Dominica: PM Skerrit defends Bouyon artists, calls for uplifting lyrics over bans

Dominica: During an August 28 press conference, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit addressed concerns about the lyrical content of Bouyon music in Dominica, emphasizing that while he personally opposes censorship, artists should strive to create content that uplifts society rather than demeaning it.

Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit made his stance known at the recent press conference after a journalist asked for Skerrit’s opinion on the bouyon music lyrics in light of allegations that an entertainer was taken in for questioning the previous day. 

The Prime Minister responded, "My personal views as a citizen or as Prime Minister? I think it's a matter for society to decide." He emphasized that while the government might consider action, he personally doesn't support censorship.

He recalled when the bouyon business just came out and people were calling for the government to ban the songs and not engage them etcetera, but he looked at it differently and saw an opportunity for many young men who may not have an opportunity otherwise, to be in this on the safe and narrow. 

“I think it is left to us to engage them and to assist them in developing the art form to a level and to a content that is pleasing to everybody's ears, but not to speak about banning or censoring.” Skerrit emphasised that it is a matter of the government guiding the musician as it's an opportunity for them. 

“So, if we did not want them to play in a festival while they played in France and Germany, it makes no sense. This is why he had to intervene and placed them on the choral festival where  they went, and gave the best performance for the entire three nights of the festival,” he further added.

“I could be one of these boys and why would I want to be treated if I was one of them?” PM Skerrit emphasised that as individuals we sometimes have to put ourselves in people's shoes and, and not just sit on a high, judging and pointing fingers.

He further noted that he looks at life not from his selfish perspective, but from that person's perspective and his circumstance in life. And then places himself in that person's shoes and asks, how would he want to be treated if he was in that same circumstance? 

“And so, while we would want, um, the artist to stay away from using filthy language and, and words and so on, but banning and censoring should not be our main preoccupation or I'm not going to get involved in arresting.”

The Prime Minister stated that he wasn't privy to the details of the arrest, nor was it his role to make determinations on such matters. He emphasized that the police and Director of Public Prosecutions are responsible for handling these issues, and he does not intervene in their affairs.

He highlighted that he is only speaking about the art form and the lyrical content of songs and how they, as a society, treat those songs and those opportunities.

“I believe that we need to encourage his youngsters and to support them and to make sure that they use their money properly to uplift themselves. Because when you're in this business, um, you can be on a high for, for a couple of years and then you go on a low for a long time, and that you have to invest your money wisely so that when you go on a low, that then the high days can help you the low days. And so this is how I see it.”

The Prime Minister concluded by encouraging support for the young musicians, specifically highlighting Fabian's daughter, who is making waves in the Bouyon scene and gaining popularity in the U.S.