The authorities in Chechnya have recently stated that they have forbidden music that is considered to be either too fast or too slow. According to Musa Dadayev, the Russian Minister of Culture, all musical, vocal and choreographic works must now adhere to a tempo between 80 and 116 beats per minute. Mr Dadayev added that this decision was taken in order to align Chechen musical and dance works with the “Chechen mentality and musical rhythm” and to pass on the cultural heritage of the people in the future, ensuring that it reaches the people and the children of the area.
Chechnya’s decision will effectively rule out a number of different genres of popular Western music, particularly those that tend to have higher beats per minute (BPM), such as techno and raven music. This decision will also apply to music played at public events. The ban followed a meeting between the republic’s ministry and local and regional artists, and it has been reported that artists have until June 1 to rewrite their music in conformity with the new criteria.
It appears that the tempo of 80 to 116 BPM is relatively slow, indicating a marked difference compared to much of today’s modern-day pop music. Mr Dadayev’s decision, which he affirmed was agreed with the head of the Chechen Republic, Ramzan Akhmatovich Kadyrov, was designed to ensure that Chechen music and dance were more in line with the cultural heritage of its own people.
Chechnya has been known to show its overt support of Russia’s Ukraine invasion, while, in recent years, violence against LGBTQ+ people has increased in the area. Meanwhile, Russian President, Vladamir Putin, has reportedly urged technology companies in Russia to create a game console as an alternative to the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X/S. Reports indicate that the Russian government has ordered local developers to consider producing “stationary and portable game consoles.”
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