WHAT THE FUC#

Concert canceled - white musicians had dreadlocks
Published 28 July 2022 at 11.09
CULTURE NEWS. A reggae concert in Switzerland had to be canceled after several in the audience felt bad because white members of the band had dreadlocks, reports Die Welt.

The reggae band Lauwarm consists of Swiss men who dress in clothes typical of the music genre. Two of the band members have dreadlocks.

During the concert in Bern on July 18, several audience members "felt uncomfortable" and "felt bad" about this, and felt that the musicians, as white men, were engaged in "cultural appropriation" of Third World culture.

The owners of the cultural venue - the restaurant Brasserie Lorraine - then decided to cancel the concert, after talking to the band, writes Die Welt.

Now the organizers apologize for the gig in a post on Facebook.

"We want to apologize to everyone who felt bad about the concert. We failed to deal with the matter properly in advance and protect you," writes the brasserie.

The organizers invite you to a "discussion round on the theme of cultural appropriation" on August 19. It is emphasized that "racism and other forms of discrimination should not be given a single millimeter of space".

The singer of the band Lauwarm, Dominik Plumettaz, tells Blick that he regrets the band did not succeed in establishing a dialogue with the "critics" in the audience.

However, he defends himself against the accusation of "cultural appropriation" – among other things by referring to the fact that his own grandmother was dark-skinned.