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WOMEN Iran: Setar master openly critised ban on women vocalists Musician Mohammad-Reza Lotfi said at a press conference that he wishes to eliminate Iran’s prohibition on solo vocal performances by women 28 April 2008 Iran: Gissoo Shakeri - “Voice of women who cannot sing" Singer Gissoo Shakeri's works are banned in Iran, but her songs can be listened to on the internet. Interview excerpt from Revolution, and lyrics from one of her banned songs 06 April 2006 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 Iran: Women & music censorship Background material on women in the performing arts in post-revolutionary Iran 20 January 2004 Europe / USA: Pressure on Muslim women to stay out of music When a woman tries to break into the growing scene for Islamic hip-hop in United Kingdom she is often intimidated, or even threatened, reported the New Statesman 18 August 2008 Sweden: Explicit lyrics cause heated debate about women’s sexuality After being banned on two regional radio stations, the lyrics of a song by Frida Muranius are debated in newspapers, radio, web forums and court yards all over Sweden 11 July 2007 Women and Music Censorship - Past to Present Examples from all over the world of the censorship of female music during the centuries 25 April 2005 Afghan TV U-turn on women singers Afghan state television has gone back on a decision to show female singers, saying the country is not yet ready for such broadcasts. 16 January 2004 Afghanistan: Ban on local women singers lifted More than two years after the fall of the Talibans, state television has broadcast for the first time footage of an Afghan woman singing 14 January 2004 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 Canada: 'Gangsta rap' seeked banned A Toronto activist has filed a complaint against Canadian music store chain HMV selling 'gangsta rap' that glorifies the mistreatment of women 27 September 2006 Afghanistan: Singing about women critised by imam Afghan DJ Besho has been criticised by an influential cleric among Afghanistan’s religious élite: "Singing about women and guns is certainly not allowed." 08 May 2006 Mahsa Vahdat Video interview with female Iranian singer Mahsat Vahdat. Women, religion, and music censorship in modern Iran 17 January 2006 USA / UK: Norwegian singer Deeyah wins Freedom Award Deeyah, the exiled Norwegian singer and activist, was awarded with an ArtVenture 'Freedom to Create Prize' at a ceremony in London on 26 November 2008 27 November 2008 Afghanistan: Short video about music and 'community censorship' In a short documentary video about music and 'community censorship' in Afghanistan, the 19-year-old Afghan singer Mariam says she gets verbal abuse all the time 14 July 2008 Sudan: Censored singer tries to reform Janjaweed 'hate singers' While struggling with censorship in Khartoum, the Sudanese singer-songwriter Abazar Hamid hopes to bring peace to Sudan with his music, reported Stephanie McCrummen 24 June 2008 North Korea: Three years in prison for simply singing a wrong song Because she had sung a South Korean folk song and taught it to four others in 1992, North Korean Ji Hae Nam (Hae-Nam Ji) was imprisoned for three years and tortured 09 June 2008 Afghanistan: Singer becomes symbol in the struggle for music freedom 18-year-old Lima Sahar has placed herself in the middle of Afghanistan's continous gender and music struggle. She could become the winner of the tv show 'Afghan Star' 13 March 2008 Ghazal Ahmadi Video interview with an Afghan film actress who explains that she stopped learning how to play the guitar because it became too problematic for her 25 February 2008 Sahar Afarin Video interview with a 21-year-old Afghan singer who explains how she has been discouraged from music due to pressure from many sides. 25 February 2008 Afghanistan: Female musicians put their lives in danger A report from a music school in Kabul is a story about the kind of difficulties and dangers female musicians face in present day Afghanistan. They must work in secret 15 January 2008 China: Once banned Taiwanese singer regains popularity Beijing officials who seven years ago banned the music of Taiwan's pop star A-Mei now use her name to improve political ties between mainland China and Taiwan 17 September 2007 Iran: About 230 people arrested during a ‘satanistic’ music event As part of an annual summer crackdown on “immoral behavior” about 230 people were arrested during a police raid on an underground rap and rock concert 07 August 2007 Iran: 'Half Moon' - film about women's right to sing 'Half Moon' is a prize-winning feature film which talks of women's right to perform in public, and to participate in the artistic development of a land 25 April 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 Syria: 'Silenced voices' In Syria, music is a mirror which shows the soul of the listener. A few young musicians perceive a magic language of sound which can touch the heart and make new thoughts spark. And this is exacly where their problems start... 07 November 2006 Maryam Mursal Video interview with Somali singer Maryam Mursal about music prohibition among Islamists 26 October 2006 India: American singer censored on tv Paris Hilton’s music video ‘Stars Are Blind’ has been banned because of “sexual connotations”. 24 August 2006 USA/UK: Deeyah speaks out about the unspeakable Freemuse hands the microphone to Deeyah - a pop singer and an activist with a serious message. She has placed herself in the crossfire of today’s most controversial, religious issues 09 August 2006 Afghanistan: Interview with Jamshid Matin X This is an interview with Jamshid Matin X – a presenter and producer for a daily music show and a Top 10 music show – who fled to America because of death threats 01 June 2006 UK: Tv channel bans music video because of threats Deeyah’s music video has been taken off air and banned by a British Asian tv channel as they received threats to their staff for airing it 27 February 2006 Central African Republic: Ban on disrespectful songs about women The Central African Republic has ordered radio and television stations to stop broadcasting songs which encourage men to dump their wives 05 December 2005 Afghanistan: Bittersweet success of secret girl band The Afghan girl group, ‘Burka Band,’ continues to receive media attention and draw new fans, even though they are no longer active. 13 October 2005 Norway/United Kingdom: Muslim pop singer faces threats During 10 years, threats from angry conservative Muslims silenced the Norwegian and Muslim pop singer Deeyah. Now she breaks her silence. 26 September 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 Afghanistan: 24-year-old female presenter of music show killed On May 18, 2005, ex-TV presenter Shaima Rezayee, 24, was shot in Kabul by unknown men. Her killing is possibly linked to her presenting of the music show ‘Hop’. 19 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 Googoosh: Iran's Daughter Googoosh was Iran's most famous and beloved pop diva, until she was silenced following the 1979 Islamic revolution. The award winning documentary on Googoosh is now out on DVD 14 December 2004 Zimbabwean gospel diva Fungisai Zvakavapano denied UK visa A London-based Zimbabwe news website quoted a British Embassy official as citing fear that she might not return to Zimbabwe after her tour as a reason for refusing her a visa 02 November 2004 Iranian rapper talks a fine line Chart-topping Shahkar Binesh-Pajouh targets unemployment, poverty and westernised Iranian girls in his new album, which the culture ministry took four years to approve. The ministry passed it only after he deleted six songs from his original ten 04 September 2004 Venue expels Linda Ronstadt after political remarks The singer was booed and removed from a Las Vegas casino for praising film-maker Michael Moore and his film Fahrenheit 9/11 during a show. Ronstadt called Moore a "great American patriot" and "someone who is spreading the truth" 20 July 2004 Taiwan star silenced by China row Taiwanese pop singer Chang Hui-mei, better known as A-mei, had to cancel a concert in China after a protest accusing her of supporting independence for the island 13 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 Singer 'strips' over censorship Wearing a "nude suit" on stage to complain about censorship in the US, Alanis Morissette criticised a radio station for forcing her to change strong language in one of her recent songs 06 April 2004 Najwa Karam banned by the Lebanese Censorship Committee In March 2004, the Lebanese Surete Generale censored a video clip entitled "Why are You Emigrating?" by Najwa Karam, a well known singer. 02 April 2004 Woman singer angers Afghan judges Afghanistan's supreme court has complained to the government over the appearance of an Afghan woman singing on state television. 16 January 2004 Sarah Jones and FCC Interview from BBC with the US singer, who has faced several problems in regards to her allegedly controversial lyrics 14 January 2004 Singer Lee Jones attacks Bush American singer Rickie Lee Jones has attacked the policies of the Bush administration on her latest record - despite the potential risk to her career. “I usually reflect things totally internally. But I think what is happening in America is so disturbing to me, it becomes internal” 07 January 2004 Iran: Mahsa Vahdat - Singing in the absence of others Mahsa Vahdat speaks with Naghmeh Taqizadeh from TehranAvenue about the challenges of being a female musician and singer in Iran 18 December 2002 Aghan police beat musicians defying ban Police beat two Afghan musicians and threatened to bomb their office for violating a local ban on music reminiscent of that imposed by the former Taliban regime 16 October 2002 Amal Murkus Video Interview with Amal Murkus. Music and censorship in Israel/Palestine 09 October 2002 Ethnomusicological research in Afghanistan: Past, present, and future Extensive article by John Baily on musical life in Afghanistan 01 March 2002 Popular Iranian singer Googoosh kept out of the US The U.S.-led war on terrorism has had unintended consequences on Iran's most popular artists, who are finding it almost impossible to practice their craft in the United States 10 February 2002 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 Patti Smith From Tibet to the US: Video interview with Patti Smith on the importance on free musical expression 17 August 2001 USA: Feminist critique censored for indecency Sarah Jones’ song ‘Your revolution’ was censored for indecency. Ironically, Jones’s song is in fact feminist critique and a statement against indecency 30 June 2001 Singapore upholds Janet Jackson ban Officials in Singapore have thrown out an appeal against a ban on Janet Jackson's album, ‘All For You’. The Publications Appeal Committee, a panel of academics and professionals, decided that the lyrics of the album, particularly one song, Would You Mind, were "not acceptable to our society". 05 June 2001 Somalia: 32 traditional dancers lashed in public On 14 November 2008 an Islamist group arrested and whipped 25 women and seven men because they had been singing and dancing 18 November 2008 Tibet: Last "singing nun" released from prison and exiled The release of 34-year-old Tibetan nun Nyidron marks the end of the imprisonment in Tibet for a group of women who became known as the "singing nuns" of Drapchi prison 26 April 2006 Iran: Reviewer of music book sentenced to jail A cultural critic at the newspaper Iran has been sentenced to jail for writing that the prophet Muhammed liked music played by women 03 June 2005 India: Bhangra dance banned in Jamshedpur A Sikh body in Jamshedpur has banned women from the community from dancing the vigorous Punjabi bhangra on the streets during celebrations 08 April 2003