29 thoughts on “The Politics of Akon, Danah and Zen”

1. Howard Chin-Lee and other PNM Ministers, including the Prime Minister, Patrick Manning, are bending over backwards to protect Zen’s owner, Johnny Soong, who appears to be a high-ranking PNM supporter/financier. How else can we explain Prime Minister, Patrick Manning wanting to personally meet with him to discuss this issue?

   Junior Minister in the Ministry of National Security, Fitzgerald Hinds, was the first to signal the government’s kid-glove approach in dealing with Zen when he called for charges to be laid against Akon, but simply called on Zen to enforce their 18-year-old law.

   Following the condemnation of club Zen by a large section of the public, Prime Minister Patrick Manning waded into the debate (yesterday) stating that Zen has to take responsibility and that he would meet with them on the matter. A day later (today), Zen released a qualified ‘apology’ followed by Minister of Tourism, Howard Chin-Lee (who was at the club that night, but said he left before the main act), calling on Akon to apologize.

   Here is the scenario: Danah’s brother was screened as a PNM candidate; Prime Minister, Patrick Manning, (pastor wannabe), called on the nation to forgive Danah to ease the pressure off of Danah’s father and the church; and the Prime Minister may have encouraged Soong to issue an ‘apology’. Meanwhile, the Minister of Tourism is trying to spin the blame back to Akon.

   PNM politicians and possibly financial supporter and owner of Zen, Johnny Soong, seem to have closed ranks to protect each other.

   In addition, they have demonstrated a nasty and dishonest conduct by reducing the blame of Zen club owner, Johnny Soong, to a mistake, while putting most of the blame on African/African-American Hip/hop star, Akon. This conduct by all – Manning, Chin-Lee, Hinds and Soong – reeks of RACISM, DECIET and COWARDICE as they chose to deceivingly and deliberately pass off blame to Akon and let Soong and to a lesser extent, Danah, off the hook.

2. I have had enough of this bloody pandering to the inverse racist learnings of some black people, and the crass and primitive ignorance of others who appear ready to lynch this African for “wining up” on a light skinned female dressed like a slut. If they interpret the dance between Akron and the young Woman to be an infringement of the indecency statutes of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, then by principle they would have to outlaw all the gyrations that take place in public during carnival. It is no wonder that while the Asians Nations are rapidly making great economic strides, the islands in the Caribbean seem to be going one step forward and two steps backwards. The thinking of the leaders and a large portion of the led react to issues like this in a manner akin to an engine when water instead of gas is poured into the tank. It never starts, and thus never engages and gets into gear.

3. Did someone kidnap this Little “hot spot” and hold her hand to do the things she was doing. These moves don’t come just like that, she practiced them well for this night. I didn’t see her fighting back. Why was she allowed to keep these clothes in the house, she is accustomed going out at nights. Yeah, right how innocent she is, this is just the beginning of her “Club Career”. Akon is a sexy superstar, he promotes himself, she just wanted to match up with him. She knows well what she was doing, She knows well how to fool pastor and pretend . SHE WAS WELL PREPARED FOR THIS.

4. Cops raid Zen nightclub
   A CONTINGENT of police officers raided the Zen nightclub yesterday and for over two hours, searched for video tapes and other items pertaining to the Akon concert which was held almost two weeks ago and in which the Senegalese-born hip hop star stirred controversy with his lewd romp with 15-year-old Danah Alleyne.

   Boycott Zen, says Job-Davis
   The owners of the Zen nightclub should be held responsible for the lewd act performed between R&B/hip-hop superstar Akon and 15-year-old Danah Alleyne at a recent concert held at the club, Minister in the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs, Eudine Job-Davis, has said.

   She added that patrons should now boycott the nightclub to protest what she described as “that kind of behaviour”.

   Job-Davis stressed that the simulated sex act, which the teenager indulged in, should be resolved between the child and her parents.

   “I can tell you that that hurt me to my core to see a young Trinidad and Tobagonian girl being treated that way by a man,” Job-Davis said.

   “I want to say, I am not excusing the young lady by any means, she has to take responsibility for her actions. But it is a matter between her and her parents and they should know how to discipline their daughter.

   “I also want to say that the owners of club should be held absolutely and totally responsible for that what happened there.”
   Full Article : trinidadexpress.com

   Job-Davis cries shame on Zen
   The owners of club Zen should be held responsible for the now infamous dance segment involving international artiste Akon and schoolgirl Danah Alleyne, Tobago East MP Eudine Job-Davis insists…

   Akon ‘stars’ in the House
   Even as the Alleyne family appealed for the publicity to stop, members of Parliament yesterday kept the debate on 15-year-old Danah Alleyne and hip hop singer Akon’s sexually explicit dance at Club Zen on the frontburner.

   Tobago East MP Eudine Job-Davis, in her contribution to the debate on the Equal Opportunities Bill 2007, said the lewd dancing involving Danah and Akon at Zen on April 12 should never have been allowed to happen. While saying all parties involved (including Danah) in the incident must accept responsibility, Job-Davis said, “The owners of Club Zen should be held absolutely and totally responsible for what happened there as well.”

   No pictures, please!
   DIRECTOR of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Geoffrey Henderson is being asked to ban the media from further publishing still images and video footage purportedly of Danah Alleyne’s raunchy dance with US hip hop artiste Akon…

   Pastor Cuffie breaks his silence
   Pastor Winston Cuffie has commended Danah Alleyne and her family for bearing some measure of the blame in the recent incident involving R&B/hip hop star, Akon, and the 15-year-old

   Pastor’s daughter controversy
   Police armed with a search warrant entered and searched Club Zen yesterday in a follow-up exercise surrounding the raunchy

   Young Danah has to account
   Strangely enough, Prime Minister Patrick Manning has joined the chorus of people who are blaming 15-year-old Danah Alleyne’s admittedly humiliating experience on everybody but the young girl herself. It is not our intent to pillory somebody who is still a child, but unless the relevant parties face up to the fact that Ms Alleyne, like many other 15-year-olds, requires a firm hand, she may not get the help she so clearly needs at this time.

   Mr Manning, too, seems intent on not offending what he has perceived to be a PNM- supportive Pentecostal constituency that has long been at odds with the largely Hindu religious constituency of the opposition UNC.

5. L.Paul: You “hit the nail right on the head”. In the first place, I can’t remember one time that I’ve seen Mr. Manning get involved in such personal issues. All of this just reeks politics. I am awaiting the appearance of the junior Alleyene on the political stage. I’ve said it before–in this same forum–that Zen owners and the politicians are all in cahoots. Still waiting to see what happens with that one. For the few who are blaming Akon, be realistic! I’ve seen that kind of motion on the roads at Carnival and often wonder. Mind you, I’m not knocking our culture at all–I am a Carnival person–but feel that we can dance and jump-up to that mesmerizing music, and have a rollicking time without carrying on the way some of us do. Akon is an entertainer and is use to performing in that manner. I’m certain he did not realize that she was a minor knowing that the Club does not permit minors. All-in-all, I think it’s time that we get past this and just sit back and wait to see the end results, with Zen especially. Hope the Pastor and his son have finally taken off their blinders.

6. I think Ms so called gooddie goddie Danah is the one to be blamed. This has been going on for a while. There are pictures posted on the net dated May 2006 where she dressed like a slut. She in the business long time. I’ve seen most of the pictures Re Zen performance & her facial expression says it all. She had a blast. As for her father well….. not good parenting. Navel piercing, tatoo on back slutty clothing come on. Who d hell will allow there child to go by ice-cream that hour of the night and return home that hour of ther morning. Like he own a ice-cream palour???

7. All this is so very amusing, while we all pretend at indignation and upset and worse, useing words like slut etc. I am reminded of the words-Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. I am sure that all of us who have made an immature coice with communserate lack of judgement and of course avoided the glare of the camera would be some of the first to understand and forgive. As far as Zen is concerened, well. considering the obnoxious way in whivch they run this club and how they make you feel when you go there as if they are doing you a favour by letting you in I am convinced that this is just the return of bad Karma.

8. When will some parents of T&T begin to take responsibility for their children. The blame for bad behaviour is placed on television shows, music, soca, clubs, movies, books, schools, carnival, etc., the list can go on ad infinitum. Why was a 14 or 15 year old girl out of the house until 3 o’clock in the morning and to top it of she has a pastor for a father. If I were a member of Pastor Dave Alleyn’s church, I would be thinking about my Grand Mother’s saying “do as I say but not as I do”, does it apply here.

   Now, not all parents are in this category, however, whenever something bad happens, fingers are pointed in all direction instead of trying to determine where they have failed and how to improve.

9. You people amaze me don’t matter what she was wearing he had no right to do what he did to her if she was 21 or 50 he had no right to do that to any woman.

10. As a young Trinidadian party-going woman with no affiliation with Zen, the girl involved, Akon, nor politics, I would like to throw in my say:
    – Akon had no right to be dancing with the girl in this manner. Isn’t lewd dancing illegal in Trinidad? Just as the Ash Wednesday cool-down has been shut down, so should his performance.
    – Her attire is irrelevant. It was a party in a club. Should she have worn a church outfit just because her father is a pastor. Look around. This is what young people wear. Attack, then, the majority of young women who dress just as suggestively
    – A fifteen year old has no place in Zen night-club. Every time I go there, because I have a young face, I am treated like I have a fake ID, although I am 22. Why were the bouncers so lenient with her? What made her special? It was this same attire that let her get into the club in the first place.
    – Looking at footage at Akon’s other concerts around the world, he does this type of stage performance typically
    – Do you think this type of dancing was limited to her? This is not the first time that lewd dancing has happened on a stage in Trinidad. Why should she be suffering like this in public? Is it because her father is a pastor, or her brother’s affiliations? Go to Any high-school bazaar/mayfair disco/dance and you will see this same behaviour even in a school event where everyone is around her age

11. THIS SORT OF BEHAVIOUR IS HAPPENING ALL OVER TAKE A LOOK AT SCHOOL DANCE OR EVEN LOOK AROUND YOU AFTER SCHOOL IS OVER. THE MEDIA AND INTERNET HAS TAKEN AWAY THE INNOCENCE OF OUR CHILDREN. KIDS AT A EVERY YOUNG AGE WANTS WHAT THEY SEE ON T.V. THE VIDEOS OF SOME OF THESE SINGER SHOULD NOT BE EVEN SHOWN ON T.V. BUT THEY DO.IT SEEMS THIS GIRL AND HER FAMILY NEEDS TO HEAL. I DONT THINK THE CLUD IS TOTALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT HAPPENED.THERE ARE CLUD THAT WANT YOU TO PRESENT PHOTO I.D TO ENTER BUT THE UNDER AGE KIDS STILL GET IN.FAKE I.D.AND A LOT OF IT IS GETTING INTO IN HANDS OF CHILDREN

12. I have been following the unfortunate story of the young lady who was publicly humiliated in front of the world at the Zen nightclub a few night ago by the rapper Akon.

    It leads me to ask the question: Who are your children’s role models and indeed who are your own? In these days it take no more than publicity to become a celebrity. You could be a self confessed porn star, a drug dealer, a rapist but as long as the camera is on you, you are suddenly a celebrity.

    If you read or follow the biographies of most of these modern day “celebrities and rappers”, you would probably cross the street and walk in the other direction if you saw them coming your way, so horrendous are the stories and so scary are the characters. The “thug” lyrics of many of these hip hop songs are not out of the vivid imagination of young innocents who wondered what it would be like to rob and shoot somebody or to rape a young girl. These are the words of people who actually do these things and live this life style. Many rappers and celebrities are unrepentant criminals!

    This message does not get through and is overpowered by the glamour of the bling and the money and the fancy cars. We put to the backs of our minds that as well as the music and movie careers, much of the success comes from the sale of illegal narcotics or other sorts of criminal activity.

    We say: “Oh yes so and so is great and cute and he has his own record label and makes so much money. Look at the car he drives. Yes I know that he just spent some jail time for beating a guy to an unrecognizable pulp, but look at his car. He’s my hero!”

    I have read in blogs the following information on Akon:

    “Akon is a convicted felon, who spent five years in prison for armed robbery, distribution of illegal drugs, and auto theft. He was also involved in a drive-by shooting. And not only that he’s an ex-con, he’s proud of it, with a hit album entitled “Konvicted,” a hit single, “Locked Up,” and two companies, Konvict Muzik and Kon Live Distribution. Another hit single, “Smack That”–well, you can imagine what it’s about: rough, graphic sex.”
    It is also alleged on the Internet that he is the owner of a conflict diamond mine in Africa. These conflict diamonds were the subject of the recent film “Blood Diamond” where the grotesqe and brutal murders of men women and children are routinely carried out. Children are dismembered and murdered and some are even forced into armies and used to kill and maim others. Do we really want to listen to this man’s music?????

    Putting it all together, is it a surprize that he would so violently hump a woman on a stage, totally disrespecting her, dragging her on the floor, possibly even damaging her physically and certainly psychologically???? No it is not a surprize and I would say we should expect nothing less from such a person.

    So who are our role models? The young girls who open their legs and show their private parts for all the world to see in order to get publicity, the ones who take drugs and booze and end up in rehab routinely, or the ones who would rather be stick thin and die than be healthy? Let us for our own sake and the sake of our children, clearly define the word “celebrity”.

    Celebrity: (1) a person who is very much photographed and gets a lot of media time (2) the status conveying nothing about the type of person or their moral standards as a human being.

    Hero / Role model: (1) A person who exemplifies the type of qualities to which you aspire (2) the status not necessarily being publicized in the media but may be only apparent to you.

    I am sorry that so many of our young people cannot see past the deceptions of the clever marketing, advertising, promotion and public relations professionals who brand these celebrities just as they do with Reebok, Nike and other brands. I hope that the time will come when we can understand that if we feel to associate with these types of “famous” people, then our best bet is to go to the Golden Grove Prison and dance with, hug up and get autographs from one of the convicted criminals in there.

    I am sorry Ms. 14 year old that you were not mature enough to understand this. I am also sorry that the adults around you who should have know better were not able to protect you. Even though you thought that you were a willing participant, you were still a victim of a much deeper and insiduous crime that is being perpetrated on our young people by a foreign culture. I am so sorry.

13. I agree about the behavior happening all over but the celebrities can tone it down. A lot of them are “hero” or “idols” of a lot of our children but it all starts at home. What happened to family values, morals, respect? Why are parents today finding it so hard to have a relationship with there children? Know their children’s friends & their parents? If it was instilled in you as a child, why not do the same for your own? Why is a 15 year old allowed to get a tattoo? Across the small of her back at that! Why is a 15 year old allowed to get a belly ring? Why is she allowed to wear those types of clothes?? Where was “Daddy” when she left the house & what type of curfew did she have? Did he approve of her clothing & was known of her wherabouts? Akon should not be held accountable for all of his actions, it was an 18 & over club, was he supposed to ask her age? Most places, 18 is an adult. As for the dis-respect, it shows clearly that she knew what was going to happened & she dis-respected herself just as much as someone may think he dis-repected her. That’s where self-respect comes in. If she was of age, would this be an issue? Would he be considered dis-respectful? I understand it’s his daughter but if she was wrong let it be known that she was wrong, don’t come at her defense “just because”. If it was someone else’s child, they would look at the issue like some of us are but being as though they’re on the inside looking out, it’s embarrassing. That’s part of parents problems today, taking up for your child knowing that he/she is TRULY wrong. WE are parents, THEY are children, they’ll get over it!! It’s called TOUGH LOVE!!

14. THE CULTURE OF TRINIDAD ALLOWS THIS KIND OF BEHAVIOUR.THE CULTURE SAYS THEY ARE THE BEST WINERS (LEWD DANCERS) IN THE WORLD ETC.A LOT OF THE LOCAL ENTERTAINERS DO THIS KIND OF DANCING ALL THE TIME AND THE PEOPLE OF THE COUNTRY GENERALLY ACCEPT IT.

15. I just don’t know why almost everybody blame akon.
    Akon is an artist and as an artist he got a staff around him, he is not the one who is suppose to judge if a girl is 18 yo or 15. this is first the responsibility of the club staff. Plus can anybody tell how a paster’s daughter get into a club w/o an id…and u gonna tell me that akon, should come and be able to know that the girl was 15. It’s just too easy to blame him since he’s not from trinidad. Did u guys just look at the facts 5 mns. And I’m surprised that u decided:

    1/ put all the wrong on akon
    2/ to ban akon for any appearance there
    3/ apologize to the girl who sneak inside the club

    U should see how the girl get on stage with akon through the all process,from the door. She is young, I understand but at some point, the parents should be able to know every single moment where there daughter is. what ever the excuse the girl used to go out, the parents should be aware of that.
    What happened was really bad but the good thing is that could have been worse (15 yo girl looking good outside by herself !!)

16. Akon cannot be held responsible for what he did to a “15 year old girl” because she played a HUGE part in this too, and has self-admitted that. He CAN however be held responsible for the fact that he is RUDE, DISRESPECTFUL, and DISGUSTING for doing this to women ALL OVER! Not only this 15 year old girl, but there lots of videos from varioud other Akon concerts where he does this to one, two, even three women on stage. He’s done it to “actress” Tara Reid as well. Regardless of age – Akon seems to think it is OK to demean women in this fashion all over the world. It is up to us as true, stong, confident, independent WOMEN to make the right choices in where we go, who we go with, HOW WE DRESS, and How we act. Who cares what Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, Lindey Lohan, and any other female hollywood “Role Model” is doing – look in the mirror and ask “What am *I* doing?”

17. Club Zen should be held 100% liable in what happened. This girl probably batted her pretty little eyelashes and was allowed to enter the club. She should have never been in the club in the first place. Yes, Akon’s dance was raunchy, but I’m sure he assumed, like everyone else, that this girl and EVERYONE else in the club was 18 years of age and older. This is a club for ADULTS.

18. Danah Alleyne is equally guilty as Akon. But that kind of behaviour is not surprising considering her “myspace” profile where she describes herself as a B&t@cH. While everyone is feeling sorry for her, she is really cocky about the whole situation. i guess she must be popular among her peers. The funny thing is that those pastors want to come and remove a speck in someone elses eye and within their own family, they have logs in theirs. A fifteen year old daughter of a paster has a large tattoo on her back and navel ring. This Danah Alleyne child is a really raunchy and racy individual, so if you all feel she is innocent, think again.

19. Alicia….Good speech!!!!! I agree with you totally

20. just forget about this incident na…evrybody makes mistakes.. the adults r not settin an example(carnival)…..evrybody wants 2 hav fun sometimes…wats d big deal?…akon says in his new song which is dread ..dat u could put d blame on him..and he apologize..rite..think bout that

21. I THINK AKON SHOULD NOT BE BLAMED FOR THIS BECAUSE THE 15 YEAR OLD GIRL WAS WILLING TO DO IT AND HE DIDNT EVEN KNOW ABOUT IT!
    THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS AKON IS A GREAT SINGER AND IM SURE A GREAT GUY TOO.
    HE SHOULDNT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE.

22. all parties in this incident are to be blamed for the outcome. danah’s parents for condoning their 15yr old daughter to party like an adult and allowing her to dress so provocative, danah for giving in to this type of pressure and degrading herself, zen for encouraging this type of slackness and akon for disrespecting a woman in this manner. we must not give danah a hard time because she already has to live with this shame. she’s just a teenager who needs direction and discipline. there is still room for improvement . keep your head up danah and i hope you have learned from this.

23. Danah Alleyne to get youth award
    Family members of 15-year-old teenager Danah Alleyne are once again up in arms, after she was conferred with what they now see as a controversial award by Choc’late Allen, leader of the 100% Crime Free Youth Committee.

    Allen yesterday told the Express that her committee had decided to name Alleyne as one of the recipients of a “Youth Motivator Award”.

24. Unfortunately, everyone wants to blame Akon for this. But people must realize that he is a singer and doing what he does best. He should not have to question if his audience is of age. That is the venue’s responsibility! TOTALLY!! I’m quite sure that if he had ANY clue she was underage, he wouldnt have brought her up on stage to begin with. Stop blaming the wrong people. Where were her parents when she walked out of the house in that outfit?? I do hope that she puts her life on a better track…

25. In my opinion Akon was just trying to do his best and give his fans something they can love him for. I am sure that she was just trying to have fun and not zip down her zippers for Akon, and I do really believe that the media are trying to cover as much story as possible because thats there where all their money is comming from (be telling lies). And trust me Im from UK where a fake story by a well regarded newspaper could sell millions and deceive millions of people.

26. i think that you live and learn, and in reality girls at 15yrs old are much more advanced than boys this age, and i am sure she did get in very easily as I myself as a teenager had no trouble getting into adult venues in a big US west coast city.

    she lived she had fun and hopefully she learns…..

    i don’t blame akon he is an entertainer and even if someone doesn’t like his music or style of entertaining their are plenty of people (including the young girl) who do enjoy his music, i like his music, would i get on stage and freak him probably not but who knows when i was 15 maybe what i would have done back in those days….

    she participated on her own in an adult fashion because she has gone thru puberty and guess what in the olden days once a girl went thru puberty – they were married off sometimes to older men, for reals marriages were arranged and in some countries they probably still are, shoot even Romeo and Juliet were young teens, that’s the truth.

    Most teens are sexually active no one wants to say that but at least in the urban areas if not all areas it’s the TRUTH and why are they, probably a number of reasons but one is because it’s a natural response to puberty and life and society has said it’s bad and dirty (which makes it more appealing actually) rather than educating the youth properly about sex and consequences and real life, we want kids to memorize the 50 capitals and we set ONE SIZE FITS ALL STANDARDS on education in the US and say we all have to match up and be the same, while we are all humans we are all not the same when it comes to the gifts that each of have and instead of us trying to tap each childs gift we try to make them all uniformed which adds stress and makes things overwhelming for them when they may not be good in math but an excellent gymnastic and we will never know because most inner city schools do not offer gymnastic programs.

    anyways my point is unless you live in Utopia we can’t pass judgement on them for doing what they did consensually, he did not know she was a minor, and in a sense at 15 most girls think they are grown, because it feels like you have gone thru your RIGHT OF PASSAGE once you reach puberty, that’s what felt like for me.

    again life is hard enough w/o everyone turning this into more than it is, they danced and it was provactive or raunchy or whatever, let’s be thankful she’s home and well and alive, worse things could have happened to that young girl playing adult that night.

    i can almost bet if this was not filmed and made public and if no one knew, she might have been happy about dancing w/ akon, it was probably a highlight of her night until it was realized that it was broadcast and she might bring shame to herself, her pastor father and crime watch brother. She’s 15, give her a break and again akon didn’t know, be thankful she didn’t get truly hurt that night out on the town by some evil evil person.

27. trinidad is so sexually repressed. so what if that girl went out and had fun thats what happens when parents lock their kids up when they get a taste of freedom thats what happens. poor girl has to uphold the fact that her dad is a pastor thats the main problem that she made them look bad. akon was just doin his job as an entertainer hes not to blame. music is made to dance to and some music is made for vulgar winin come on trinidad get with it stop bein so repressed and closed minded. all types of dancing represents sex wether it be subtle or not just move on and stop blaming people its not actually that much of a big deal.

28. akon should not be blamed. His just doing what he did as a singer.
    Plus he didnt even know that shes underage. Club zen was restricted to age 21!

29. I think Akon should not be punished for what he did because she was enjoying so he went right along with her cause she was smiling the whole time and they were just trying to have a little fun. She should not have been at that club anways it was for 21 and older and she was only 15 years old so her dad cant get mad when she had no business at that club anyways trying to dance all freeky and stuff.

    (So I say drop the case and move on!!!!)

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