Chechnya Bans Dance Music to Combat Western Influence
In a bold move to preserve cultural identity and combat Western influences, Muslim-majority Chechnya has imposed a ban on dance music that is either too fast or too slow. The ban, announced earlier this week, strictly prohibits musical, vocal, and choreographic works that do not conform to a tempo of 80 to 116 beats per minute.
While the enforcement of this law remains unclear, it effectively bars most Western and international music from public performance due to its faster pace. This includes genres such as trance, techno, samba, and waltz.
The decision reportedly came after a meeting between the republic’s Culture Minister Musa Dadayev and local and regional artists. Dadayev emphasized the importance of aligning Chechen music with the region’s cultural heritage and identity, stating that borrowing musical culture from other peoples is unacceptable.
Artists have been given until June 1 to adjust their music to meet the new criteria, or it will not be allowed for public performance. Interestingly, the ban inadvertently includes the Russian national anthem, typically played at 76 BPM, and the popular Russian military song “Victory Day” at 126 BPM.
Since coming into power in 2007, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has implemented strict measures to uphold tradition and cultural norms in the conservative region. Known for its persecution of minority communities, including forced disappearances and extrajudicial killings based on perceived sexual orientation, Chechnya continues to draw attention for its controversial policies.