UKIP Calypso
UKIP Calypso is a song by former British radio host Mike Read .
background
Read, who has been a public supporter of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) since 2012 , wrote the title in 2014. For the recording, he imitated the Jamaican dialect. The lyrics of the song oppose the presence of so-called illegal immigrants in the UK . It says "Leaders committed a cardinal sin, open the borders let them all come in; illegal immigrants in every town." (Eng .: leaders committed a cardinal sin to open the borders and let everyone in; illegal immigrants in every city). The title was released on October 20, 2014 under the fictional band name The Independents .
Reactions
The content and manner of presentation led to the accusation of racism. UKIP chairman Nigel Farage endorsed the song and called on his party's supporters to get it to number 1 on the UK charts. On the day of its release, it reached number 15 on the UK iTunes charts. In the meantime Read called the recording a "joke", then apologized for the song and asked the record company to withdraw the single. The single entered the UK charts at number 29 in the week of November 1st.
Web links
- https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/oct/20/ukip-calypso-song-number-one-nigel-farage-mike-read
- http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-29693346
- http://www.itunescharts.net/uk/artists/music/the-independents/songs/ukip-calypso/