Posts Tagged ‘music’
July 20th, 2012
Three members of Russian punk group
Pussy Riot have had their detention extended by a further six months by a Moscow court,
reports say [ru]. Maria Alekhina, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Ekaterina Semutsevic will remain in jail until at least January 2013, with their detention already being extended from 24 June to late July. The trio were arrested in March and face charges of hooliganism for allegedly staging an anti-Putin performance in Moscow’s Christ the Saviour Cathedral in February. If convicted they face up to seven years in prison.
Pussy Riot spoke to us exclusively in May, read the interview here.
May 15th, 2012
An
Iranian rapper has been
issued with fatwas and faced death threats after releasing a controversial song. Shahin Najafi, an Iranian singer based in Germany, released a song containing references to one of the 12 Shia Muslim Imams. The song, which was posted on YouTube, offended some who claim it insults their beliefs, while others claim the song breaks taboos on expressing views about religious personalities. A religious Iranian website has offered a reward of $100,000 (£62,000) for anyone who kills the rapper.
April 25th, 2012
A rapper has been sentenced to a minimum of
three months in prison after releasing a violent music video in the
UAE. The singer, known as Dangour, was arrested in June. In the footage, Dangour raps about drug abuse and his hatred of white people. A clip went viral on messaging service BBM, and several people complained to the police. The court ruled that the rapper created the video to make people scared of him and issued the “light sentence”. They added that it ”harmed public decency and order and spread terror and panic among people”.
April 19th, 2012
A popular
Iranian singer has been sentenced to a year in prison
after releasing pro-opposition songs online. During the protests that occurred in the wake of the disputed 2009 presidential elections, Arya Aramnejad angered officials by uploading songs about the
Ashura protests, when government security forces opened fire on demonstrators during a Shia holy day. Later, Aramnejad released another song condemning the government crackdowns. Aramnejad was arrested in February 2010, according to a friend, the singer has been convicted of acting against national security and spreading propaganda against the regime.
March 20th, 2012
Two musicians and the leader of a youth organisation
were detained by police during a sanctioned rally in
Azerbaijan. On Saturday, Camal Ali, the front-man of popular band Bulustan, used profane language to criticise Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev during a performance at the youth rally in Baku. Organisers were angered by his profanities, and he and fellow band member Natiq Kamilov were detained by police, along with Etibar Salmanli, the head of the Nida youth organization. The three protesters were badly beaten by police before being detained.
September 5th, 2011
The
Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC)
overturned a January decision to pull a 1985 song by the popular Dire Straits. The song,
“Money for nothing”, was pulled from airwaves after complaints over the lyrics, which use the word “faggot”. The council reversed the decision after considering the meaning of the lyrics, which were meant to be satirical.
January 27th, 2011
Index award winner, Ferhat Tunç has been sentenced to 25 days in prison for a speech he made during a 2006 concert. Tunç was charged under article 7/2 of Turkey’s Anti-Terror Law and article 220/6 of its Turkish Criminal Law, namely “spreading propaganda” for a terrorist organistion. Here Turkish novelist Kaya Genç talks to Kurdish musicians —including Tunç — about making their voices heard despite continuing discrimination and prejudice
(more…)
November 25th, 2010
Music and Censorship: Who calls the tune?
A panel discussion on music and censorship
Friday 3 December – 6:30pm
School of Oriental and African Studies
Thornhaugh St, Russell Square, WC1H 0XG
Location: Room G2
Nearest tube Russell Square
MAP
(Room G2 is immediately to the left of reception as soon as you enter the main building. Ask at reception if any doubt.)
Music is the most censored of all the arts – from the restrictions facing musicians in Iran to the pressures of the global market. To coincide with Index on Censorship’s special issue on music and censorship, ‘Smashed Hits 2.0’, please join us for a panel discussion with leading performers, broadcasters, producers and commentators.
David Jones, director of Serious and London Jazz Festival
Daniel Brown, journalist and broadcaster
Malu Halasa, writer and editor
Lucy Duràn, broadcaster and academic
Khyam Allami, musician
Chair: Jo Glanville, editor, Index on Censorship
The event will include a special screening of the short film Baddil Musiqah (7min, Arabic with English subtitles). Produced by Aramram, an independent film production company based in Jordan, it gives an insight into what is on the minds of young independent Arab musicians in the region today.
