If you think jamming to all kinds of music is legal everywhere, then you’ll have to revise your notes. It has emerged that music enthusiasts cannot play music beyond a specific range of tempo in the Russian Republic of Chechen.
The state is predominantly Muslim, and authorities have reportedly banned any music that is not between 80 and 116 beats per minute (BPM).
The Culture Ministry in the state reportedly issued a statement early this week indicating that “all musical, vocal, and choreographic works should correspond to a tempo of 80 to 116 beats per minute.”
According to the minister, who had met local artistes and musicians, the directive is to make music “conform to the Chechen mentality.” The statement further noted that: “Borrowing musical culture from other peoples is inadmissible.”
Musicians in the region reportedly have until June 2024 to make the necessary adjustments to their music or be barred from public performance. Critics say the new dictum is, presumably, aimed at electronic dance music, which generally has 120 BPM or above.
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Per Geographic description, Chechnya, is a republic in southwestern Russia, situated on the northern flank of the Greater Caucasus range. It is bordered by Russia on the north, the Dagestan Republic on the east and southeast, the country of Georgia on the southwest, and the Ingushetiya Republic on the west.