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Halifax music fest apologizes for ‘overt racism’ at Lido Pimienta concert

nuckin_futz

By nuckin_futz
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nuckin_futz

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Halifax music fest apologizes for 'overt racism' at concert

 

lido_pimienta_premio_polaris.jpg?itok=Dn

The Halifax Pop Explosion music festival is apologizing for the actions of a volunteer who interrupted a performance by Polaris Prize-winning singer Lido Pimienta with "overt racism." (Chris Donovan/The Canadian Press)

 

LIZ BRAUN, Postmedia News

Oct 27, 2017

Last Updated: 9:25 PM ET

Concert-goers in Halifax last week did little to dispel the reputation for racism that hangs over Nova Scotia.

 

A confrontation at a Lido Pimienta concert during the city’s Pop Explosion festival has led to an apology from the festival for the actions of one volunteer whose ‘overt racism’ interrupted Pimienta’s performance.

 

The Polaris Prize-winning singer often asks her audience to make space at the front for ‘the other’ — indigenous women, women of colour, trans people — as part of the environment of inclusiveness she fosters during live performance. And Pimienta asks that white people move back.

 

In Halifax, she invited “brown girls to the front” during her concert, and that didn’t go over well with some patrons.

 

According to a CP report, a white female volunteer photographer and several white audience members reacted negatively to Pimienta’s request during the Oct. 19 show.

 

Allie O’Manique, the young singer songwriter from Manotick who performs under the name Trails, told CP the problems started when the volunteer photographer refused to leave her spot in front of the stage. That led to a confrontation with nearby audience members who were angry at her insistence on remaining near the stage to take photos — after Pimienta repeatedly asked her to move back.

 

“Finally, after saying it about 10 times,” said O’Manique, “and the woman refused to move, Pimienta said, ‘You’re cutting into my set time and you’re disrespecting these women, and I don’t have time for this.”‘

 

According to event organizers, the photographer was removed from the show.

 

Vice-chairman Georgie Dudka posted a statement and an apology on Facebook on behalf of the festival’s board of directors that reads in part, “A white HPX volunteer along with several other white people in the audience reacted to Lido Pimienta inviting ‘brown girls to the front’ of the venue with overt racism.”

 

The statement continues:

 

“The Halifax Pop Explosion has worked hard in the past year to learn what embracing anti-racism and actively being inclusive of People of Colour and 2SLGBTQ+ folks entails…Halifax Pop Explosion is committing to providing our team with anti-oppression and anti-racism training. Additionally, we will be working with local organizations over the next year to create a list of local resources for our community. We also want to make this list available to those who create unsafe and uncomfortable space at our shows and venues by demonstrating racism, homophobia, transphobia, misogyny, and other discriminatory behaviours, so they too can begin unpacking their discriminatory behaviour.”

 

The statement addresses Lido Pimienta personally, apologizing for the interruption to her art, her concert and her followers.

 

“We have so much respect for the art and music you create and the space you make for women, people of colour, transgender, and non-binary people. The way you interact with the world acts and provides a thoughtful example. You are a role model to us and many people in our community. We see it. We feel it. We hope you will work with us again.”

 

http://jam.canoe.com/Music/2017/10/27/22761321.html

 

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I do see racism here but it's coming from the performer on the stage. If a white performer invited "white girls" to the front of the stage and became angry when non-whites refused to move to the back, people would blow a gasket and rightly so.

 

So why doesn't the same apply when the show is on the other foot? If you want a spot at the front get there early enough to get one. The only accommodations that should be made are for people who are not able bodied. 

 

How is this different than Rosa Parks being forced to the back of the bus? Was Parks being racist when she refused to move to the back of the bus?

 

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Down by the River Canucks Franchise Player

Down by the River

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2 minutes ago, Jimmy McGill said:

I think in general if an artist asks a photographer to move they should out of respect for the show, but I don't know what the rest of this means. I've read the story 3 times and it still doesn't make sense to me. 

Woman of Colombian descent asks all the white people to get out of the way to make room for women of colour. Some white people don't want to move because they paid for their ticket. Colmbian woman throws a tantrum. Event organizers respond by apologizing for the "overt racisim" of the white people that didn't want to move from their paid seats.

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JM_ Canucks Hall-of-Famer

JM_

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9 minutes ago, Down by the River said:

Woman of Colombian descent asks all the white people to get out of the way to make room for women of colour. Some white people don't want to move because they paid for their ticket. Colmbian woman throws a tantrum. Event organizers respond by apologizing for the "overt racisim" of the white people that didn't want to move from their paid seats.

oh.

 

I read another story today where a math prof in the US says that teaching math promotes white privilege (sorry don't have the link but Im sure you can find it) even though it was invented by ancient Syrians and Greeks, but there you go. I just hope all of this leads to something positive for everyone some time down the road. 

 

 

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Violator Canucks Second-Line

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The Polaris Prize-winning singer often asks her audience to make space at the front for ‘the other’ — indigenous women, women of colour, trans people — as part of the environment of inclusiveness she fosters during live performance. And Pimienta asks that white people move back

 

How is this okay?

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