Danish Dari German Spanish French Turkish Arabic
Click here to go to start page Click here to go to start page
Search Sort content by country/region Sort content by artist Sort content by subject
News stories world-wide
About music censorship
Artists on censorship
About Freemuse
Publications
Study room
Activities
Conferences & meetings
Campaigns and action
Links
Press room

CAMPAIGN NEWS
17 December 2008

Cameroon:
New campaign for release of Lapiro

The company Vigier launches a new campaign for the release of the Cameroonese musician Lapiro de Mbanga. Vigier is the company that supplied Lapiro with a guitar that he has used in more than 20 years to create his music.

It is seldom that music companies openly protest against repressions of their artists, but Vigier, the French guitar manufacturer has launched its own campaign for Mbanga.

In a press release, the company writes:

----------------------------------------------------------------------

‘Lapiro de Mbanga, a Vigier artist for over 20 years, has been put in jail for political reasons by the Cameroon government.

Lapiro de Mbanga is very well-known in Cameroon for his political position against injustice and has been a victim of repression on several occasions, but this time things have gone far.

After Cameroon's president, Paul Biya, modified the constitution in his favor, giving himself the right to run for as many mandates as he wants, Lapiro de Mbanga released a CD and DVD to denounce these changes in the constitution in a new song titled, ‘Constitution Constipée’ (‘Constitution Constipated’).

In February 2008, Cameroon was shacked by demonstrations and the government jumped on this opportunity to arrest artists like Lapiro and his friend, Joe la Conscience, accusing both of them of looting when in fact they were helping the population.

At the same time the government confiscated all of Lapiro’s CDs and DVDs of ‘Constitution Constipée’.

Lapiro de Mbanga has been sentenced to three years in jail and has been in prison since September 2008.

His trial is scheduled at the end of December 2008 and Lapiro needs our support.’

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Earlier this year the Writers in Prison Committee (WiPC) of International PEN and Freemuse protested against the three-year prison sentence and exorbitant fine imposed on Lapiro de Mbanga (real name: Pierre Roger Lambo Sandjo)





Click to read more about Lapiro de Mbanga on freemuse.org
Lapiro de Mbanga


























Click to read more about music censorship in Cameroon
Cameroon

Protests and appeals:

International PEN Appeal
Freemuse Appeal
Vigier Guitars

Read more:
Singer sentenced to three years in jail



Lapiro de Mbanga: ‘Prison’ – video on YouTube






Go to top
Related reading on freemuse.org

Cameroon / USA: American lawyers prepare UN petition for Lapiro
Cameroon keeping Lapiro imprisoned is a violation of international law, argues a team of four lawyers from a US law firm
25 January 2010
CD: 'Listen to the banned'
Compiled by the artist Deeyah and Freemuse, this CD compilation album is published on 3 March 2010 by Norway's most successful music label, Grappa Records
25 January 2010
Cameroon: Free-for-download album in support of Lapiro de Mbanga
Mondomix has launched a free-for-download album in support of the imprisoned cameroonian singer Lapiro de Mbanga
06 January 2010
Press release: Imprisoned singer in Cameroon wins global award
Imprisoned musician Lapiro de Mbango is the 2009-winner of the ‘Freedom to Create’ Imprisoned Artist Prize.
25 November 2009
Cameroon: Lapiro de Mbanga wins global award
Imprisoned musician Lapiro de Mbanga is the 2009 winner of the 'Freedom to Create' Imprisoned Artist Prize
25 November 2009
Cameroon: Lapiro shortlisted for global award
High profiled panel points at imprisoned musician Lapiro for the final shortlist of The Orient Global Freedom to Create Prize
26 October 2009
Help free Lapiro de Mbanga! Sign the petition
Freemuse in action
13 October 2009
Cameroon: International lawyers support imprisoned singer Lapiro
Freedom Now, a US based lawyers’ advocacy organisation, is now officially monitoring singer Lapiro de Mbanga's case
07 October 2009
Cameroun: Underskriftsindsamling for fængslet musiker
Freemuse, International PEN, Freedom Now, Vigier og MyMondoMix.com kører i øjeblikket kampagner for at få musikeren Lapiro de Mbanga fra Cameroun løsladt
07 October 2009
Cameroon: Lapiro is the one who has to pay for all
In this complicated case, there are problems of leadership, tribalism and politics. Lapiro de Mbanga’s case is a political persecution in disguise, writes journalist Jen Bell
09 July 2009
Cameroon: Interview with Lapiro de Mbanga
"This is the trial of the voiceless," said singer Lapiro de Mbanga when he was interviewed just a few hours before a court hearing on 24 June 2009 in Douala, Cameroon
03 July 2009
Cameroon: Interview with human rights advocate about Lapiro's case
“This was an unfair trial. Now there must be lobbying actions,” said Dr Hilaire Kamga is president of NHRC, New Human Rights Cameroon, about Lapiro's court case
03 July 2009
Cameroon: Lapiro's case taken to Supreme Court of Appeal
“We are full of hope”, said Lapiro de Mbanga’s lawyer, Me Augustin Mbami, in an interview about which procedures are to be undertaken next, after losing the Appeal Court
02 July 2009
Cameroon: Singer Lapiro de Mbanga loses appeal court
Cameroon power system strikes back at the popular singer Lapiro de Mbanga. It seems obvious that he has not got a fair trial, says Freemuse programme officer
25 June 2009
Cameroon: New verdict, same prison sentence to Lapiro
Lapiro de Mbanga’s sentence of three years imprisonment and the fine of FCFA 280 millions was confirmed at a court hearing on 24 June 2009 in Douala, reported Jen Bell
25 June 2009
Cameroon: Singer Mbanga - Flurry in the court room
Singer Lapiro found himself leaving the court's witness box on 13 and 15 May 2009 without a verdict. The adjournments of his case appear to be never-ending
25 May 2009
Cameroun: Singer Mbanga faces endless hearings
False evidence, delays and rumors appear to play an essential role in keeping the popular singer Lapiro de Mbanga in prison
23 April 2009
Cameroun: Musician Lapiro de Mbanga faces new trial
Musician Lapiro de Mbanga faces a new trial on 20 March 2009 because of accusations that a song of his led to the destruction of a banana plantation
11 February 2009
Cameroun: New campaign for release of Lapiro
Vigier, the company that has supplied the singer Lapiro de Mbanga with a guitar, launches a new campaign for the release of the Cameroonese musician
17 December 2008
Cameroun: Singer sentenced to three years in jail
Lapiro de Mbanga was sentenced to three years in jail for taking part in anti-government riots. He is the author of several songs criticising the Cameroonian government.
25 September 2008