Colombian rappers and protest musicians Don Vito and Medina speak about their personal experiences of music censorship in Cobacabana.

In this video interview they focus on how they have been threatened and persecuted because of the songs on the album ‘Road to Neighbour- hood’ (‘Camino al Barrio’). 

In the video Don Vito and Medina, who are based in Medellin, the second largest town in Colombia, explain how they experienced abuses and violations by authorities and the paramilitary because of the music which they produced with the band Bellavista Social Club. In 2002 — at the time when Colombia's president Alvaro Uribe Velez had just been elected — their computer with all the material for their new album was stolen. It took them two years to reproduce the material which was lost, and then, after the album was published in 2004, they began receiving threats and were intimidated in different way.

Bellavista Social Club was formed in 2001. The group has often performed for social causes and political events that advocate for change, and they have co-operated with an anti-military union organisation in Colombia called Antimilli Sonoro. They have placed themselves in an open opposition to armed groups and military organisations in Colombia, regardless which political side they are linked to.

The video clip is produced by Barrio Bajo for Freemuse. It contains archive footage of the two local television stations of Medellin, Tele Antioquia and Tele Medellin, and music BSC, Bellavista Social Club. It was recorded in May 2007. Interview by Juan Fernando Lopez and assisting post-editing by Freemuse. 

 
Bellavista Social Club performs ‘Luchar para subsistir’ – video on MySpace

2 July 2007