Publication Date: July 26, 2000
Author: Reynaldo Walcott
The Beastie Boys said it first, "You got to fight for your right to party." And the party is under siege. So I slipped Nefarius into my CD player, hit repeat, and sat down to write. In what is arguably one of the most pointed political songs in recent Canadian memory, Nefarius's hip hop track Strike Back, on the CD It's About Freedom to Dance, independently produced by Toronto's beleaguered rave scene, will go down in the annals of Canadian music history as a most significant contribution to our right to dance. In fact, the entire CD, which is ripping with homegrown creativity, is one of the most significant events in a long time in Canadian music.
Mayor Mel Lastman and Toronto Police Chief Julian Fantino will find themselves having to be much more accountable for the misinformation they so frequently put out about those they think are "special-interest groups" in the wake of this musical strike back. The silliness of both Mr. Lastman and Mr. Fantino can be heard by all on the seven tracks on the CD. And if the CD works politically, it may mean that many more 18-year-olds will be voting in the upcoming municipal elections. Imagine, a co-ordinated youth vote could help bring Mr. Lastman's reign to an end.
The rave scene in Toronto has been under fire since the death of Allen Ho in October of 1999. Mr. Ho's death from complications related to ecstasy intoxication resulted in a coroner's inquest into the rave scene in Toronto, and the province in general. Ecstasy is a drug linked to the rave scene and while legitimate rave promoters do everything possible to prohibit drug dealing at their events, they cannot and should not be held responsible for drug-related deaths -- of which there have been few.
The coroner's inquest, completed this June, was much more favourable in its conclusions than most thought it would be. This flew in the face of the city's quick attempts to ban raves or control them by requiring the hiring of paid-duty officers in unfair proportion to crowds, resulting in promoters being unable to afford to mount the parties.
For those who don't know, a rave is a large party, usually of thousands of youth and youthful people dancing to electronic music. It's as simple as that, believe it or not. Sure, ravers have a distinctive style of dress but you can't always tell them by their style. Today many wear "rave styles" and don't rave.
So why so much trouble for ravers these days? Part of it has to do with the fact that it has been difficult for contemporary raves to leave their history behind. There are many competing stories of the beginning. But any legitimate beginning would start with the black and gay clubs of Chicago, New York and the legendary Detroit. By the mid to late 80s, the circuits of global music had replaced what has come to be understood as the "original" rave scene in Ibiza, Spain, led by expatriate Brits. Starting out in abandoned buildings, fields, barns and other legendary and assorted places in the early days, raves have been unable to leave the mythic elements of their beginnings behind.
The problems that that rave scene is experiencing in Toronto should be not seen as isolated. It is very much a problem of the changed and increased role of policing in restructuring public spaces. Last June, before Mr. Fantino's arrival, gay men were arrested at the now-famous Bijou -- a gay porn cinema and bar. Police claimed to be checking for liquor infractions in what, for many, was a reminder of the bathhouse raids of the 1980s. Recently, the long-running Naked Dance at a nightclub in Toronto's gay ghetto was shut down. Laws were not being broken but the persistent questioning and visiting by police prompted the owner to decide to avoid legal costs and court appearances by not hosting the dance.
The police are being used as an arm of the state to shut down cultural expressions that some don't like or understand, and to shut up and put out of business organizations that challenge the provincial government.
These are new times and new times call for new actions. The Toronto scene has responded with musical intelligence, demonstrating why the scene in Toronto is world renowned. In a city obsessed with having world-class status, we should be thanking ravers for bringing it to us without the sponsorship of du Maurier.
The ravers have organized a party rally at Toronto City Hall for Aug. 1. DJs from across the city, the country and the world will spin their musical magic. While the partiers dance and listen to speeches, Toronto's councillors will be meeting inside City Hall.
Hopefully the music outside and the thousands who will gather to have their voices heard will penetrate this time. Instead of outrageous and silly remarks about raves, such as Chief Fantino's statement about "kids rolling around in their vomit," this is an opportunity for a different discussion to occur. In fact, this is the opportunity for City Hall to work much more closely with councillors such as Frances Nunziata and Olivia Chow (a causality of the new policing) and the Toronto Dance Safety Committee. In the long run, the booming electronic music scene might continue to bring more tourists to Toronto than Mel's moose ever will. Mel should take a lesson from Detroit and see how the music and rave scene has helped in the rejuvenation of that city.
What is really disturbing about Mr. Lastman's and Mr. Fantino's attempts to shut raves down is that in Toronto we are synchronizing with Giuliani time. A kind of moral policing exists that targets only the poor, squeegee kids, the homeless, people of colour, youth, and anyone who doesn't fit the Banana Republic style catalogue. We should be wary of this kind of moral policing that criminalizes a large cross-section of our province.
We should be aware and alarmed about the ways in which police in this city are continually attempting to restrict the use of public space. Whether we are talking about the targeted policing campaigns to drive the homeless out of our parks -- where they take their shelter -- or the Mayor's desire to control raves, the overarching issue is the role that policing is increasingly playing in how we enjoy our city.
The ravers have fought back by sampling both Mr. Lastman and Mr. Fantino making statements that demonstrate their lack of knowledge. Both of them have stated that they know nothing about raves. When questioned by Frances Nunziata about his attempt to ban raves, Mr. Lastman literally responded, "When I went along with it, I didn't know what a rave party was. I thought we could control it."
Nefarius makes good use of the Mayor's ignorance to teach him and many others about the history of electronic music and raves. But what makes the track Strike Back so politically important is that, in the midst of Mr. Lastman's attempt for election as this city's mayor, his comments on banning something he knows nothing about should give us alarm. Let's hope that Nefarius's booming sound gets the sonic vote out in the upcoming municipal elections.
In Ontario, the triumvirate of Mike Harris, Mel Lastman and Julian Fantino will (if Mr. Lastman is re-elected) continue to make the province and, especially, Toronto one of the least-democratic places in North America. Those three will continue to implement a conservative agenda that seeks to limit all kinds of social, cultural and political space in the province and city.
But as Nefarius raps to us, those who want to live in a city that works and is free of homelessness, drug dealing and other social ills must strike back. The first strike should be hip hopping Mr. Lastman out of City Hall this fall.
Rinaldo Walcott is assistant professor of humanities and the interim graduate-program director of Interdisciplinary Studies at York University. He teaches in the area of black cultural studies, and is on the editorial board of Fuse Magazine.
The Beastie Boys said it first, "You got to fight for your right to party." And the party is under siege. So I slipped Nefarius into my CD player, hit repeat, and sat down to write. In what is arguably one of the most pointed political songs in recent Canadian memory, Nefarius's hip hop track Strike Back, on the CD It's About Freedom to Dance, independently produced by Toronto's beleaguered rave scene, will go down in the annals of Canadian music history as a most significant contribution to our right to dance. In fact, the entire CD, which is ripping with homegrown creativity, is one of the most significant events in a long time in Canadian music.
Mayor Mel Lastman and Toronto Police Chief Julian Fantino will find themselves having to be much more accountable for the misinformation they so frequently put out about those they think are "special-interest groups" in the wake of this musical strike back. The silliness of both Mr. Lastman and Mr. Fantino can be heard by all on the seven tracks on the CD. And if the CD works politically, it may mean that many more 18-year-olds will be voting in the upcoming municipal elections. Imagine, a co-ordinated youth vote could help bring Mr. Lastman's reign to an end.
The rave scene in Toronto has been under fire since the death of Allen Ho in October of 1999. Mr. Ho's death from complications related to ecstasy intoxication resulted in a coroner's inquest into the rave scene in Toronto, and the province in general. Ecstasy is a drug linked to the rave scene and while legitimate rave promoters do everything possible to prohibit drug dealing at their events, they cannot and should not be held responsible for drug-related deaths -- of which there have been few.
The coroner's inquest, completed this June, was much more favourable in its conclusions than most thought it would be. This flew in the face of the city's quick attempts to ban raves or control them by requiring the hiring of paid-duty officers in unfair proportion to crowds, resulting in promoters being unable to afford to mount the parties.
For those who don't know, a rave is a large party, usually of thousands of youth and youthful people dancing to electronic music. It's as simple as that, believe it or not. Sure, ravers have a distinctive style of dress but you can't always tell them by their style. Today many wear "rave styles" and don't rave.
So why so much trouble for ravers these days? Part of it has to do with the fact that it has been difficult for contemporary raves to leave their history behind. There are many competing stories of the beginning. But any legitimate beginning would start with the black and gay clubs of Chicago, New York and the legendary Detroit. By the mid to late 80s, the circuits of global music had replaced what has come to be understood as the "original" rave scene in Ibiza, Spain, led by expatriate Brits. Starting out in abandoned buildings, fields, barns and other legendary and assorted places in the early days, raves have been unable to leave the mythic elements of their beginnings behind.
The problems that that rave scene is experiencing in Toronto should be not seen as isolated. It is very much a problem of the changed and increased role of policing in restructuring public spaces. Last June, before Mr. Fantino's arrival, gay men were arrested at the now-famous Bijou -- a gay porn cinema and bar. Police claimed to be checking for liquor infractions in what, for many, was a reminder of the bathhouse raids of the 1980s. Recently, the long-running Naked Dance at a nightclub in Toronto's gay ghetto was shut down. Laws were not being broken but the persistent questioning and visiting by police prompted the owner to decide to avoid legal costs and court appearances by not hosting the dance.
The police are being used as an arm of the state to shut down cultural expressions that some don't like or understand, and to shut up and put out of business organizations that challenge the provincial government.
These are new times and new times call for new actions. The Toronto scene has responded with musical intelligence, demonstrating why the scene in Toronto is world renowned. In a city obsessed with having world-class status, we should be thanking ravers for bringing it to us without the sponsorship of du Maurier.
The ravers have organized a party rally at Toronto City Hall for Aug. 1. DJs from across the city, the country and the world will spin their musical magic. While the partiers dance and listen to speeches, Toronto's councillors will be meeting inside City Hall.
Hopefully the music outside and the thousands who will gather to have their voices heard will penetrate this time. Instead of outrageous and silly remarks about raves, such as Chief Fantino's statement about "kids rolling around in their vomit," this is an opportunity for a different discussion to occur. In fact, this is the opportunity for City Hall to work much more closely with councillors such as Frances Nunziata and Olivia Chow (a causality of the new policing) and the Toronto Dance Safety Committee. In the long run, the booming electronic music scene might continue to bring more tourists to Toronto than Mel's moose ever will. Mel should take a lesson from Detroit and see how the music and rave scene has helped in the rejuvenation of that city.
What is really disturbing about Mr. Lastman's and Mr. Fantino's attempts to shut raves down is that in Toronto we are synchronizing with Giuliani time. A kind of moral policing exists that targets only the poor, squeegee kids, the homeless, people of colour, youth, and anyone who doesn't fit the Banana Republic style catalogue. We should be wary of this kind of moral policing that criminalizes a large cross-section of our province.
We should be aware and alarmed about the ways in which police in this city are continually attempting to restrict the use of public space. Whether we are talking about the targeted policing campaigns to drive the homeless out of our parks -- where they take their shelter -- or the Mayor's desire to control raves, the overarching issue is the role that policing is increasingly playing in how we enjoy our city.
The ravers have fought back by sampling both Mr. Lastman and Mr. Fantino making statements that demonstrate their lack of knowledge. Both of them have stated that they know nothing about raves. When questioned by Frances Nunziata about his attempt to ban raves, Mr. Lastman literally responded, "When I went along with it, I didn't know what a rave party was. I thought we could control it."
Nefarius makes good use of the Mayor's ignorance to teach him and many others about the history of electronic music and raves. But what makes the track Strike Back so politically important is that, in the midst of Mr. Lastman's attempt for election as this city's mayor, his comments on banning something he knows nothing about should give us alarm. Let's hope that Nefarius's booming sound gets the sonic vote out in the upcoming municipal elections.
In Ontario, the triumvirate of Mike Harris, Mel Lastman and Julian Fantino will (if Mr. Lastman is re-elected) continue to make the province and, especially, Toronto one of the least-democratic places in North America. Those three will continue to implement a conservative agenda that seeks to limit all kinds of social, cultural and political space in the province and city.
But as Nefarius raps to us, those who want to live in a city that works and is free of homelessness, drug dealing and other social ills must strike back. The first strike should be hip hopping Mr. Lastman out of City Hall this fall.
Rinaldo Walcott is assistant professor of humanities and the interim graduate-program director of Interdisciplinary Studies at York University. He teaches in the area of black cultural studies, and is on the editorial board of Fuse Magazine.
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