Grozny, Chechnya

It is said that "every different type of music, everybody's individual music, has its own rhythm, life, language and heritage". However, in the Russian Republic of Chechnya, this is no longer true.

Advertisment

Chechnya, a region known for its rich culture and complex history, is making waves with a move that's hitting all the wrong "notes" for many.

At a meeting on Friday (Apr 5), Chechnya's Minister of Culture Musa Dadayev announced that all musical, vocal and choreographic compositions must follow a tempo ranging from 80 to 116 beats per minute (BPM).

Also read | 2024 damning for Colombia's Amazon rainforest, 40% more deforestation compared to last year

Advertisment

Why dictate music tempo?

This directive has reportedly been greenlit by Chechen leader Ramzan Akhmatovich Kadyrov.

As per Russian state news agency TASS, Dadayev in a statement said that he is announcing the "final decision, agreed with the head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Akhmatovich Kadyrov, that from now on all musical, vocal and choreographic works must correspond to a tempo of 80 to 116 beats per minute."

Advertisment

This, reportedly, is so that musical and dance creations in Chechen align with the "Chechen mentality and musical rhythm". The move also aims to bring "to the people and to the future of our children the cultural heritage of the Chechen people," said Dadayev.

Also read | Vatican rejects gender-affirming surgery and surrogacy in new document

What does it mean for music in Chechnya?

This ban, which can be seen as a crackdown on artistic freedom, as per CNN, would mean that musical styles like pop and techno would be banned in the sovereign nation that declared independence from Russia in September 1991.

(With inputs from agencies)