Reggae has long been one of the formative styles of music that are popular around the world. In Switzerland, however, a debate about "cultural appropriation" is now flaring up. So the organizer breaks off a concert by the group Lauwarm in the middle. The reason: The band sounds reggae tones, although it is white.
Not too long ago, Fridays for Future sparked a similar debate in Germany. In March, the climate protection movement invited the singer Ronja Maltzahn from an event in Hanover without further ado after she had inspected the 28-year-old's hairstyle.
Born in Bad Pyrmont, Lower Saxony, Maltzahn is a white German with dreadlocks. It's an intolerable "cultural appropriation because, because of our privilege, as white people we don't have to confront history or the collective trauma of oppression," Fridays for Future said. The whirlwind that Maltzahn's unloading created with this justification was programmed.
Now there is also a case in Switzerland in which the alleged "cultural appropriation" of a group of musicians became fatal. Affected is the Bernese band Lauwarm, whose lyrics are in dialect, while their sound varies between reggae, world music and indie pop.
Lauwarm already performed on July 18th at the "Brasserie Lorraine" in Bern. The group stepped in at short notice after a band originally scheduled for the evening canceled. Lauwarm not only presented their musical mix of styles, some of the predominantly white musicians also wore dreadlocks and African-style clothing.
After a break in the program, the "Genossenschaft Brasserie Lorraine" responsible for the event canceled the concert. In a post on social networks, the organizers commented on their approach on Monday. During the concert, "several people independently of each other" expressed their "discomfort with the situation". "It was about the topic of 'cultural appropriation'. After a conversation with the band, we decided together to cancel the concert," it said.
A national discussion then broke out, which prompted the "Cooperative Brasserie Lorraine" to make a further statement on Tuesday. "We are surprised that our post about the cancellation of the concert due to cultural appropriation has made such waves," said the concert organizers. And further: "If the same band had played two years ago, the reactions might have been different. We too were not aware enough of the scope of this topic and what it can do to people."
Those responsible state that they do not want to claim that they did the right thing by stopping the concert. From her point of view, continuing the event would have “also felt wrong”. She doesn't think "that members of the band or 'white' people are automatically racists," emphasizes the "Cooperative Brasserie Lorraine". It's more about "structural racism". There is a difference between "being a self-confessed racist and unconsciously reproducing racist structures".
The location now invites you to an exchange of views on the subject. Lauwarm also want to join the discussion. "We treat all cultures with respect," the group wrote on their Instagram page on Wednesday. "But we also stand by the music we play, our appearance and the way we are," she made clear at the same time. So far, the band has never been confronted with the topic of "cultural appropriation". But: "Basically, we think that the definition and difference between inspiration and appropriation needs to be discussed." Fans are invited to enter into a dialogue under the hashtag "talklauwarm".
In an interview with the Swiss news portal "20min.ch", band leader Dominik Plumettaz had previously found even sharper words. "We are not racists. I have ancestors from Africa. One in our band who has dreadlocks has a dark-skinned woman and a lot of friends from African countries. Accusing us of racism and discrimination is wrong," he explained.
The term "cultural appropriation" conceals the accusation that people use a culture that is not their own. It can be just as much about music as it is about clothing or hairstyles. Dreadlocks, for example, are actually often associated with the Jamaican Rastafari movement, although they are known from different cultures.
Reggae also originated in Jamaica in the 1960s - albeit under the influence of numerous other popular music styles such as soul and rhythm
