Pamputtae brings dancehall to Toronto Pride — despite the anti-LGBTQ backlash

Performing at Toronto's Pride festivities this weekend was never in question for Jamaican musician Pamputtae. 

"Honestly, it was never a difficult decision, because I'm an entertainer and don't limit my music. I sing for everyone. God loves everyone and doesn't pick and choose," said the dancehall and reggae artist (real name Eveana Henry), one of the headliners at the 2023 Pride festival.

The decision, however, didn't sit well with parts of her community back home.

When Pamputtae announced the concert date on Instagram back on April 4, some dancehall fans, as well as Jamaican artists and media outlets, criticized her for taking part in an LGBTQ-focused event. One Instagram poster called it an "abomination."

Dancehall became popular in Kingston, Jamaica, in the late '70s, stemming from the same regions where reggae developed decades earlier. A more electronic-based music, dancehall has achieved success through the work of artists like Vybz Kartel, Sean Paul, Mavado, Buju Banton and Lady Saw. 

But dancehall has been criticized for promoting homophobic violence in its lyrics, to the point where Canadian LGBTQ activists created a campaign called Stop Murder Music, which called on venues and sponsors to stop supporting Jamaican dancehall artists who incited violence toward gay people.

In 2009, dancehall musician Elephant Man was dropped from Toronto's Caribana Festival because of one of his songs.

In 2012, Grammy-winning artist Beenie Man apologized for singing hateful lyrics about the gay community during the early 2000s.

In recent years, many dancehall artists have reworked songs with anti-LGBTQ sentiments, or removed them from their catalogues. 

Although some artists have made efforts toward inclusivity, an invitation to perform at Pride events has become a controversial topic for Caribbean entertainers.

LGBTQ rights in Jamaica are very limited, with laws prohibiting same-sex marriage, changes to gender identity and sodomy. As a result of this discrimination, some islanders have chosen to leave the country.

When dancehall artist Spice performed at the 2022 Toronto Pride festival, Andrew Campbell, who introduced her that day, called it a "political statement." 

For her part, Pamputtae says she avoids paying attention to the negative feedback.

"Spice and I are two real dancehall artists," she said. "From back [in the day], we've been getting backlash from even our own people."