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SELF-CENSORSHIP

Tanzania: Self-censorship and fear in the "Island paradise"
Threats and intimidations to critical thought expressed through music have reduced musical creations and performances in Zanzibar to mere entertainment function
22 January 2008
UK/USA: David Byrne about self-censorship in 1981
David Byrne and Brian Eno removed a song which features samples of Qur'anic recital from re-releases of their 1981-album 'My Life in the Bush of Ghosts'
12 October 2006
Senegal: Self-censorship among rappers
Backdated tax bills, harassment and death threats drives some rap artists in Senegal to tone down their socially-conscious lyrics, reports Rose Skelton from Dakar
01 September 2006
Somalia: Dilemmas facing Somali music and musicians
Somali musicians struggle with financial hardships and self-censorship issues, and some are dying of hunger and diseases in Somalia
23 April 2008
Ruba Saqr
Video interview with the Jordanian singer Ruba Saqr about the situation concerning music censorship and self-censorship in the Middle East
19 February 2007
Senegal seminar 2005 video English
Didier Awadi, Myriam and Ajah on self-censorship, taboos, and the importance of constructive criticism. Video excerpts from Kristina Funkeson's interviews with the artists during the seminar on Music and Freedom of expression in West-Africa, held in Senegal 2005.
09 May 2005
Postscript to report on censorship in Zimbabwe
"Playing with Fire: Fear and Self-Censorship in Zimbabwean Music". Extensive Freemuse report, including case studies on Thomas Mapfumo and Oliver Mtukudzi. Read abstract and full report (PDF)
05 January 2005
Roskilde Festival 2003, Damon Albarn on music censorship
Damon Albarn, Tony Allen and Ty on self-censorship, corporate censorship, censorship in Africa, and music during wartime - video excerpts from the Freemuse organized press conference on freedom of musical expression, Roskilde Festival 2003
26 August 2003
Freemuse report on censorship in Nigeria: "Which way Nigeria?"
Music under Threat: A Question of Money, Morality, Self-Censorship and the Sharia.
Read or purchase the Freemuse report on music censorship in Nigeria. French and English version available
30 April 2003
Freemuse report on music censorship in Zimbabwe
"Playing with Fire: Fear and Self-Censorship in Zimbabwean Music". Extensive Freemuse report, including case studies on Thomas Mapfumo and Oliver Mtukudzi. Read abstract and full report (PDF)
25 October 2001
Somalia: Attacks on music practitioners
Report of a one-day seminar about music censorship and attacks on music practitioners in Somalia, held at Hotel Sahafi in the Somali capital Mogadishu, on 3 July 2008
09 October 2008
Tanzania - Zanzibar: 'Give sex or be blacklisted'
Why do we see and hear little of women musicians in Zanzibar? Report from an island where parents and husbands are at the core of strong 'cultural censorship'
24 April 2008
Radio Freemuse: 'Music censorship in Africa 2008'
Listen to or download a 15 minutes radio report explaining about music censorship in Africa today. Hear what the African musicians have to say themselves about the topic
27 February 2008
USA: Music tv channel bleeps the word ‘suicidal’
The American rapper Sean Kingston was afraid to feel suicidally heartbroken. But MTV and some radio stations have chosen less dramatic versions of the summer hit.
28 August 2007
Australia: Rock band self-censored over fear of influencing trial
The Australian rock band Powderfinger has changed the lyrics to one of its songs on its forthcoming album over fears it could prejudice an upcoming court case
07 May 2007
3rd Freemuse World Conference on Music and Censorship
200 professional musicians, scholars, and composers from 22 countries met at the 3rd Freemuse World Conference on 25-26 November 2006 in Istanbul, Turkey
18 December 2006
Iran: ’Unveiled: Art and Censorship in Iran’
Excerpt from Chapter 8 in the report ’Unveiled: Art and Censorship in Iran’ published by Article 19 in September 2006. Chapter 8 is about music in Iran:
05 October 2006
Germany: Cancelled Mozart opera show possibly reinstated
The Berlin opera house which cancelled a Mozart opera show because of concern it could provoke violence by Muslims considers staging the production after all
02 October 2006
Germany: Opera show cancelled over fear of terror
A warning from German security officials made a leading opera house in Berlin call off a production that features the severed head of the Prophet Muhammad
27 September 2006
Bob Titley: Artists afraid to speak out
Video interview with one of the founding members of Music Row Democrats, which was born in December 2003 out of frustration and concern about the changing music climate
02 March 2006
Freemuse report on censorship in post 9/11 USA
’Singing in the Echo Chamber’. Music censorship in the U.S. after September 11. New report published by Freemuse
13 February 2006
Press release: Post 9/11 USA report
Freemuse report on USA after 9/11
13 February 2006
Denmark / Tunisia: Danish orchestras cancel concerts in Tunisia
Danish musician Chris Poole & Kasper Søeborg Duo and the orchestra Oriental Mood cancelled their tour to Tunisia due to fear that they will be attacked
13 February 2006
Denmark / Morocco: Danish DJ boycotted in Morocco
Moroccan night club has cancelled engagement of the Danish house-DJ Rune RK for “political reasons”
07 February 2006
Denmark: CD-album recalled due to fear of misinterpretation
Launch of new Danish album has been cancelled because the cover shows Jomi Massage in burka-like outfit in the colours of the Danish flag.
07 February 2006
Afghanistan: Strict self-censorship on Afghan music tv
No rap and no sexy content. These are the rules for the producer of a popular music television program in Afghanistan. Interview
10 January 2006
Afghanistan: Tolo TV wins Reporters Without Borders' yearly prize
Afghanistan's main privately-owned TV station, Tolo TV, wins the ‘2005 Reporters Without Borders - Fondation de France Prize’
12 December 2005
PraCh
Audio interview with praCh about music, censorship and free expression in Cambodia.
21 November 2005
Afghanistan: Wajihi Rastagar
Interview with Wajiha Rastagar, one of the most famous Afghan female singers, about her first steps towards music, and how she sees the present situation in the country today
30 May 2005
The music industry from the perspective of women
About the music industry from the perspective of women, based on interviews with Myriam, a Senegalese rapper from the group ALIF and the singer Ajah Sy
27 May 2005
Musicians and Censorship in Zimbabwe
Article prepared in connection with a seminar on Music Censorship in Zimbabwe, April 2005
12 May 2005
Six articles on music censorship in Zimbabwe
Prepared in connection with a seminar on Music Censorship in Zimbabwe held Thursday 28th April 2005 at Mannenberg Jazz Club, Harare
12 May 2005
Tracing the Footsteps – Censorship and Music in Zimbabwe
Article prepared in connection with a seminar on Music Censorship in Zimbabwe, April 2005
12 May 2005
Zimbabwe Broadcasting Holdings’ Policies on Censorship of Music
Article prepared in connection with a seminar on Music Censorship in Zimbabwe, April 2005
12 May 2005
Zimbabwe: A Case of Music Censorship Before and After Independence
Article prepared in connection with a seminar on Music Censorship in Zimbabwe, April 2005
12 May 2005
Zimbabwe: Blacklisted – My Personal Experience
Article prepared in connection with a seminar on Music Censorship in Zimbabwe, April 2005
12 May 2005
Zimbabwe: Censorship of Locally Recorded Music
Article prepared in connection with a seminar on Music Censorship in Zimbabwe, April 2005
12 May 2005
Musical responses to 9/11: From Conservative patriotism to radicalism
This article poses the question: What would a suitable American popular music response to the events of 9/11 sound like? Read the chapter by Martin Cloonan, from the book "9/11 – The world's all out of tune"
09 December 2004
Musical responses to 9/11: List of allegedly 'banned' songs
A list of "lyrically inappropriate" songs banned from some US radio stations in the wake of the World Trade Center attacks in 2001
09 December 2004
Adults only! New book on censored album covers
With focus on original LP- and CD covers of the past 50 years, a German book and exhibition documents the history of rock- and pop music that has evoked public discussions or even been censored
25 October 2004
Elton John attacks new 'era of censorship' in America
The British singer has attacked what he calls a McCarthy-like "era of censorship" in America. Entertainers who speak out against the Bush administration or its policy on Iraq, he claimed, risk scorn and damage to their livelihood
17 July 2004
USA: 'Crash into me, baby!'
America’s implicit music censorship since September 11. Read the chapter from 'Shoot the Singer!', by Eric Nuzum on how the September 11 terror attacks have affected freedom of musical expression
03 June 2004
Shoot the Singer! Book
"Shoot the Singer! Music Censorship Today". The first worldwide presentation of contemporary cases of music censorship, with cases from i.a. Burma, Mexico, Middle East, France, Algeria, Zimbabwe, USA, South Africa, Turkey. Edited by Freemuse director Marie Korpe, published by Zed Books, May 2004.
25 May 2004
Pop lyrics and their censors
"Political correctness has imposed a new restraint on free speech." Interview with Freemuse co-chair Martin Cloonan on explicit lyrics and music censorship today
15 January 2004
Damon Albarn: Music is destroyed by censorship
The record industry exerts a covert censorship, which makes it difficult for musicians to express themselves freely, was the message from Damon Albarn, Tony Allen and Ty at the Roskilde Festival 2003
01 July 2003
Music during wartime
An extensive collection of links to articles related to how the war on Iraq affected freedom of musical expression - from American country albums being burned to the rise in protest music
10 June 2003
Zimbabwe: Singing The Walls Down
Protest music is alive and well in Zimbabwe, where the oppressed and the impoverished find hope and strength in the songs of Thomas Mapfumo and Oliver Mtukudzi. Extensive article, including interviews with Mapfumo and Mtukudzi, as well as with government officials
23 February 2003
Clear Channel: September 11 & Corporate Censorship
Corporate censor no. 1, or just the market leader? A collection of articles on Clear Channel - including the debate on the infamous list of 'potentially offensive songs', which Clear Channel suggested its 1.300 radio stations not to play following the September 11 terrorist attacks in the US
01 December 2002
Eminem censors himself
Despite the liberal use of expletives in the average Eminem sentence it appears that Slim Shady draws the line at playing his music to his young daughter...
31 May 2002
Primal Scream change title and lyrics
The UK band have made a dramatic u-turn and re-recorded ‘Bomb the Pentagon’ in the wake of September 11
29 May 2002
Ban the bomb
Primal Scream’s new album looks set to be banned in the U.S. - for featuring their controversial song ‘Bomb the Pentagon’. The song, a bitter attack on US foreign policy, was premiered live just before the September 11 terror attacks
10 April 2002
Wal-Mart: Market censors and market mechanisms
Background information on the biggest retailer in the US. Some Wal-Mart retailers refuse to carry CDs with the Parental Advisory Sticker, a few also go so far as to boycott artists if there is a 'dirty' word, a 'controversial' cover, or 'explicit' lyrics
01 February 2001
UK: Britain at War
Extensive article on how music was "restricted" during the Falkland and Gulf war, with focus on UK legislation and corporate censorship. Presented by Martin Cloonan at the 1st World Conference on Music and Censorship, 1998
01 January 2001
Presentation of Zimbabwe report by Banning Eyre
The author of the Freemuse report "Playing with Fire: Fear and Self-Censorship in Zimbabwean Music", Banning Eyre, introduces his work on this video from WOMEX 2001.
30 October 2001