Freemuse World Conference attracts leading experts in music censorship, according to a newsletter from the organisation Wednesday.
Musicians, researchers and media people from Cuba, Afghanistan, and the Middle East are amongst the confirmed speakers at the 3rd Freemuse World Conference on Music and Censorship in Istanbul, on 25-26 November 2006.
The list of approximately 30 speakers includes guitarist Jason Carter, who has toured extensively in the Middle East, exiled musician Kurash Sultan, researchers Michael Drewett, Jeroen de Kloet, Andy Weintraub and Martin Cloonan. For updates on conference programme and further information, see:
www.freemuse.org/sw13205.asp
Freemuse (FREEdom of MUSical Expression) is an international human rights organisation advocating freedom of expression for musicians and composers worldwide.
All that is banned is desired
The new Freemuse report, “All that is banned is desired”, is out. The report contains testimonies by censored musicians from Pakistan, Iran, Lebanon, Morocco and Bahrain and is a collection of documentation from the Middle East and North Africa. The report is available for free download in pdf format at our website:
www.freemuse.org/sw13988.asp
Afghanistan after the Taliban
Afghan-expert professor John Baily, who wrote the first ever Freemuse report, is amongst the speakers at the forthcoming Freemuse World Conference in Istanbul. In a session dealing with the aftermaths of the Taliban, John Baily is joined by Mr. Mirwaiss Sidiqi, Coordinator for the Aga Khan Music Program in Kabul and VJ Shakeb Isaar, who was threatened to death and now lives in exile in Sweden. Read more about the conference programme:
http://www.freemuse.org/sw13212.asp
News updates on our website, which features news stories and background documents on music censorship every week. Recent stories:
– Pakistan: Renewed ban on all “un-Islamic” audio cassettes
– Lebanon: “Satanic music” regarded a security issue
Holiday is coming up
Even the Freemuse staff needs a break. Most of us are on holiday during July, but Rikke Nagell will keep the office open during July.
Freemuse – The World Forum on Music and Censorship, Nytorv 17, 3rd floor, 1450 Copenhagen K, tlf 33 32 10 27.
