On the heels of packing out a stadium in Guyana over the weekend, dancehall star Vybz Kartel faces more controversy over his track “Good Like Jesus”, as Trinidad and Tobago bans it. Vybz Kartel was barred from performing this track at his Guyana show and reeled out hits from his extensive catalogue that are less controversial.
Ahead of his Guyana performance, he was urged by Guyanese officials to drop the song from his set. Guyana’s Ethnic Relations Commission argued that the song’s vivid comparisons between a woman’s most intimate parts and the figure of Jesus made the song blasphemous and would deeply offend local Christian communities. The ERC even advocated for a radio ban, stating that the lyrics went beyond acceptable boundaries.
Now, Trinidad and Tobago’s Minister of Defence, Wayne Sturge, has weighed in on the matter. In a recent statement, Sturge announced that upon Kartel’s arrival for the One Caribbean Music Festival on May 31, Kartel will be prohibited from performing “Good Like Jesus” or any similarly explicit material.
The press release explained that while artistes enjoy freedom of expression, “that freedom is not absolute” when it clashes with public respect for religious beliefs. Sturge’s office emphasised that the move aims to balance artistic creativity with the protection of community values.
“The Honourable Minister has and will exercise his discretion to restrain Mr. Palmer from performing this song whilst in this jurisdiction, as well as any song which contains similar content, being mindful of the right of the artiste to freedom of expression, but also mindful of the fact that freedom of expression is not an absolute right,” the statement read.
He said that this approach was crafted after numerous complaints from religious individuals and groups. With these government interventions, regional fans and critics are debating just how far musical boundaries should stretch. Online discussion remains heated, but so far, Vybz Kartel hasn’t publicly addressed the bans.