Anniversaries tend to elicit some common responses: Can it really be that long? What did we do right/wrong? How have we changed? What does the future hold? And so on. And these have certainly been amongst my thoughts as I contemplated ten years of Freemuse. Was it really over ten years since I was invited to a conference in Copenhagen and then on to a committee that was formed to address some of the issues identified at the conference? What has happened since then? What was good? What was bad? How has the world changed? And how has Freemuse contributed to those changes? All this and more went through my mind when I was invited to write a contribution to this booklet. In the end I decided to just say how it felt to me, and so I beg the reader’s indulgence in this.
For me Freemuse began when I was invited to attend the first World Conference on Music and Censorship in Copenhagen in 1998. I had done some research on pop music and censorship in the UK and the organisers had somehow come across my name. So I was invited and I went. As an academic I go to quite a few conferences, but nothing compared to this. In one of the early sessions the black South African musicians Ray Phiri and Sipho Mabuse told their stories of life under apartheid. In this they were accompanied by Cecile Pracher, of the South African Broadcasting Corporation, who told of her life as an apartheid censor. The censored and the censor met. The atmosphere was electric and I had the privilege of witnessing truth and reconciliation before my own eyes.
In many ways this set the tone for what was to follow. As I look back on my involvement in Freemuse what strikes me is the amazing human beings I’ve encountered. The musicians who have been totally forbidden to play and those who have been imprisoned for singing in their own language. The women who challenged their society’s norms and performed music in public. The former South African cop and the musician he persecuted who are now friends. Musicians across the world who have stood up against injustice and for freedom. The list goes on and on and encompasses a wide variety of human experience. But at its centre is a wonderful humanity which seeks merely to pass on thoughts and feelings to other human beings free of governmental or economic intervention. That Freemuse has helped to facilitate some of these exchanges in difficult circumstances is an achievement worthy of celebration. And gratitude. So to all those musicians who have helped Freemuse, I say thank you.
Meanwhile if on one hand Freemuse has been informed by a deeply humane spirit, it has also been highly practical. Following the first World Conference a committee was formed to see what could be done to protect and enhance musicians’ freedom of expression across the globe in line with the rights attributed to all individuals under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This was quite an agenda! That committee mutated into an Executive of an organisation which formed in October 1999 and, after some debate, became known as Freemuse – Freedom of Musical Expression. Funding was secured from the international development sections of the Danish and Swedish governments and staff was employed. What had been a dream of two Scandinavian journalists was now a reality. Now there was an organisation which could do things.
So what did Freemuse do? It monitored, reported and lobbied. It worked tirelessly for the freedom of expression of musicians, generally seeking to advise but also intervening directly when it was deemed necessary and possible. With a small staff and limited resources what Freemuse could do was frequently less than what it would like to have done. But it was there. It was a resource which activists, researchers, embattled musicians and those simply interested in freedom of musical expression could draw upon. In numerous debates on the right of individuals to freedom of expression, Freemuse was there saying “And don’t forget musicians”.
At a practical level Freemuse published a number of important reports on the situation of musicians’ freedom of expression in a number of countries, once again drawing attention to the plight of musicians in places where freedom of expression was being denied. The reports are also vital resources in the history of musical censorship which provide further focus for education and debate. This has been aided by the website being nominated for a prestigious Webby Award and the ability to respond to countless media requests for information. It was further enhanced by the publication of the book Shoot the Singer edited by Freemuse’s Marie Korpe. In 2007 Freemuse held the first Music Freedom Day, which in 2008 featured performances by international stars.
Freemuse also held two more World Conferences (in Copenhagen in 2002 and in Istanbul in 2006). At these events musicians told of their experiences, researchers reported the situation across the globe, and debates about the nature of censorship and whether it was ever justifiable were held. For me these events have been the highlight of Freemuse’s work and I consider myself privileged to have been invited to attend them. Once again simple, common, humanity was expressed and left me with feelings of hope and determination. Freemuse has also held successful workshops across the globe on music censorship and attended music industry events such as WOMEX (where it won an award in 2003). It has brought people together, often when other forces were trying to keep them apart.
But this is not to idealise Freemuse. This organisation is made up of human beings. It is therefore imperfect and prone to error. It is also dealing in matters of censorship. It is therefore inherently controversial. Freemuse has always taken its lead from international treaties such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and sought to (get others to) apply these rights to musicians. But it has not been absolutist. It has never taken a position that musicians should be free to say or sing anything under any circumstances. To some this has made Freemuse itself a censor. However, from a personal point of view, it seems to me that Freemuse is operating in a world where human beings “censor” themselves all the time. In our daily lives we choose our language carefully, we conduct ourselves in ways which show consideration for others and we do not simply do or say whatever we want regardless of the feelings of others. At our best we seek to live by values which respect the rights of others and which are sometimes enshrined in legal codes. In many ways this is what Freemuse seeks to do or seeks to get others to do – to respect musicians’ rights as enshrined in international treaties.
On another personal note, what Freemuse has also meant is weekends spent in various European capitals trying to determine priorities, raise funds and give substance to Freemuse’s aims. Freemuse Executive meetings take place over two days and the agenda is always full. The Executive has consistently been made up of committed, thoughtful people who are forthright and opinionated – and used to being listened to. As chair I always see my main task as simply getting through the agenda – and that is not always easy! Executive members have views on what it should be doing. They also have expectations of Freemuse’s full time staff which sometimes go beyond what they can reasonably be expected to achieve. So Executive members argue with one another, they fight their corner and they do not always agree. What do they do agree on is Freemuse’s aims. They also share the humanity I mentioned earlier. So, to all the Executive members – thank you.
I would also like to thank all those who have worked for Freemuse, and two in particular. Freemuse would never have existed without the commitment and hard work of two people – Marie Korpe and Ole Reitov. It was Marie and Ole who had the vision for the first conference and for the organisation which followed. For ten years they have worked tirelessly for Freemuse. In recent years the organisation has been fortunate to be able to employ them both and harness their skills and commitment on a full time basis. This has been a key factor in Freemuse’s success and I would like to express my sincere thanks to Marie and Ole for the key role they have played in Freemuse. They have kept the flame glowing on numerous occasions when it appeared that it would be extinguished.
So, Freemuse has had ten years of monitoring, reporting, archiving, lobbying and intervening. It has sought to ensure that musicians’ rights are respected and provided a forum where issues of musical expression can de debated.
But Freemuse has always had a hand-to-mouth existence. Funding has dominated too many Executive meetings and has never been secure. So, if you are a music fan and want to help musicians’ freedom of expression, please do what you can to help. Join. Donate. Get involved. In order to do any of these you can contact Freemuse via the website.
Looking to the future, I would venture to suggest that Freemuse will have succeeded when it is no longer needed or, perhaps, when only its historical work is needed. When musicians’ rights to freedom of expression are respected across the globe and taken for granted, Freemuse will no longer need to exist. Until that happy day Freemuse will continue its work and in this I wish it well. I also hope that you, dear reader, will help by contributing in whatever way you can. So, Happy Birthday Freemuse, but I hope that you don’t have to live too long!
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