel Collins, is another very controversial Jamaican dancehall music artiste who has a long history of performing songs that call for LGBT people to be killed.  Like other murder music artistes, he also has a history of making homophobic comments or delivering anti LGBT rants from the stage during performances. (See Sizzla’s “Kill LGBT” Songs below and Amnesty International USA “’Battybwoys affi dead:’ Action against homophobia in Jamaica”  http://bit.ly/lfBJm4 )

Sizzla is among a group of  murder music artistes that includes Buju Banton, Beenie Man, Bounty Killer, Capleton, Vybz Kartel, and Elephant Man. These performers are all listed in the “Dancehall Dossier” (The group T.O.K. is listed in the “Dancehall Dossier,” but they signed an agreement, called a “Reggae Compassionate Act agreement,” in which they promised not to promote hatred and violence in their music. They signed this agreement in 2007 and have complied with it.)

Buju Banton is currently serving a 10 year sentence in U.S. federal prison for drug-related crimes. Reggae star Banton sentenced to 10 years for drug trafficking Vybz Kartel is currently incarcerated in Jamaica and is awaiting trial on two murder charges.

Like the other artistes listed in the “Dancehall Dossier,” except for Bounty Killer, Sizzla signed a Reggae Compassionate Act agreement not to promote hatred and violence in his music in 2007. He almost immediately denied that he signed a Reggae Compassionate Act agreement. Sizzla’s Signed Reggae Compassionate Act agreement

There is a YouTube video of Sizzla and Capleton both violating their Reggae Compassionate Act agreements before the end of 2007. See section “Sizzla’s ‘Kill LGBT’ Stage Comments and Violation of his Reggae Compassionate Act Agreement“ below. There is a link to the YouTube video in that section. Using the transcription/translation provided, and listening carefully, you can hear the violations for yourself.

At a minimum, a club hiring Sizzla to perform should have an agreement with him about singing lyrics or making comments that call for hatred against, violence to and/or murder of LGBT people. Believe it or not, such songs and comments are acceptable in some areas of the world, such as in Jamaica, the Caribbean and some African countries. They are not acceptable in the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and parts of Europe.

Sizzla Kalonji and his colleague Capleton are ultra-orthodox Rastafarians (“Bobo Ashanti” or “Bobo Dreads”). They are known as “fyah burn” (“fire burn”) artistes because of their calls to God to burn wickedness. The calls are supposed to be metaphoric, but sometimes people take it literally in the Caribbean and set LGBT people on fire. Both Sizzla and Capleton make direct, explicit and unambiguous calls for LGBT people to be killed in some of their songs.

Sizzla continues to violate his Reggae Compassionate Act agreement. On February 24th, 2011, at the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JaRIA) Black History concert series in Kingston, Sizzla sang two of his “kill LGBT” songs “Get to the Point” and “Pump Up.” These two songs are in the “Dancehall Dossier,” see link below. On April 24th, 2011, at the “Coke Zero Live on the Waterfront” event in Montego Bay, Sizzla called for execution of gays and then sang Buju Banton’s “kill LGBT” anthem “Boom Bye Bye.” Sizzla at Coke Zero Live on the Waterfront

Anyone who opposes the promotion of hatred, violence and vigilante killing or lynching should be encouraged to speak out against Sizzla and the other “kill LGBT” performers.

If a performance is not canceled, it is very helpful to have documentation of the performance. Were “kill LGBT” comments made? Were “kill LGBT” songs performed? Video and audio documentation is helpful. Be a spy for freedom! Post the homophobic stuff on YouTube. Let us know if the performance is or is not homophobic.

Below the “kill LGBT” songs is a YouTube video showing Sizzla and Capleton making comments from the stage that LGBT people should be killed. Both are violating their Reggae Compassionate Act agreements not to promote hatred and violence.

You can watch the YouTube video yourself and read the partial transcript of the objectionable comments below. A little patient and careful listening will reward you with a clear understanding of what these anti LGBT performers do while on stage, in addition to singing songs that call for the death of LGBT people.

Sizzla’s “kill LGBT” Songs

Sizzla has a lot of songs that call for LGBT people to be killed. All the songs below are in the “Dancehall Dossier,” except for Nah Apologize.

You can find more Sizzla “kill LGBT” songs on the BIGGEST BATTYBWOY KILLING ANTHEMS OF ALL TIME website.

Nah Apologize

say fi apologize to batty-boy. Apologize fuh wha’? Dem fi apologize to Jah!

[They] say [I] must apologize to faggot.  Apologize for what? Them [faggots] must apologize to God!

Gunshot dem fi get!

Gunshot they [faggots] must get!

Damn,me say fi bu’n batty-man,yuh cyah wrong me

Damn, I say must fire burn faggots, you cannot wrong me

Pump Up

Step up inna front line

Step up to the front line

fire fi di man dem weh go ride man behind

burn the men who have sex with men from behind

Shot battybwoy, my big gun boom

Shoot faggots, my big gun goes boom

Boom Boom

Boom boom! Batty boy them fi dead

Boom boom! [as in gunshots] Faggots must be killed

Get To Da Point

Sodomite and batty bwai mi seh a death fi dem

Sodomite and faggots, I say death to them

Mi no trust babylon fi a second yah so

I don’t trust Babylon for a second

Mi a go shot batty bwai dem widdi weapon ya

I go and shoot faggots with a weapon

Sizzla performed “Get To Da Point” in Milan, Italy on April 23rd, 2012, at at other stops on this current tour. You can see this performance on YouTube  “Get To Da Point” Milan April 23, 2012

Sizzla’s “Kill LGBT” Stage Comments and Violation of his Reggae Compassionate Act Agreement

In 2007, Sizzla signed a Reggae Compassionate Act form. By signing this form, he agreed not to promote hatred and violence. You can see Sizzla’s signed RCA form at http://bit.ly/HxesU6

Before the end of 2007 Sizzla (and Capleton) can be seen violating their RCA agreements in this YouTube video shot at the “GT Taylor Christmas Extravaganza” on 12/25/07 in Jamaica:  http://bit.ly/bk6FJn

If you listen closely you can hear Sizzla say:

3:36 Capleton: “All who bun battyboy and sodomite?” Sizzla performs “Big

Long Guns” (a song to incite murder by gunfire).

Capleton returns:  “All a who a bun battyman n sodomite, show both hands and

you don’t suck  cocky or pussy” and uses chants “tun e up” (a subtle way to

say kill). He  urges participation and indicates that those who don’t are

gay.

6:22  Sizzla: “Kill battyman n sodomite” and continues “Kill dem outa de

place.”

09:45 Capleton: “Battyman fi dead di yuth em right bout  that.”  (“Faggots should die. The youth are right about that.”)

(“Battyboy” and “battyman” are derogatory Jamaican Patois  terms for gay men.

We translate them as “faggot.”  We translate “Battyman fi  dead” as “faggots

should die.”  “Battyman fi dead di yuth em right bout that”  is “faggots should

die the youth are right about that.”)

For some further reading about dancehall, “fyah burn,” homophobia in Jamaica

Sexual acts in Jamaica between two consenting adult men are illegal under their “buggery” laws. This is also true of the other English-speaking, former British colonies in the Caribbean, except for the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

The penalty for breaking the “buggery” laws in Jamaica is up to 10 years at hard labour.

Sex between two consenting adult females is not illegal in Jamaica, but many Jamaicans think that it is. Lesbians in Jamaica are subject to assaults and discrimination. They are also subject to “corrective rapes.” Unfortunately, there are also “corrective rapes” in the U.S. and other parts of the world.

Jamaica is a deeply religious country and it is about 80% conservative Christian denominations. Jamaica boasts that it has the most churches per square mile of any country in the world.

Rastafarians are a minority religion in Jamaica, perhaps 5% of the population. They believe in the Old Testament of the Bible. They do not eat pork or shrimp per Old Testament teachings. The dreadlocks and beards are also from the Old Testament. The Rastafarians believe in the anti gay teachings of Leviticus 20:13.

LGBT people are discriminated against or despised in all the segments of Jamaican culture: Government, law enforcement, education, churches and in medical care.

The U.S., Canada and the U.K. grant asylum to LGBT people from Jamaica. Gay people are even set on fire or burned alive in their homes in Jamaica. People with AIDS have been “necklaced.”

Suggested Reading:

“Dancehall Dossier” http://bit.ly/9fKHdV

Guernica Magazine “Murder Music” http://bit.ly/gjX4Iu

Time Magazine “The Most Homophobic Place on Earth?”  http://bit.ly/d2Xf

“28 LGBT Jamaicans granted asylum in U.S. in 2010? http://bit.ly/g84GcQ

Amnesty International USA “’Battybwoys affi dead:’ Action against homophobia in Jamaica”  http://bit.ly/lfBJm4

Hour.ca “What happened to ‘One Love’?”  http://bit.ly/cHUwYv

Human Rights Watch “All Jamaicans Are Threatened by a Culture of Homophobia”  http://bit.ly/cmYPES

The Atlantic “How AIDS Became a Caribbean Crisis” http://bit.ly/cOSZTH

UK Independent “Jamaica: A grim place to be gay” http://bit.ly/dhHA8y

“BIGGEST BATTYBWOY KILLING ANTHEMS OF ALL TIME”       http://bit.ly/d11aQ4

(The word “batty” means “butt” in Jamaican Patois. “Batty man” is a derogatory term for a gay man in Jamaica and the Caribbean. We translate “batty man” or “batty bwoy” as “faggot.”)

There’s more information about homophobia in Jamaica and the Caribbean and murder music and even more links at 21 Years of Musical Mayhem

Worthwhile YouTube Videos:

“Thomas Glave – Oslo Freedom Forum 2011? http://bit.ly/FRpgha

“JAMAICA: TOWARD A QUEER PRAYER,” by Thomas Glave. Delivered, with some changes, at the Oslo Freedom Forum in 2011.  http://bit.ly/147aAGE

“Batty Boys Need to Stay Far From We” http://bit.ly/cBRGDb

“HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean: A deadly cycle of stigma and secrecy (part 1 of 5)”  http://bit.ly/9gYe6j

Sizzla Official Statement

On March 23rd, 2012, Sizzla issued an OFFICIAL STATEMENT

Here are some of the highlights:

It is good to remember that Sizzla has not been arrested, convicted, or charged with any crime and does not have a criminal record what so ever.

Sizzla doesn’t seem to have any criminal convictions, but he has had several arrests on Firearms-related Charges

Sizzla and all human beings are entitled to freedom of speech, freedom of expression, and artistic freedom as afforded to him by the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Sizzla certainly has freedom of speech. It is important to remember that all LGBT people and all people who support human rights and all people who oppose the promotion of hatred, violence and calls for vigilante killing, also have freedom of speech.

. . . every attempt to sabotage or cancel a Sizzla show is a form of censorship against him and the musical genre.

It is Sizzla and other murder music artistes who are trying to censor LGBT people and human rights advocates. Sizzla is trying to intimidate LGBT people and human rights activists into silence with his charges of censorship.

In fact, when Sizzla calls for LGBT people to be killed, he is advocating an extreme form of censorship. When someone is dead, they have no freedom of speech and we know that Gays Are Killed In Jamaica

Just as Sizzla has the right to call for LGBT people to be killed, LGBT people and human rights activists have the right to say openly that Sizzla is wrong. LGBT people and human rights activists have the right to contact the owners and managers of theaters and concert halls and ask them to not present murder music artistes like Sizzla. The theater and concert hall owners and managers have every right to decide that murder music artistes are not suitable for their venues.

Patois the language that Sizzla uses to express his music are forms of metaphoric and allegoric expression. The messages in the songs are based on words that have been misconstrued and mistranslated.

Sizzla’s calls for LGBT people to be killed in his songs and in his stage comments are not “metaphoric” or “allegoric.” Calls such as “Shot battybwoy, my big gun boom” and “Sodomite and faggots, I say death to them” are direct and explicit calls for LGBT people to be killed.

The term batty boy was derived from the rise of pedophiles and rape of young boys in Jamaica.

Here Sizzla is trying to redefine the long-used terms “batty boy” and “batty man” as being pedophiles, rather than gay men. Gay men are consenting adult men who are sexually attracted to other consenting adult men.

These two terms, “batty boy” and “batty man” have been in use for decades in Jamaica and are well-understood to mean “gay man.”

These two terms are used in many songs which clearly are not about child sexual molestation, such as Buju Banton’s song “Boom Bye Bye.”

Just for the record, gay men are no more likely to be pedophiles than other men Facts About Homosexuality and Child Molestation

Sizzla has a catalogue of over 67 albums and well over 90% of his music is uplifting, positive, speaks of family, empowerment, love, spirituality, and unity.

Sizzla also has many songs where he calls for LGBT people and others to be killed or lynched. Take a look at BIGGEST BATTYBWOY KILLING ANTHEMS OF ALL TIME

Sizzla Canceled U.S. Tour Schedule for November and December 2013