Chechnya bans music that is too slow or too fast 

The culture ministry of the Russian Republic of Chechnya has made a rule about what speed of music people can listen to. The ministry has banned songs that are too fast or too slow. It made an announcement about the tempo of songs allowed. It said: "From now on, all musical, vocal and choreographic works should correspond to a tempo of between 80 to 116 beats per minute." The new standard, which starts at 80 beats per minute, is much slower than a lot of modern-day pop music. 

However, the Russian national anthem is usually played at 76 beats per minute. There has been no word from the culture ministry about whether the anthem can be played. It seems likely the anthem will be an exception to the new rule.

The ban on music that is too up-tempo or too down-tempo is to protect Chechnya's culture and traditions. The Moscow Times said it was, "to root out any hint of Westernization". Chechnya's leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, said the ban was to make music, "conform to the Chechen mentality". He added: "Borrowing musical culture from other people's is inadmissible." Musa Dadaev, Chechnya's culture minister, said: "We must bring to the people and to the future of our children the cultural heritage of the Chechen people." Local artists have until June the 1st to rewrite their songs to follow the new tempo. People in Chechnya will no longer be able to listen to techno music, or many songs by Beyonce, Drake and Taylor Swift.

Source: Breaking News English

Comprehension

Who has made a rule about the speed of music people can listen to in Chechnya?
What is the minimum and maximum tempo of songs allowed in Chechnya?
What is the tempo of the Russian national anthem?
Why has the ban been imposed in Chechnya?
What will happen to local artists who do not rewrite their songs to follow the new tempo?
What type of music will people in Chechnya no longer be able to listen to?
Who is the leader of Chechnya?
When is the deadline for local artists to rewrite their songs?

Discussion

Do you think it is fair for the government to control the tempo of music people can listen to?
What do you think about the ban on techno music and songs by Beyonce, Drake and Taylor Swift in Chechnya?
Do you think the ban will be effective in protecting Chechnya's culture and traditions?
Have you ever heard music from Chechnya? If yes, what is it like?
Do you think it is important for a country to preserve its cultural heritage?
What do you think about the idea of borrowing musical culture from other people?
Have you ever listened to a song in a language you don't understand? If yes, how did you feel about it?
Do you think music can influence people's behavior or culture?

Vocabulary

Tempo - the speed of a piece of music
Beats per minute (BPM) - a unit of measurement for tempo
Westernization - the influence of Western culture on a country or region
Mentality - a person's way of thinking or feeling about something
Inadmissible - not allowed or acceptable
Cultural heritage - the traditions, beliefs, and artifacts that are passed down from one generation to the next
Rewrite - to write something again with changes
Deadline - a date or time when something must be finished or submitted