Black Coffee defies Israeli cultural boycott, faces backlash
Black Coffee defies Israeli cultural boycott by playing a show in Tel Aviv.
Credit: Nick Boulton
In 2014, Black Coffee performed in Israel with a message of peace: “I’m coming [to Israel] to perform and I hope my visit will help the process of change and promote equality, through the message of peace and love that lives in my music.”
Fast forward to Saturday, 31 March: Black Coffee plays a gig at ‘The Tripping’ in Tel Aviv, later posting a video showcasing how he much he loves Tel Aviv and how the show was sold-out.
-This fuelled major backlash from fans and politicians over Coffee’s indifference of the oppressive law in Israel to the killing of Palestinians.
Fuel to the fire
“South Africa’s isolation and the Academic & Cultural boycott are part of the reasons Apartheid capitulated to the call for freedom. It is morally & politically insensitive for DJ Black Coffee to just go on partying in Apartheid Israel, whilst it kills & oppresses innocent people,” called out Floyd Shivambu.
Instead of waiting for the flames to die out, Black Coffee threw on some gasoline by replying that:
“Like everyone else I have rights and free will and no Black Coffee is not a political party…I work as an entertainer to feed my Family. To sum it up….I’ll take a bullet for my Family.”
As Kwara Kekana, Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel in South Africa (BDS) says:
“We call on DJ Black Coffee to choose morality, ethics and human rights above profit similar to the thousands of artists who boycotted Apartheid South Africa during the 1980s and contributed to our liberation.”
As a musician and public figure you have a moral responsibility to stand against oppression and indignity in whichever way you can, in other words skipping one gig.
Black Coffee defies Israeli cultural boycott, gets a major backlash but will it really affect his career? We doubt it.
I wish Black Coffee had just apologised and moved on. This, like many controversies on here, would have blown over by next Monday.
His response was unfortunate, gave fuel to this mess & could hurt his international brand. Now I see American outlets are picking up on the story
— Phil Mphela (@PhilMphela) 2 de abril de 2018
I have been a fan of Black Coffee’s music for years & years. His decision to play in Israel & then justify it by saying he needs to feed his family is an insult, more so now after Prime Minister Binyàmin Netanyahu has said African migrants are worse than terrorists.
— Siphumelele Zondi (@SZondi) 2 de abril de 2018
Black Coffee is oscillating between arrogance and feigned innocence. It’s actually pathetic that a grown person who has been so supported by people in this country, would choose to behave this way. Trash.
— You Don’t Even Watch Al Jazeera* 🐼 (@PearlPillay) 1 de abril de 2018
“You’re only attacking Black Coffee cause he’s famous”
Yeah, that’s how hypervisibility, influence & platforms work.
“Playing a gig in Israel doesn’t mean he’s aligned with their politics”
He’s complicit. Same way you lot hoo-ha about present day whites over Apartheid.
— the fearless self ✨ (@Msomifaya) 2 de abril de 2018
