Ethic’s halfhearted apology for ‘Tarimbo’
Gengetone artistes Ethic Crew have finally addressed the controversies surrounding their latest song Tarimbo after moral policeman Ezekiel Mutua called for their arrest.
Ethic dropped the song on Friday, and true to their nature the video contains scenes of semi-nude women twerking and dancing in explicit styles.
PURE CRAP
But what has stirred controversy is a chorus by Rekles which goes: “Bas, bas joo kama ana maringo, mi hupenda chapa na tarimbo, mi huchapachapa na kanyaga namwaga bila hata permission.”
He also called for the arrest of the group, terming their new song a ‘pure crap’.
Online the new song has been the center of heavy criticism with many calling for its withdrawal from YouTube as it appears to be advocating for rape of women.
On Monday, through their Twitter account, the group issued a statement saying they respect women and the song is not aimed at promoting rape culture, as has been claimed.
APOLOGY
“It has come to our attention that our latest single Tarimbo has stirred up mixed reactions and elicited various negative interpretations from different quarters. As recording artists, it is our sole duty to entertain our fans and NOT deploy our content to propagate hate against any person, most importantly women,” the group tweeted.
“As artists, we are sons to our mothers, brothers to our sisters, uncles to our nieces and friends to our female friends and fans, and it is not in any way our intention to publicize violence or rape against these highly revered individuals in our community,” Ethic said in another tweet.
The crew also issued a public apology to anyone who was offended by the song.
“As Ethic Entertainment, we are truly remorseful for any dolor caused by the lyrics to our single, and for every single person that was triggered to a displeasing memory or emotion by it, receive our sincere apologies. Rest assured that no disrespect was intended.”
After Ethic’s apology in which they did not say if they will pull down the song, Kenyans were left wondering if the crew themselves wrote the apology or it was their handlers.
Mngeandika Sheng. Sisi fans hatuelewi kizungu yoo! Mziki yenu haifanani na hii kizungu. Mtu haelewi lugha ya mtaa hafai kuwaambia any about ngoma mnaduu
— Devitez Metinez?? (@DMetinez) November 4, 2019
Hii Mwakenya mmetoa wapi? Rusungu tuu!!!! Ati any dolor caused??? Akiangai.
— Dave Kim Kioko (@kioks_DKK) November 4, 2019
If your handle would reflect and relate with your song lyrics mngekua noma Sana. Nway your time is now, mmepenya with that style now style up at least mjimaintain with alil sober lyrics. Fame without money = regrets
— Trippledallars kotia (@TrippledallarsK) November 4, 2019
Hio kizungu inaonyesha enyewe no human is limited ?
— Wolf of all Streets (@vick_njagi) November 5, 2019
Kwani Kwa ground mnakuanga na English noma hivi?btw anamaanisha nini somebady explain nimefloat yote
— Eng. Waka (@eng_waka) November 4, 2019
While some fans advised the crew to go back to the studio and work on another version of the song with inexplicit lyrics.
Re-do tarimbo but with more appealing lyrics remember what p unit did to their song wen it was rejected, the you guy song…..jus do the same otherwise we fully support UA works ?
— Denyol Stanlee (@stanlee_daniel) November 4, 2019
you can use this chance to pull a reverse version of tarimbo to clean it up and it will work magic IE kama ile P-unit did si lazima tu doo tanaeza enda kejani Na tuchill tu!!! Sio kila Siku limwa rungu washa kigode etc
— Black fish (@skithinji44) November 4, 2019
I might be way out of my depth here but I have a suggestion. Do it like Big artistes normally do. Have two versions of your release. One for radio and the other raw. Hivo you avoid this backlash by the public over your lyrics. That’s the only way you’d make everyone happy
— CHINO (@I_Am_Ednas) November 4, 2019
This is not the first Kenyan song which has been perceived to be glorifying rape.
“Mi ni mgenge napitanga na zile ziko maji zimebleaki… If you think about it, this was a song about rape. And we used to dance to it,” wrote Kenyansam on his Twitter handle back then.
The line could loosely translate to a man bragging how he thrives in taking home drunk women, more so those who have already passed out.
However, group Frasha later refuted the claims, saying they are baseless and it’s just people overthinking the meaning of the song.