By Adrian Frater—
Queen Ifrica is standing her ground on her views on homosexuality and marijuana and used the stage at Rebel Salute 2014 in St Ann on Saturday night to make it clear those views would find expression.
However, she justified her anti-homosexuality views by referring to the reproductive process.
“Children are the future and them can only born through heterosexual relationship,” Ifrica said, asking for the acknowledgement of persons who knew that children could not be born out of an orifice other than the vagina.
She got it.
Initially, Ifrica took subtle jabs at those she has angered with her anti-gay stance, making it quite clear in her performance that she has no plans to surrender her right to free speech.
In fact, after blazing delightful fires with selections like Lioness on the Rise, Below the Waist, and Genocide, she emphasised her stance unequivocally, reeling off Straight and Keep it to Yourself.
- ADDRESSING SOCIAL ISSUES
And homosexuality was not the only thing that Ifrica opposed vehemently as she blazed against paedophilia, as well as black people dying in Sudan “and world leaders negotiating about some things that nuh necessary in this time”.
Another issue on which Ifrica stood firm was the value of marijuana, doing Coconut Shell.
At the nationally televised Grand Gala 2013, held at the National Stadium in St Andrew, the microphone was turned off when Ifrica was speaking about marijuana and homosexuality.
After that performance, the Ministry of Youth and Culture released a statement, expressing “… our regret that the Grand Gala stage was used by one artist, Queen Ifrica, as a platform to express her personal opinions and views on matters that may be considered controversial, rather than to perform in the agreed scripted and rehearsed manner consistent with the thematic production”.
Then, Ifrica stood by her words, saying in a response printed in The STAR that “until a member of the gay community can give birth from their union, they should not be abrasive to heterosexuals because they came from that union”.
FREEDOM OF SPEECH
On Saturday night in St Ann, Ifrica also did Freedom of Speech, the song with which she responded musically to that situation.
At Rebel Salute 2014, Queen Ifrica was clearly in a no-nonsense mood from the get-go, opening with the chant “bongo woman come”.
Those who initially thought she had softened her stance on homosexuality when she did not do the line “no mm mm man cyaa come inna mi bed” in Below the Waist were mistaken.
After Genocide, Ifrica said coming was “de hot segment”, and asked for all the straight men and women inside the venue.
There were many. Straight followed, in which Ifrica said she was “straight like de lightpost outta mi gate”. Her comments about children and homosexuality came before Keep it to Yourself.
Queen Ifrica was not all social commentary and fire branding though, bringing a light moment to her set when she invited the Japanese duo, Ackee & Salt Fish, to perform.
The two came out clad in traditional Japanese clothing and quickly won the hearts of the fans as they sang and deejayed in almost flawless patois, also making a straight declaration in the process.
– Additional reporting by Mel Cooke
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