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You’ve been letting us know your opinion on the growing debate about Passa Passa.
As reported on BBC Caribbean Magazine, Grenada’s Education Minister Claris Charles has expressed grave concern about the emergence of Passa Passa as a new trend on the Grenadian entertainment circuit.
Mrs Charles says Passa Passa – which has it origins in Jamaica – is not welcome in Grenada and has no place in Grenadian society.
Minister Claris Charles on Passa Passa
“I am hearing something called Passa Passa wich is creeping into the public. Its where persons are having dances and some young ladies are almost half naked.
“I think when we want to be monkeys, and copy other people we should copy the right thing. There is no merit in a young lady exposing themselves in public and letting a DVD be made of them. These things are reminiscent of Sodom & Gomorrah. This has no place in Grenada.”
Music videos
Passa Passa involves crowds of music fans congregating late at night until the early morning in noted downtown areas to dance, chill out and vibe to music while street vendors provide refreshments.
Some musicians use Passa Passa events as a visual backdrop to their music videos, which has added to their popularity. American rap artists have followed suit when shooting promos in the region. This, in turn, encourages some attendants to dress up in the hope of being caught on camera.
Minister Charles went on:
“I am appealing to everyone in Grenada: let Passa Passa pass Grenada by. This is one of the biggest problems I’ve seen. When there’s no decency in a society, the society can go nowhere. You have educated, indecent, persons with no value for themselves and therefore they have no value for other people and no respect. When you have no respect for yourself, you have no respect for anybody, and that’s a very dangerous trend.”
We asked you what you thought of Minister Charles comments. Here’s what some of you have had to say:
Dexter Mitchell from Grenada:
It is commendable of the Minister to take note of this disturbing trend. However, the Minister and the Ministry could be well served by taking it even further than just commenting on Passa Passa.
There must be guidelines governing our society and especially now when our young people are exposed to more at an even younger age. Policy and legislation must be in place giving the Police the authority to monitor and if necessary put an end to any such event.
We might just wake up one day and wonder where we went wrong. Or we can take the preventive measures right now.
Marissa Grey
Kareem Knight
The moral decay in society will continue with or without Passa Passa.
We are in the last days. I guess the Grenadian PM has not heard about the ‘Generation of Vipers’, eh?
Michelle from Jamaica:
While I may be ridiculed by my fellow Jamaicans, I must agree with the Minister’s stance against this new form of entertainment.
We have so many socio-economic challenges in the region and so I believe we could spend our time and energy devising more creative and lucrative forms of entertainment.
Marissa Grey
It is a shameful trend that we as Caribbean people cannot set our own standards. The main trend of our society is to pattern our lifestyle after what is broadcasted in the media.
Morals and values seem to be left behind on the basis of entertainment, and sad
There are not enough restrictions put in place to keep these new forms of entertainment from continuing.
The problem is not only in what the media is portraying as acceptable, but also in the fact that we are now a society of immediate gratification. We need to revert to having parents raising their children and not letting the media do so. Both mothers and fathers need to be present in the lives of their children to instil some morals and values.
The problem is not only Passa Passa, it is the disintegration of our moral fibres, something that Caribbean people should hold on to and be proud of.
Ryan, New York
Stephen Antoine
In my opinion, Passa Passa is indecent. Exposure in public and there are suppose to be laws against this type of behaviour. What is even more disturbing is that minors are allowed to view and attend these parties.
I know of clubs allowing only person over the age of eighteen to attend. Passa Passa seem to not have an age limit. The sessions are allowed to be held by the road side which exposes this vulgar behaviour to even those who wish not to be a part. I don’t think people should ever be subject to this type of behaviour.
Pauline Cyrus from London:
I would like to say that I am in total agreement with what Claris Charles had to say on the subject, I always believe if you have no respect for yourself, then you will definitely have no respect for others. As a fellow Grenadian, I think we should leave well alone.
Joe Lloyd from New York:
Yes, I agree with the comments of Minister Charles. I have seen videos here in Brooklyn concerning Passa Passa. It is degrading, shameful, immoral and indecent. We should never tolerate such behaviour in our Caribbean societies.
I would strongly urge the governments of Grenada and other Caribbean countries to pass legislation banning Passa Passa. Activities like Passa Passa are responsible for the moral decline in our societies. What kind of message is Passa Passa sending to the younger generation? If we want our societies to flourish meaningfully, then we must do what it takes to protect it. Freedom of expression maybe a civil right, but it comes with certain responsibilities.
Rita Bariteau
I agree with Minister Charles. I visited Grenada recently, and I could not believe the mannerisms that the Caribbean Children have picked up from the American Culture. It is unbelievable.
Don’t let this deviant behaviour permeate in Grenada or any of the others. As they say in Las Vegas, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, and so too should Passa Passa…Let it stay in Jamaica. It is their culture, and that is one culture that should not be exported.
No country wants the Bird Flu, and I don’t think Grenada should have the Passa Passa. The government should have the police crack-down on these shows. It will not be beneficial to the young children, girls or ladies of the Caribbean, on a whole.
Janice Augustine from Grenada:
I agree with the Grenadian official who said if we are copying from other nations, we must copy the good. But the whole Caribbean is going to hell, and what can save it?
The young people do not want to contribute anything to build this region. They are aping the countries who are developed already, and who have such large populations that they can afford to consign parts of their populations to ‘benign neglect’.
Slice
Norman Gooden from Jamaica:
I am a school teacher and I must agree with Minister Charles. Passa Passa is demeaning to females and a sign of moral decay. Other islands should follow her lead.
George Grant from Grenada:
The Minister is right on the money. This is probably the most disgusting form of entertainment to invade Grenada in recent times and I, like a huge chunk of Grenada’s populace, am in full support of the Minister’s comments.
Furthermore, I am prepared to mobilize the media into assisting her and her administration in stamping out such filth. Enough is enough!
Chris Ross
The African culture has danced half naked for generations. Would the minister and all other commentators also suggest that this is immoral and degrading?
If the play Ipitombe was first performed in the Caribbean one would expect the same condemnation. Wake up!
The government of Grenada and other Caribbean countries should spend more on opening avenues of expression for our youth.
Aleem Hassoo Guyana
I totally agree with The Minister’s view. We seem to have a tendency to accept all the rubbish that is been thrown as us.
The average young person in the caribbean lacks focus, drive and determination; we are very much below par when compared to youth in other parts of the world. Its high time to rid societyof all this nonsense of Passa Passa and whats not.
Respect Minister for having courage to slam this disturbing trend of behaviour emerging in the region.
Chris Ross
Ryan New York
I run one of the more popular Dancehall web-sites, and Passa Passa is the best thing going right now/ Minister Charles needs to lighten up. It just entertainment. There is an audience for everything. The Caribbean suffer from a weak econony because people have to come up with new ways, other than crime, to make a living.
Passa Passa provides entrainment and income for street vendors, artists & DJ’s. People always look at the bad side of things. You need to also look at the good.
Ra Jamaican
I am a Jamaican national living at present in Jamaica. I wholeheartedly support the statements made. The corrosive and corrupting phenomena that is Jamaican culture must be resisted and rejected at all costs.
It is admirable and hopeful that these criticisms are coming from the education minister as the ministry in Jamaica has yet to recognise the importance of civilised culture to the development of a people.
Vendici
The 1984 movie ‘Footloose’ has strong similarities to the comments by Minister Claris Charles of Grenada. Not all dances, music, cable Television programs and other forms of entertainment are for all the people, but who among us has the God given right to judge others who appreciate different forms of entertainment? Grenada is a island, but it is not its’ own universe.
What do you think of Minister Charles’ comments. Is Passa Passa capable of undermining the dignity of Grenadians or is it just another form of entertainment? Do YOU go to Passa Passa? Have you forbidden your children from going?
Helen Merlyn-Bhola, Grenada
Lincoln Farray GrandAnse.
This form of entertainment is all part of the social degredation by the spirits of this present age, it is the direct and urgent responsibility of the government of Grenada to make it illegal to put on Passa Passa in the public.
Make it mandatory for police licences to be obtained by hotels and such like places prior to the holding of this degrading form of recreation. Even the supporting vendors should have to get a licence to do business in front of these locations.
Those who want to be victimized by this spirit they can do so in the privacy of their homes. Allow those who wish to do Passa Passa outside of their homes go to a clearing in the forest which must not be less than 5 miles from any roadway and not on government lands. It is a sure case of having to crush the head of this viper before it grows up and strike the Grenadian society with its deadly poison.
Kellon Bubb
The lyrical content of some of the songs of our own caribbean artists have finally created the accident that has been waiting to happen. People live what they hear and see and we ought to be realistic about this issue.
Slice
I cannot see the degradation of a society by a few naked woman. Knowing Grenada is a very reserve society it is about time they loosen up a bit. Let those women use their beautifull bodies the best way they know how.
Did we forget America invaded Grenada and sold their culture to the Spiceland? I guess that is the price we have to pay for so-called freedom.
Alpha
Pauline J Ford-Caesar USA
It makes me shudder to see our women degrade themselves in this manner and even more ashamed when I see our men encouraging their queens to debase themselves and for what money and a shot at stardom.
It would appear that the Bible verse ‘what shall it profit a man if he would gain the whole world and lose his own soul?’ is sadly becoming a self fulfilling prophesy.
Helen Merlyne Bhola Grenada
I must commend our Minister Clarice Charles for taking such an initiative on such a demoralizing and socially degrading type of dance and entertainment.
I hope this will continue as we guard against other negative media material that threatens our values and standards as a people. As our anthem says ‘ever conscious of God being proud of our heritage.’
We do not need to adopt anyone else’s type of music and entertainment, we have a rich cultural heritage and music of our own. As Grenadians and friends we must take a stand against such music. I stand with you Clarice Charles.
Alpha
The Hon. Education Minister in Grenada is right, Passa Passa has no place in the Grenadian society. The Minister needs to go further and get the police involved in closing it down, especially the ones operating on the Western side of the island.
Minister Charles should advise the Minister of National Security to instruct the lawmen to seize the passa passa DVDs that are sold for a mere $10 on the side walks in the city.
Children are seen in their school uniforms swarming the vendors to purchase those DVDS. We need to look at whether or not the people promoting passa passa could be charged under any section of the laws in the country.
Overel Hall Jamaica
I am a Jamaican, proud of my heritage and culture, but the low and debased material I see being passed off as Jamaican culture is just disgraceful.
These guys do not understand that they are damaging Jamaica’s credibility abroad, soon we will all be seen the way music videos portray us to be. Our constructive endeavors will soon be sidelined and ignored in this globalised world.
I feel that my country is being led by sleepy leaders and gleefully unbounded misfits.
Shawn Charles Grenada
It is really amazing when one looks at the activities that gets the sexual adrenaline working of our young people. It has now reached to the point where our young women see it as no problem to expose themselves for money whilst camouflaging it with entertainment.
Am I to believe that their moral upbringing gets eroded so easily that the acceptance of a particular culture like this in one country in the Caribbean has been so powerful that cultivating it in ours seems so easy?
We don’t want this ever in Grenada. My country, my children’s country.
I will suggest that legislation be tightened to eradicate that kind of entertainment.
Let us know. Email us at caribbean@bbc.co.uk. We’ll broadcast your comments on BBC Caribbean Magazine.
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Publish date : 2006-03-05 23:00:00
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Author : theamericannews
Publish date : 2025-01-10 05:02:49
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