music also has the right to censorship

The authoritarian regime of Ramzan Kadyrov in Chechnya has just invented a new type of censorship, by limiting the tempo of authorized music. It will now be prohibited to listen to works whose rhythm is not between 80 and 116 beats per minute.

This extremely precise range is the result of the mission that Ramzan Kadyrov entrusted to his Minister of Culture. Moussa Dadayev had to find the genre of music corresponding to the “Chechen mentality” and return it “in accordance with the customs, traditions, ethics and morals of Chechnya”. He obviously took his work very seriously, taking care not to reveal anything, of course, about his working method. The Minister of Culture therefore reached this almost scientific conclusion: no less than 80 and no more than 116 beats per minute (Bpm). Chechen artists have until June 1, 2024 to rewrite their songs if necessary.

It is electronic music that Ramzan Kadyrov especially wanted to target, since the new Chechen standard is particularly slow, compared to today’s musical production, especially that which arrives from the West. “It is unacceptable to borrow the musical culture of other peoples” Minister Dadayev clearly said.

Remove decadence from the West

A large part of the homosexual communities in Chechnya identify with the styles of electronic, house, trance and even techno music. However, they are victims of the worst repression since 2017. A complaint for “genocide” was even filed by associations before the International Criminal Court.

This new law also excludes the slowest pieces, starting with the adagios, largo and larghetto of classical music, which are all below 80 Bpm. But there is one composition in particular which raises some questions, that of Aleksandr Aleksandrov, composer of the National Anthem of Russia, which only peaks at 71 Bpm. For now, Ramzan Kadyrov, “Vladimir Putin’s faithful foot soldier”, may have made a mistake.