Displaying the most recent and relevant news from Freemuse. http://www.freemuse.org MTV in the Middle East - MTV Arabia - announced on 20 August 2008 that it will mark the holy month Ramadan by refraining showing from music videos http://freemuse1.inforce.dk/sw29678.asp After receiving a fine for civil disobedience, punk-rock singer and musician Gorki Įguila could walk out of the court room as a free man http://www.freemuse.org/sw29658.asp According to members of his band, punk-rock musician Gorki Aguila has been arrested and faces up to four years* imprisonment for *social dangerousness* http://www.freemuse.org/sw29621.asp *We have to continue questioning corruption and poverty in Africa,* said Tiken Jah Fakoly as he received the Freemuse Award at the Festival of World Cultures in Ireland http://www.freemuse.org/sw29589.asp Access to Apple*s online iTunes Store has been blocked in China after it emerged that Olympic athletes have been downloading a pro-Tibetan music album http://www.freemuse.org/sw29562.asp On 4 August 2008, 28-year-old Yaghub Mehrnahad, a education activist and concert organiser, was executed, reported several human rights groups http://www.freemuse.org/sw29564.asp *I Kissed a Girl* provokes controversy and has been banned from radio stations in Dubai for containing lyrics that *depict sexuality, lesbianism and promiscuity*, reported Gulf News http://www.freemuse.org/sw29511.asp The Canadian country rock band Dry County feel they*ve been *unofficially banned* from the music industry. Freemuse asked the band*s manager to elaborate http://www.freemuse.org/sw29427.asp When a woman tries to break into the growing scene for Islamic hip-hop in United Kingdom she is often intimidated, or even threatened, reported the New Statesman http://www.freemuse.org/sw29495.asp A clampdown on live music and discotheques in Bangalore began around 1 August 2008, reported The Indian Express http://www.freemuse.org/sw29440.asp In an open letter, musician Leonard Zhakata asks the country*s ruling party ZANU-PF: *Why do you ban my music from being played on ZBC tv and radio?* http://www.freemuse.org/sw29360.asp International Pen Writers in Prison Committee sent this appeal on 7 august 2008 protesting the arrest and four-month detention of singer-songwriter Lapiro de Mbanga http://www.freemuse.org/sw29331.asp The defence lawyer of imprisoned musician Teddy Afro and an editor-in-chief of a local newspaper which interviewed the lawyer were arrested in Addis Ababa on 4 August 2008 http://www.freemuse.org/sw29295.asp Tiken Jah Fakoly will receive the first ever Freemuse Award in connection with his Ireland debut concert in Dublin at Festival of World Cultures on Saturday 23 August 2008. http://www.freemuse.org/sw25454.asp Baglama-player and singer Fuat Talay speaks about how the Turkish authorities kept him in a police station*s cellar for 23 days, and later on convicted him to 12 years in prison http://www.freemuse.org/sw29183.asp Author Mark LeVine asks the heavy metal band Motley Crue: *Why not really make rock history and open your Make Rock History contest to bands from around the world?* http://www.freemuse.org/sw29147.asp On 21 July 2008, militiamen from the Somali Islamist groups, armed with pistols, gunned down musician Omar Nur Basharah in the capital Mogadishu http://www.freemuse.org/sw29150.asp *Any artistic group or individual who have ever engaged in activities which threaten our national sovereignty will not be allowed in,* the Chinese Ministry of Culture stated http://www.freemuse.org/sw29141.asp Russian lawmakers propose to ban teenage subculture music styles such as emo and goth from the country*s schools. Emo music fans protested on 19 July 2008 http://www.freemuse.org/sw29040.asp American author and historian Mark LeVine has published a book about the special role of Heavy Metal music in the Middle East and its relationship with Islam: *Heavy Metal Islam* http://www.freemuse.org/sw29069.asp Lapiro de Mbanga was in chains when he was brought to a court room on 9 July 2008, accused of causing anti-government riots. His case was adjourned to 23 July http://www.freemuse.org/sw29056.asp In a short documentary video about music and *community censorship* in Afghanistan, the 19-year-old Afghan singer Mariam says she gets verbal abuse all the time http://www.freemuse.org/sw29024.asp Teddy Afro is still imprisoned after he appeared in court again on 4 July 2008. *The authorities are framing a popular singer,* writes Tsigue Shiferaw http://www.freemuse.org/sw29012.asp Singer Fahd al-Qarni was said to have *insulted the president*, and for this he recieved a prison sentence of 18 months and he must promise never to sing again http://www.freemuse.org/sw29041.asp The students of the University of Hargeisa rejected and obstructed a celebration for the World Music Day, which was scheduled to take place on 21 June, 2008 http://www.freemuse.org/sw28992.asp Radical Islamist groups have unleashed a renewed crackdown on music, cinemas, and music-related events as part of their unrelenting efforts to silence the music and musicians of Somalia. http://www.freemuse.org/sw28978.asp Mun Awng is a musician who left Burma to make music freely and in hope of improving the political situation in his country. http://www.freemuse.org/sw28810.asp A documentary film about the punk-rock and metal musicians rebelling against the bureaucracy and imposed conformity of the Castro regime. http://www.freemuse.org/sw28926.asp For the last six years one of France*s leading underground rap groups, La Rumeur, has been locked in a legal battle against current French president Nicolas Sarkozy http://www.freemuse.org/sw28748.asp While struggling with censorship in Khartoum, the Sudanese singer-songwriter Abazar Hamid hopes to bring peace to Sudan with his music, reported Stephanie McCrummen http://www.freemuse.org/sw28705.asp Three members of Diyarbakir Yenisehir Council Childrens Choir were acquitted, but the Turkish court issued an arrest order for the director of the choir, Duygu Bayar http://www.freemuse.org/sw28706.asp In the early hours of 18 June 2008, the musician Abdulkadir Adow Ali was stabbed to death in Mogadishu. http://www.freemuse.org/sw28697.asp Job of a secret police officer in Zimbabwe now hangs in balance. His offence: he was linked to music that is deemed to be sensitive by president Robert Mugabes regime http://www.freemuse.org/sw28640.asp In 2000, a song by Turkish rapper Sultana was banned, and she disappeared from the lime light. After an eight-year hiatus she is now back on the music stage http://www.freemuse.org/sw28621.asp Article 19 and ArtVenture are seeking artists to be nominated for a newly established 100,000 US dollars Freedom to Create Prize http://www.freemuse.org/sw28588.asp The youth wing of Malaysias opposition Islamic party will stage a peaceful protest if the two singers Mas Idayu and Ella are not banned from a 6 July concert http://www.freemuse.org/sw28575.asp Since March 2008, the Tibetan singers Drolmakyi and Jamyang Kyi, and musician Lhundrup have been arrested and held in custody by Chinese authorities http://www.freemuse.org/sw28531.asp "Many musicians have their music blacklisted because they refuse to pay bribes", the Zambian reggae musician Maiko Zulu told BBC News on 30 May 2008 http://www.freemuse.org/sw28479.asp Two musicians who are facing charges of singing songs that are sensitive failed to appear in court, and now a magistrate court has issued a warrant of arrest for them. http://www.freemuse.org/sw28487.asp Somali woman singer tells the untold story of how, in 1996, local Islamic courts militia raided a concert in Mogadishu, and sentenced the musicians to 20 lashes each. http://www.freemuse.org/sw28429.asp Because she had sung a South Korean folk song and taught it to four others in 1992, North Korean Ji Hae Nam (Hae-Nam Ji) was imprisoned for three years and tortured. http://www.freemuse.org/sw28378.asp Students of Iraqs Music and Ballet School still risk being attacked because of their love of music. This article summons the latest news from the musical life in Iraq. http://www.freemuse.org/sw28362.asp On 3 June 2008 a Chilean judge reopened the murder case of folk singer Victor Jara who was tortured and killed in 1973. http://www.freemuse.org/sw28285.asp Faisal Al-Alamy is founder of the Saudi Arabian thrash metal band Octum. They released a demo entitled Fighting For Freedom in January 2008. http://www.freemuse.org/sw28188.asp An online petition seeks to have a ban lifted on playing music in the streets during the Roma peoples annual pilgrimage in Saintes Maries de la Mer. http://www.freemuse.org/sw28271.asp