Chechnya’s new music ban

Now here’s something that will certainly make the world a better place (heavy on sarcasm)! Gag!

Seems Chechnya has recently ruled to ban music that’s too fast or slow. Say what? Yup, you heard that correctly. According to NPR, the Chechen Ministry of Culture announced the ban on its website last week. “Musical, vocal and choreographic” works will be limited to a tempo of 80 to 116 beats per minute (BPM) to “conform to the Chechen mentality and sense of rhythm,” said Dadayev, according to the Russian state-run news agency TASS.

So, while the world experiences famine, disease, and wars, their focus is on limiting various musical compositions that don’t fall into their proscribed dictates. What’s next?

*The photograph shows Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov dancing to folk music in Grozny, Chechnya, November 2009. S Dal/Reuters