Egyptian poet and lyricist, Galal El-Behairy enters eighth year in prison
For creators tackling politically charged, socially taboo, or religiously sensitive topics in Egypt, the cost is often persecution—or worse. Women and LGBTQ+ individuals face heightened legal and societal backlash. One prominent case is that of Galal El-Behairy, a poet and lyricist who has now been in prison for seven years. His case has been a long and convoluted one. His ordeal began when he was arrested at Cairo airport on 5 March 2018. He was initially charged with “joining a terrorist group”, “disseminating false news”, and “insulting the President” for lyrics he had written for the song Balaha, which was performed and disseminated online by exiled Egyptian singer Ramy Essam. Released a month earlier, in February 2018, the song criticises President Abdel-Fatah El-Sisi’s rule, saying “enough is enough”, and referring to Sisi by his derogatory nickname, “Balaha” referring to an Egyptian movie character known for being a compulsive liar. These charges were dropped, but in July 2018, a military court sentenced El-Behairy to three years in prison for his unpublished poetry collection, The Finest Women on Earth, which he had planned to publish later that year. The title of the book was reportedly interpreted by the prosecution as alluding to Egyptian soldiers, who are referred to in a hadith by Prophet Muhammad as “the finest soldiers on earth”. El-Behairy denied this interpretation, stating that the title recognised women’s positive role in society. “This title does not refer in any way whatsoever to the Egyptian soldiers,” he wrote in May 2018 “It is rather a recognition of the value of women and of their good deeds in this world. Every soldier, man, fighter, scientist, and inventor is the result of a mother’s education, a wife’s embrace and a daughter’s innocence.” El-Behairy completed his sentence in July 2021, yet more than three years later, he remains in prison on additional charges of “disseminating false information” and ”joining a terrorist organisation,” far exceeding the maximum two-year legal limit for detention without trial. He is reportedly in poor health, having undergone hunger strikes in 2023, a reported suicide attempt, and threats of torture. Most recently, there are concerns that he is being denied essential medical treatment. Freemuse condemns the continued detention of Galal El-Behairy as a violation of his rights to freedom of expression, and in contravention of Egyptian law. The longer he is held in prison, the greater are the concerns for his health. Galal El-Behairy must be released, immediately and unconditionally. Read Galal El-Behairy’s Letter from Tora Prison https://arablit.org/2018/06/09/poet-galal-el-behairys-letter-from-tora-prison/
Glory to Hong Kong – The Anthem of Resistance Lives On
In May 2024, the song, Glory to Hong Kong, which became the unofficial anthem for Hong Kong protestors, was banned. Composed at the height of protests calling for democratic reform and against police brutality – from mid-2019 up to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 – the song was written by ThomasDGX, a composer working under a pseudonym to protect their identity. A collective effort, with input from many Hong Kongers who contributed to its lyrics and melody, the song was taken up and sung by crowds of protestors, broadcast across social media and news services in Hong Kong and abroad. The song’s lyrics are a call on Hongkongers to fight for freedom and stand up for their rights. It includes the slogan “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times”, words deemed by the authorities to be a call for rebellion. The first attempt to ban the song was made in June 2023 when authorities launched proceedings at the Hong Kong Court of First Instance to prevent its “broadcasting, performing, printing, publishing, selling, offering for sale, distributing, disseminating, displaying or reproducing in any way.” It also called for the take down of YouTube videos of 32 versions of the protest song in several languages as well as instrumental versions. However, the Court ruled against the authorities saying that the ban would contradict criminal justice procedures and that international internet service providers could not be compelled to remove the song. Yet in May 2024 the Hong Kong High Court over-ruled the lower court’s decision. The presiding Judge stated that the song’s composer “intended it to be a ‘weapon’ and so it had become”. The song has been used, he said, as “an impetus to propel the violent protests plaguing Hong Kong since 2019 … arousing emotions among certain fractions of the society”. He added that it was necessary to persuade internet companies to remove “the problematic videos in connection with the song” from their platforms. Complying with the order, Google blocked access to the 32 YouTube videos, making them inaccessible within Hong Kong. However, they remain accessible outside the country. The song is often mistakenly played at international events when organisers search for a “Hong Kong anthem” to use during award ceremonies. Google refused to comply with the authorities’ demands to address this, saying that search results are generated algorithmically and cannot be adjusted manually. Similarly, videos and recordings remain available on Spotify and other music streaming platforms for international audiences. Today, “Glory to Hong Kong”, banned and inaccessible in Hong Kong, remains a powerful symbol of resistance and the struggle for democracy, providing hope and inspiration. ‘Black Blorchestra’ – masked musicians playing “Glory to Hong Kong” during protests in 2019 (Still from a YouTube video via Wikimedia) Listen to Protestors in Hong Kong singing ‘Glory to Hong Kong’ in shopping centres in 2019
Peruvian cumbia and chicha musicians caught in the crosshairs of organized crime
By Diana Arévalo Cumbia singers and groups and those of its sub-genre chicha in Peru, face increasing violence and insecurity as criminal groups in the country expand their influence. In 2024, the situation deteriorated significantly, and artists of these popular music genres were victims of multiple violations of their right to freedom of artistic and creative expression. These included threats, extortion, attacks on the vehicles in which they travelled during their inter-regional tours, and the theft of their instruments. Some were murdered. Cumbia arrived in Peru from Colombia in the 1960s and acquired its own identity when Peruvian groups fused with rock and roll and traditional rhythms from the coast, highlands and jungle, giving rise to Peruvian cumbia. Chicha emerged as an adaptation of Andean popular music to cumbia rhythms and consolidated itself as a sub-genre. This crisis of violence is part of a context of widespread insecurity across Peru. According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), in October 2024 the number of homicides in the country surpassed the total recorded in 2023, while reports of extortion increased fivefold between 2021 and 2023. Despite the government’s failed efforts to contain violence by declaring states of emergency, Peru’s National Police Intelligence Directorate reported that crime continued to rise in 2024. Extortion reached 19,432 cases, affecting various sectors of society, while contract killings registered 1,125 incidents, mainly linked to settling scores between gang groups and collecting bribes. In this climate of insecurity, cumbia and chicha groups and artists, genres of national and regional relevance, have been frequent targets of organised crime. On 25 May 2024, members of the well-known orchestra Agua Marinawere victims of an attack in the city of Lima, when an unknown gunman fired at least eight shots at the establishment where they were performing. Minutes later, a grenade exploded nearby, causing material damage and forcing the cancellation of the concert. Attacks against artists have also taken the form of direct threats and extortion. In June 2024, singer Azucena Calvay received death threats and extortion by criminals who demanded large sums of money to guarantee her safety during her scheduled performances as part of her national tour. In other cases, violence has reached extreme levels resulting in the murder of several artists. On 11 June 2024, the former lead singer of the group Los Claveles de la Cumbia, Jaime Carmona was shot dead while performing in a restaurant in Lima. His murder occurred in the middle of a performance and was recorded in a live broadcast on TikTok. Five months later, on 3 November 2024, the lead singer of the Hermanos Guerrero orchestra, Thalía Manrique Castillo, was murdered during a robbery of the bus in which she was travelling with her bandmates after a performance in the city of Bagua Grande, located in the Peruvian Amazon. The criminals also stole the band’s musical instruments. “You will always live in our hearts” Source: Hermanos Guerrero Facebook As if these events were not already a major obstacle for artists, organized crime has developed new strategies to sabotage their work and silence their expressions. In this scenario, death threats and violence have also forced the cancellation of concerts, such as on 15 November 2024, when the singer Pamela Franco received extortion calls demanding the payment of a sum of money in exchange for permission to perform at the Los Palitos sports field in Arequipa. Faced with the threat and prioritising the safety of her team, the artist cancelled her participation in the event. A month later, on 1 December 2024, the well-known group Armonía 10 suffered a similar attack in Callao, when a motorcyclist shot at the bus transporting the musicians to a performance. Days earlier, the group had received extortion messages demanding money to guarantee their safety during the event. Source: Facebook – Armonia10Official Cumbia and chicha have accompanied Peru’s modern history, giving voice to the joy, uprootedness and struggle of those who perform and listen to them. Today, however, the musicians who keep these musical genres alive face a growing wave of violence. The lack of security guarantees and the strengthening presence of organised crime have turned their profession into a high-risk occupation, forcing them to travel dangerous routes and exposing them to threats, extortion and even murder. On this Music Freedom Day 2025, Freemuse and Cartel Urbano call for international solidarity with these artists, who, despite the danger, continue performing and defending their right to express and share their music with the world. Links to the songs of these groups: Diana Arévalo monitors the Latin Americas region for Freemuse, and is a Researcher and multimedia producer for “Bulla” Radar on artistic freedom at the Cartel Urbano Foundation.
Lesotho: Famo music a site of extreme violence and repression
By Lisa Sidambe On 21 May 2024, the Government of Lesotho made a shocking announcement. The airplay and circulation of Famo folk music was banned on radio and television. This followed the police minister’s criminalisation of twelve Famo music groups, their attire and songs, a result of the classification of these groups as gangs and terrorist organisations. Authorities equated listening to this music with supporting a crime, arguing that such an act is a crime itself. Freemuse is deeply concerned about this restrictive measure which sweepingly criminalises the creation, dissemination and access of Famo music, as a means of curbing brutalities of gangsterism. Famo music: A lethal history Famo music has its roots in the labour force of the Lesotho populace that migrated to the mines of South Africa in the 1920s, largely from the Basotho ethnic group. Songs captured experiences of working in these mines, and served as a convergence point for the Lesotho migrant community, in the mines and informal settlements. Over generations, Famo music has developed into a form of storytelling, a narration of the anxieties, victories and aspirations of a Lesotho population seeking better socio-economic prospects both at home and in neighbouring South Africa. A mixture of different genres in the rich sound of Famo music is symbolic of the hybridity of the cultures the Basotho have encountered in foreign lands and exported home to the Kingdom of Lesotho. As mines have continued to be shut down in South Africa, illegal mining has intensified, directly impacting the sound of Famo music. A competition for what is now limited resources has pitted migrant Lesotho communities against each other, creating rivalries under which some artists have instrumentalised music to insult and denigrate each other. The expressive music which once carried hopes and aspirations, has in some instances now been marred by expressions of vengeance. This has transformed some songs from a space of solidarity to the quest for gaining supremacy through violence, mostly between rival gangs from the North and South of Lesotho. Consequently, some artists have lost their lives, including those seeking to broker peace between the two main warring factions, the Seakhi and the Terene. One such artist is Lisuoa Khopolo Khuloe, aligned with the Seakhi, who was shot and killed on 20 July 2024, while seated in his vehicle in a public place, in the company of broadcaster Pulane Macheli who was also murdered. Although reasons for the murder remain unclear, it is widely suspected that the killing was linked to the musician’s efforts calling for peace, with one of the interventions having been an expression of such views in an interview on MXXL Radio, for which broadcaster Macheli was the host. Murdered Famo musician, Lisuoa Khopolo Khuloe. Source – Facebook Murdered MXXL Radio broadcaster, Pulane Macheli Source – Public Eye Online (Facebook) While Famo music has indeed sometimes become a site of lyrical warfare cascading into extreme forms of violence between warring music groups, a ban on the entire genre threatens the core fabric of cultural expression, diminishing the cultural value of music as a form of narrating a rich heritage built over centuries and preserved through intergenerational exchange. Ano Shumba, a music journalist and critic told Freemuse that a restriction of the right to access information conveyed through music is concerning. “The government’s stance, as conveyed by the police minister, signals media repression in the Kingdom of Lesotho. It is unheard of for a government to criminalise music as an act of terrorism. It is deeply disheartening to see a government deny people their right to information, especially when music serves as a vital medium for artists to address social issues within their communities,” he said. Authorities’ extraction of incidents of criminality to justify a wholesale ban, and brand music collectives as terrorists is a misrepresentation of identity. It disqualifies and discredits all artistic expression from artists who have exercised their right to association by affiliating with specific music groups. Additionally, a ban on the attire of the twelve music groups is a ban on the wearing of woollen blankets embellished with different patterns and colours representing a heritage of the people of Lesotho. Artists and followers of different Famo groups are identified by the wearing of specific colours and patterned blankets. The Seakhi group wears either a black or blue blanket, and the Terene group a yellow blanket. Criminalising the wearing of such blankets, within the context of Famo music, is yet another misrepresentation that incorrectly attaches physical identifiers to criminality, gangsterism and terrorism, unjustifiably making artists a target of law enforcement agents. The Basotho blankets. Source- Vogue. The yellow blanket is mostly worn by the Terene music group, while the black and blue blankets are worn by yet another main group, the Seakhi. As the rich sound of Famo music has quietened, to express itself as murmurs in the shadows, we urge the Lesotho authorities to reverse the ban on Famo music imposed on the twelve groups, and to allow for free expression through song. Restrictions to music which incites violence, and as permitted by international law, should specifically be directed at such songs and artists directly advocating violence, without enforcing a total ban. Any acts of criminality bordering on violence and murder should be treated and investigated as such, without undue restrictions to artistic freedom. Further, Freemuse calls on authorities to lift the ban that criminalises the publication and circulation of information on Famo music groups gathered through interviews. Freemuse stands in solidarity with media groups including the Committee to Protect Journalists, and the Media Institute for Southern Africa, organisations that have spoken against the ‘media blackout,’ calling it a “dangerous precedent for censorship.” Media freedom is a key element of artistic freedom, granting artists space and voice to disseminate information. Artistic expression, the right to affiliate with Famo music groupings, and freedom of the press should be protected and promoted in the Kingdom of Lesotho, in accordance with the Kingdom’s human rights obligations. Links to Famo music Famo
Kurdish Music: Censored and Criminalised
On Music Freedom Day we remember the long and fraught struggle of Kurdish musicians in Türkiye. For decades, Kurdish artistic expression was systematically suppressed under a national policy that enforced a singular Turkish identity.
International Contest for Minority Artists 2025
We are entering the last week before the deadline for international minority art contest. The 2025 Edition of the Contest invites creative interpretation of the relationships of minorities with belonging, place and loss. Click here for to read more and apply.
