GRENADA'S MINISTER of Education, Claris Charles, has expressed alarm at the introduction of 'Passa Passa' in her country. She challenged citizens of the Spice Isle to let this form of late night entertainment pass it by.
In a report aired Thursday on the BBC Caribbean
programme 'Caribbean Magazine', Mrs. Charles said Passa Passa was not welcome in her country and had no place in the Grenadian society.
GAINING POPULARITY
Passa Passa, the BBC broadcast noted, involves crowds of music fans congregating late at night until early morning in noted downtown areas, to dance, chill out and vibe to music while street vendors provide refreshments. Passa Passa, it continued, has gained popularity as some U.S. rap artistes and Caribbean musicians use it as a backdrop to their music videos. This encourages some persons to dress up with the hope of being caught on film. DVDs
of Passa Passa are also
available.
It is not clear where or when Mrs. Charles was speaking when she decried the emerging entertainment form. The BBC programme aired her saying the following:
"I am hearing something about something called Passa Passa which is creeping into the public. Anybody looking at that where persons, are having these, I don't know what it is ... dance, whatever it is ... and young ladies are going into this Passa Passa almost half-naked or naked. You know I think when we want to be monkey and copy other people, we must copy the right thing. There is no merit in a young lady going to expose herself in public and let them make DVD of you and sell it. You have no underwear. What you have could be termed as no underwear. And the things you hear, is reminiscent of a Sodom and Gomorrah setting. This thing has no place in Grenada. And I am appealing to everyone in Grenada, let Passa Passa pass you by because that is not something that we need to copy."
