IS THIS SONG INSENSITIVE WITH MISINFORMATION ...TAKE A LISTEN DAILY EXPRESS OCTOBER 22, 2K 14 Backlash over ‘insensitive’ Ebola soca By \\\\\ Wayne Bowman wayne.bowman@trinidadexpress Story Created: Oct 21, 2014 at 8:31 PM ECT Story Updated: Oct 21, 2014 at 8:31 PM ECT Soca artistes Benjai and Screws are receiving harsh criticism from people over their new single titled “No Ebola”. The song released on October 16 addresses issues revolving around the virus with a touch of humour and employing catchy hook lines such as, “No Ebola cyar stop no soca” and “Jump up with yuh gas mask” laid on a soca rhythm blended with highlife music. Up to yesterday afternoon the song had garnered over 40,000 views on YouTube with 317 likes against 306 dislikes. Most of the comments, however, objected to the song and knocked Benjai and Screws for making light of a deadly virus, while putting jumping up, wining and waving above people’s lives. One comment stated, “This song is insensitive I think I understand the concept but there could’ve been something else talked about besides Ebola.” While another person wrote, “The army of stupidity is quite strong ... how tragic. I’d rather take the path least trodded. FYI I’m a health official who knows more than most of you, all I can do is feel sorry cuz you all have no idea the gravity of what the world is about to experience... but Happy Carnival.” Benjai yesterday told the Express he and Screws are not trivialising Ebola nor are they sending the message that feting is more important than health and life. He said that as artistes, especially soca artistes, they will sometimes write songs exploring very sensitive issues. Benjai added that the fact that Ebola can lead to the cancellation of Carnival makes the issue one very important to he and other soca artistes and calypsonians. “The Ebola virus is a very serious and sensitive issue. The fact that it can lead to stopping Carnival means that it hits home for us as artistes. In the same way we make picong on the Government and ministers and the serious issues around them, the same way we have done the same thing with Ebola. Everyone is scared and worried about Ebola coming here, so we used humour to break the tension a little. In the song we make serious comments with a twist of humour. “We are saying that we love soca and we love our Carnival so we don’t mind jumping up in a gas mask. Even if Carnival is cancelled soca artistes and calypsonians will still write songs and record. People will still lime in the bars and have their birthday parties and family limes. No Ebola can stop soca,” Benjai said. Producer of the song, Jesse John of Optimus Productions in Vistabella said that it was God who inspired he, Benjai and Screws to create “No Ebola”. John said he and Benjai were working in studio on October 13 when Screws called to say he wanted to come in for a recording session. “Benjai said tell Screws to come and when he arrived Screws was reading a news item on his phone about the second nurse in Texas to be diagnosed with Ebola. We started to talk about how deadly this virus is, what could happen if it came here and whether or not the Government will cancel Carnival.” “Then Jai told me to play a riddem and the first thing to come out of Screws’ mouth was, ‘No Ebola cyar stop no soca.’ That was it. They voiced the song on Monday and we had it mixed and mastered in time for release on Thursday. We did not want anyone to come with an Ebola song before us,” John said assuring the people that they are not in any way making light of the deadly virus.
Posted on: Wed, 22 Oct 2014 10:58:05 +0000
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