The arrest of the singer and composer Zeid Hamdan, a well-known figure of the Beirut underground music scene, for defamation over a song he wrote in 2008 about the country’s president caused ‘Internet shock waves’ both nationally and internationally. He was released seven hours after his arrest. In the …

  The American superstar, singer and songwriter Lady Gaga — topping the music charts in 21 countries, presently UK’s most played artist in the radio — has stirred religious controversy for being ‘offensive to Christianity’. The song ‘Judas’ from Lady Gaga’s top-selling new album ‘Born This Way’ has been criticised …

This study provides a comprehensive assessment of censorship in Lebanon which will hopefully allow local artistic and cultural actors the opportunity to lobby for the most appropriate legislative amendments to the current censorship regulations.

Eileen Khatchadourian’s music video ‘Zartir Vortyag’ which touches on Armenian topics is reported to have been banned by the Lebanese General Security In the music video a mother is seen calling upon her son to go and fight the enemy, and it also includes the quote The Armenian and The …

PUBLICATIONS   TEN YEARS WITH FREEMUSE     IMPRESSIONS & DESCRIPTIONS   Marcel Khalife Musician and composer, Lebanon       Freemuse stands for music and the reaffirmation of the rights of musicians and their protection from prohibitions, censorship and threats.Freemuse is an expression of our responsibility towards our musical …

Video statement: ‘Majnoon Layla’ In this statement Marcel Khalife speaks (in Arabic language) about why artists must engage in the defence of creativity. See the video.         See the video       Interview: ‘The quest for freedom’ Video interview and music performance by Marcel Khalife recorded at the Freemuse …

Clotaire K was born in France by a Lebanese mother and an Egyptian father. He writes, arranges and records music, and in this interview, recorded while he visited Denmark to perform during the Images of the Middle East festival in 2006, he speaks about how he perceives music as a …

The Lebanese Death Metal trio Oath to Vanquish published their debut album on 25 July 2006 in Europe and USA, but not in their home country, Lebanon. In this video interview, recorded in Beirut on 8 July 2006, the two brothers Elias and Carlos, along with third member of the band, Cyril, explain …

Xardas is a 24-year-old Lebanese composer of Dark Ambient music, based in Tripoli. In June 2006, 150 copies of his albums were confiscated, and he was warned by General Security that if they caught him with this type of music again, he would be imprisoned without trial. The interview was …

Composer of Dark Ambient music called in for “investigation” at the headquarter of the General Security Department in Beirut, had to sign a paper promising that he will never send or receive any packages that contain “dark”, “harsh” or “weird” music  Osman Arabi, 24 – also known as Xardas – is …