Controversial song
Too “stupid” for the Wiesn: “Layla” should not be played at the Oktoberfest
Fully occupied beer benches at the Oktoberfest in Munich
© Christof Stache / AFP
The controversial Ballermann hit “Layla” will not be played at the Oktoberfest either. This was confirmed by Wiesn landlord Peter Inselkammer. He doesn’t want to know anything about censorship.
64 days to go and then it’s “O’zapft is”: After a break due to the corona virus, the Oktoberfest will be taking place again this year on Munich’s Theresienwiese. From September 17th to October 3rd you can drink, feast, celebrate and sway. However, there will not be one song to be heard at the Wiesn in 2022: the scandal song “Layla” should not be played in the festival tents either.
“Among the hosts there is the prevailing opinion that ‘Layla’ is not played in the tents,” said host spokesman Peter Inselkammer the news portal “T-Online”. “We hosts all agree on that,” he confirmed. There are many other good songs. “We don’t need that.”
“Layla” at number one on the charts
The song has been at number one in the charts for several weeks but has been criticized for its sexist lyrics. The ban on the song at a public festival in Würzburg caused a lot of media coverage. It is also not allowed to be played in Düsseldorf. Censorship allegations were made that the ban was a restriction of artistic freedom.
Wiesnwirt Inselkammer rejects the accusation of censorship. “Each host decides for himself which songs he wants to hear in his tent,” he said. With “Layla” it’s not just the sexist content that bothers me, he also finds the song “to be honest, a bit stupid”.
Ikke Hipgold defends the song
“Layla” is about a woman of the same name who works in a brothel. One of the controversial lines, which is loudly roared along on the Ballermann, is: “He has a puff and his puff mom is called Layla / She is prettier, younger, hornier”. Elsewhere, the interpreters DJ Robin and Schürze sing: “The beautiful Layla, the horny Layla, the bitch Layla, our Layla”.
Ballermann singer Ikke Hipgold, who produced “Layla”, defends the song. Udo Jürgens’ hit “17 year, blond hair” is also questionable. In the past, a song was banned with “Scandal in the restricted area”, which is seen completely uncritically today. “Bans always have the opposite effect.”
Ikke Hipgold will discuss the ban with other participants on “sternTV am Sonntag” (10:50 p.m., RTL) on Sunday evening