Dancehall group T.O.K. has announced that Chi Chi Man – arguably its most popular song and for some, a Dancehall anthem – will be expunged from its performances moving forward.
Patrons who showed up to the Reggae Beach Party event – held recently at the popular Artistry Beach in St. Michael, Barbados – got a first-hand look at an extended T.O.K. set that did not include the crowd-favorite Chi Chi Man song.
Despite being egged on by the crowd, as well as by event hosts Infamous The Voice and Jordan English, to perform the song, T.O.K. stuck to its guns, choosing instead to keep the party rocking with other hits of theirs like Shake Yuh Bam Bam, Footprints, Money To Burn, She’s Hot and Gyal You A Lead.
Roshaun ‘Bay C’ Clarke told Loop Barbados in an interview: “Basically Chi Chi Man is like a gift and a curse. It’s a great record that means so much to so many people from just the love of the music but for some people it’s offensive as well. And because we feel like the music should really unite people, we’ve made a decision to not perform the song, because we don’t want to offend any of our fans.”
The term ‘Chi Chi Man’ in Jamaican Patois is a derogatory slang used to describe gay or effeminate men. T.O.K.’s song, first released in 2000, has long been unavailable on streaming platforms, but unofficial uploads remain on YouTube.
