Veteran dancehall music heavyweight ,Beenie Man has been removed from the performance line-up list at the Raggamuffin Music Festival in New Zealand on February 20,2016.
This follows mounting complains from Gay Rights groups in New Zealand.
Promoters of the concert claim that Beenie Man’s past and present homophobic attitude was the main reason for the ditching quoting that the concert do not discriminate anyone on the basis of race,gender or sexuality.
Raggamuffin is assumed to be one of the largest reggae and urban concert in New Zealand.
Beenie Man has consequently been replaced in the line-up by openly gay artiste-one Diana King who came out as a lesbian recently after hiding for years.
It should be noted that Beenie Man has tried to reconcile with this queer group through written and sang apologies,but seems his apologies weren’t accepted.
“Do not fight against me for some songs I did 20 years ago, There is no one in this world is the same as they were 20 years ago, I know I am not. I was a kid and I come from Waterhouse, which is a small
community. I never know what the world is like and what the world is all about. But now I know that people live in this world that live their life differently from my life. I still have
to respect and love human beings,” once pleaded Beenie Man.
MUKAMI KANYI