(PINA/IFEX) – “Sex On the Beach”, a song by the Dutch-American group T-Spoon, has come under fire after being played on a Fiji Islands radio station. Religious and community leaders quoted in the 7 January 1999 (local date) “Fiji’s Daily Post” newspaper condemned its lyrics as socially, culturally and religiously offensive. The Ministry of Information […]
(PINA/IFEX) – “Sex On the Beach”, a song by the Dutch-American group
T-Spoon,
has come under fire after being played on a Fiji Islands radio station.
Religious and community leaders quoted in the 7 January 1999 (local date)
“Fiji’s Daily Post” newspaper condemned its lyrics as socially, culturally
and religiously offensive. The Ministry of Information said it is trying to
get the song off the Fiji Islands airwaves.
Island Networks Corporation, which runs the Bula and Radio Fiji networks,
banned the song from its stations. But Communications Fiji Limited, which
runs the popular FM96 radio station, is playing it several times a day
despite a request from the government’s Ministry of Information for it to
stop, “Fiji’s Daily Post” reported.
The ministry does not have any powers to direct the station to withdraw the
song, the newspaper quoted Assistant Minister for Information Ratu Josefa
Dimuri as saying. “We have already written to FM96. I am very disappointed
with the lack of moral decency in that particular radio station. We are
working on the media review that will cover new broadcasting laws and that
will deal with the content and quality of programmes that will be aired by
radio stations in Fiji.”
Communications Fiji Limited general manager Ian Jackson said they will
continue to play the song “as it is really about a cocktail served in bars
and nightclubs. We try and analyse songs that we put on air but it is how
people interpret the song.” The song is named after a cocktail, which is now
being sold in local bars, “Fiji’s Daily Post” said. It added that local
music shops reported heavy sales and have sold out their CDs of the song.
Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre Coordinator Shamima Ali told “Fiji’s Daily Post”:
“The song is quite offensive culturally and traditionally.” The president of
the country’s biggest Christian church, the Methodist Church, Reverend
Tomasi Kanailagi, called the song “unChristian.” Shiu Charan, of the
country’s main Fiji Indian political party, the National
Federation Party, said the song does not fit into the local scene and is for
those living in places like New York. Fiji Government Permanent Secretary
for Justice Alipate Qetaki said: “Those offended should lodge a complaint to
the radio stations or to the police. Something that is offensive to somebody
may not be to the other.”
