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LATEST NEWS

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
15 March 2010
Music Freedom Day 2010 becomes a truly global event
3 March 2010 is Music Freedom Day where radio and tv broadcasters world-wide focus on music censorship, and where seminars and concerts are held in various countries
05 March 2010
Turkey: Killed for singing Kurdish folk songs in bar
A young man, Emrah Gezer, was killed because he and his friends had been singing Kurdish folk songs in a bar
03 March 2010
Turkey: Broadcasting in local languages allowed without time limit
Autorities has granted permission to 14 radio and tv stations in Turkey to broadcast in Kurdish, Zazaki, and Arabic without time limit
03 March 2010
Facts about the 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
03 March 2010
Turkey: Police convicted of beating café worker for playing Kurdish music
Eight months prison sentences were issued by Turkish authorities to two police officers who beat up a 28-year-old café worker for playing an Ahmet Kaya song
03 March 2010
Iran Concert banned because of presence of women musicians
Iranian authorities have cancelled a concert of traditional Iranian singer Homayoun Shajarian because two members of the band are women
24 February 2010
Turkey: Kurdish singer and musician Rojda arrested
Kurdish artist Rojda was arrested for ‘propaganda for an illegal organisation’ because of singing a Kurdish song entitled ‘Heval Kamuran’. She was released within a couple of hours
24 February 2010
Launch of Freemuse's new report on censorship of heavy metal music
Mark LeVine is online, ready to communicate with you on Facebook and Skype, from 6 PM to 8 PM GMT on Monday 22 February 2010.
17 February 2010
Turkey: Folk singer and poet on trial for "praising crime"
Tunceli Prosecution Office has filed a case against folk singer Pınar Sağ and poet Mehmet Özcan charging them with two years prison sentences for "praising crime".
17 February 2010
Book by Salman Ahmad: 'Rock & Roll Jihad'
Rock star Salman Ahmad desribes his encounters with angry mullahs and oppressive dictators who wanted all music to be banned from the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
10 February 2010
Music & Islam - what's the big fuss?
In Pakistan and Afghanistan, the Taliban continues to attack musicians and music shops, but what is the position on music in Islam?
10 February 2010
Pakistan: Five injured and 10 music shops damaged by bomb blast
Five people were injured and 10 shops damaged in a bomb blast on 28 January 2010 in a music and video market in the small town of Jand in Pakistan's Punjab province
10 February 2010
Somalia: Interview with Somali music shop owner in exile
Interview with Fatma Adow who is one of 25 women who on November 2008 faced the wrath of Somali militiamen the for taking part in a folklore dance galore in Somalia
10 February 2010
Mexico: Legislators propose nation-wide ban on 'drug ballads'
A bill presented to Mexico’s congress proposes that musicians could be sent to prison in up to three years for playing songs that glorify the drug trade
01 February 2010
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
Freemuse report on censorship of heavy metal music
Headbanging against repressive regimes - Censorship of heavy metal in the Middle East, North Africa, Southeast Asia and China. Freemuse report no. 9
25 January 2010
Syria: Musicians arrested for singing Kurdish songs
Seven men, including members of a wedding music band, were arrested at a Kurdish wedding party. In court they were accused of singing patriotic Kurdish songs.
18 January 2010
Malawi: National radio bans the music of musician Lucius Banda
Malawi Broadcasting Corporation has banned the music of Lucius Banda - allegedly because certain songs on his latest album express criticism of the government
11 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
Mexico: Eight musicians arrested
Ramon Ayala and Lupe Tijerina, two of the most famous accordionists in Northern Mexico, were arrested together with six other musicians on 11 December 2009
06 January 2010
Myanmar/Burma: Ban on Western musical instruments
Burma's Ministry of Culture has ordered the country's traditional Saing orchestras not to use Western musical instruments
06 January 2010
Uganda: Two songs banned for ‘defamation’
Two songs by musician Mathias Walukagga was banned from being played or distributed as from 3 November 2009, and the singer was imprisoned for three days
06 January 2010
Iraq: Violence against singers continues
In Iraq, the clerics have conflicting opinions about music prohibition, writes Wisam Tahir from Nasiriya in an article published in The Herald Scotland
09 December 2009
USA: Banned music showcased in concert series in New York
A concert with the exiled Pakistani singer Haroon Bacha on 9 December 2009 marks the start of 'Impossible Music Sessions' in New York showcasing banned music
09 December 2009

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News 2009