Electronic Pop Artist Sevdaliza Removed From Coca-Cola Music Fest In Armenia After Releasing Blasphemous Music Video

Electronic pop artist Sevdaliza was removed from the Coca-Cola Music Fest in Armenia after she released a blasphemous music video at the end of June.

Sevdaliza released her music video “Messiah” on June 27th, where she blasphemes Christianity by depicting herself in various erotic scenes with Christian icons and items such as the cross and a thurible. The video also ends with her sitting on an actor portraying Jesus Christ at The Last Supper and replacing him.

The Coca-Cola Music Fest which starts on August 30th announced on August 23rd that it was looking to the scandal around its headliner, Sevdaliza. In an Instagram post as translated by Google, the festival stated, “We listen to and acknowledge the opinions and concerns surrounding the headliner Sevdaliza. Our team is actively working with partners to review the situation and will make an official statement very soon.”

Two days later and the festival announced that Sevdaliza would no longer be performing. It stated in another Instagram post, “We would like to inform you that Sevdaliza will not be performing. We will soon announce the names of new artist(s) who, along with our 15 Armenian artists and international headliner A7s, will make the festival an unforgettable musical celebration. Thank you for your trust. It is your enthusiasm that makes this festival special.”

The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines blasphemy as being “directly opposed to the second commandment. It consists in uttering against God—inwardly or outwardly—words of hatred, reproach, or defiance; in speaking ill of God; in failing in respect toward him in one’s speech; in misusing God’s name. St James condemns those ‘who blaspheme that honorable name [of Jesus] by which you are called.’ The prohibition of blasphemy extends to language against Christ’s Church, the saints, and sacred things. It also blasphemous to make use of God’s name to cover up criminal practices, to reduce peoples to servitude, to torture persons or put them to death. The misuse of God’s name to commit a crime can provoke others to repudiate religion.”

“Blasphemy is contrary to the respect due God and his holy name. It is itself a grave sin.”

It is thus good and just that the festival removed Sevdaliza and her promotion of blasphemy as well as the scandal that it caused. As Bishop Barron recently reminded us punishment and discipline can be good for us even though it might be painful, “Very often, our learning comes from our suffering. Bring them together, God disciplines those he loves. And, again, love is to will the good of the other. God wants to teach, he wants to love someone who’s deep in sin that will look like and feel like punishment.”

He later rhetorically asked, “Friends, fellow sinners here, listen to me, can we sometimes understand the suffering we’re going through as a kind of divine restriction of our freedom so as to bring us back where we need to be?”

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