With the recent news of Diplo banning kandi at the Mad Decent Block Party, the electronic dance music community is in a frenzy. While the banned items list extends way beyond the beaded jewelry bracelets, this item has garnered the most attention over the past week. Many people attribute the ban to attempting to keep people safe in light of the recent deaths at various events throughout the country but everyone knows that kandi poses no significant risk to anyone’s health or well being, unless you are a toddler (in which case choking hazards are present).
The real reason behind the ban is to keep people focused on the music and not on other activities. While we definitely agree with the fact that shows should be about the music, there is a reason that wearing and trading kandi bracelets has become so ingrained in rave culture. Trading kandi is not simply about exchanging pony beads with a complete stranger. It is about exchanging symbols of friendship; tangible tokens that will commemorate an experience while forging bonds that could potentially last a lifetime. I still have kandi bracelets in my repertoire that immediately transport me back to the moment in which it was exchanged, so much so that I can recall the exact song that was playing, the people were around me, and even the smells that were present. This leads me to pose the question:
Does banning kandi really make a difference?
Even if it does; even if the intentions behind the ban are pure, there is no reason to mock the rave community. The fact is that the music is a part of a larger culture. Producers and performers need to realize that the music is not about them. Though they are the creators, it is a part of a bigger movement in which the whole is greater than the sum of its’ parts.
u could probably sell ur ticket for 500 dollars on craigslist and wear kandi alone all day @DILLONFRANCIS @DanielaCordasco @maddecent
— blondre 3000 (@diplo) August 7, 2014
U go to shows just to wear kandi? RT @DanielaCordasco: No Kandi at @maddecent in Philly? Wtf? Why go to a show then? @diplo @DILLONFRANCIS — DILLON FRANCIS (@DILLONFRANCIS) August 7, 2014
