NEWSLETTER 4 - June 2006

Freemuse World Conference attracts leading experts in music censorship
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, 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:
http://www.freemuse.org/sw13205.asp

All that is banned is desired
The new Freemuse report, ‘All that is banned is desired’, is out. The report contains strong testimonies by censored musicians from Pakistan, Iran, Lebanon, Morocco and Bahrain and is a unique collection of documentation from the Middle East and North Africa. The report is available for free download in pdf format at our website:
http://www.freemuse.org/sw13988.asp

Clotaire K joins Freemuse at Womex
Lebanese-French rap musician Clotaire K will share his views on music censorship at this year’s Womex trade fair and conference in Seville, which is held at the end of October. In a session organized by Freemuse, Daniel Brown, Freemuse vice-chair, Mondomix Editor and Radio France International journalist will talk with Clotaire K about the challenges for musicians in the Middle East and Europe .The session will finish with an open discussion. In the mid-1990’s Clotaire K initiated the style of mixing hip hop beats with oriental traditional music. He won the BBC World Music Award 2005. Freemuse received the Womex Award in 2003.
For a video interview with Clotaire K, see:
http://www.freemuse.org/sw12398.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
www.freemuse.org features news stories and background documents on music censorship every week. Recent stories:

USA: Top-selling country band banned on radio stations - again
http://www.freemuse.org/sw14092.asp

Pakistan: Renewed ban on all “un-Islamic” audio cassettes
http://www.freemuse.org/sw14087.asp

Lebanon: "Satanic music" regarded a security issue
http://www.freemuse.org/sw14068.asp

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.

Kind regards,

Freemuse - The World Forum on Music and Censorship
Nytorv 17, 3rd floor
1450 Copenhagen K
Denmark
Tel +45 33 32 10 27
www.freemuse.org

Freemuse (FREEdom of MUSical Expression) is an international human rights organisation advocating freedom of expression for musicians and composers worldwide.