At WOMEX 2018: MUSIC IS NOT FREE
Artist’s role in the social and political change to be debated during WOMEX this year. SafeMUSE is hosting a seminar in cooperation with Freemuse, and also including the Vietnamese artist Mai Khoi, putting artistic freedom on the agenda of the World Music Expo in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain.
Spain imprisoned 13 rappers last year – more musicians than any other country. In 2017, Freemuse registered 553 documented cases of violations of artistic freedom monitored in 78 countries in a near 50/50 split between countries in the global North and South. 202 cases in 57 countries connected to music. Freemuse warns of the emergence of a new global culture of silencing others, where artistic expression is being shut down in every corner of the globe, including in the traditionally democratic West.
It is clear that those in power attempt to shut off those with whom they disagree, dislike, fear or merely see as different, with violators sharing the will to silence others.
In Vietnam the pop-star Mai Khoi broke international headlines in 2016 after she became the first Vietnamese celebrity in history to nominate herself for the National Assembly (equivalent to congress) on a pro-democracy platform. Since then she has been banned from performing in her homeland. Her answer is “We give voice to the unspeakable, unlike other musicians here, we don’t ask for permission to perform or submit our lyrics to the censors.” She released her first album after being silenced in Vietnam on LIDIO earlier this year. “Dissent – Live at Phù sa Lab” with her band Mai Khoi Chem Gio, and a busy international activity, keeps up her her artistic activities – in spite of censorship and harassments.
The session will take a closer look at The State of Artistic Freedom 2018 report by Freemuse and discuss the artist’s role as change-maker in a harsh world.
Chaired by Jan Lothe Eriksen (SafeMUSE), with Dr. Srirak Plipat (Freemuse) and Vietnamese artist and dissident Mai Khoi (LIDIO/SafeMUSE).
WOMEX 18 Conference Session
DATE: 25 Oct 2018
TIME: 16:00 – 17:00
CITY/AREA: Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
VENUE: Conference Room 1, INFECAR
WEB: WOMEX Conference web-listing
Mai Khoi and SafeMUSE record label LIDIO will also be present at the Music Norway stand #B69-B72 throughout WOMEX.
About us Support us “Landless Tree” – EP debut by Ghawgha Taban Photo credit: Camilla Norvoll “Landless Tree” – migration, destruction and resilience, EP debut by Ghawgha Taban In her first EP release, Ghawgha Taban sings about a “tree without a land”. About an eternally displaced body filled with memories of migration both as a
“Landless Tree” – EP debut by Ghawgha Taban Photo credit: Camilla Norvoll “Landless Tree” – migration, destruction and resilience, EP debut by Ghawgha Taban In her first EP release, Ghawgha Taban sings about a “tree without a land”. About an eternally displaced body filled with memories of migration
“Landless Tree” – EP debut by Ghawgha Taban Photo credit: Camilla Norvoll “Landless Tree” – migration, destruction and resilience, EP debut by Ghawgha Taban In her first EP release, Ghawgha Taban sings about a “tree without a land”. About an eternally displaced body filled with memories of migration ...
About us Support us FRI KUNST – under autoritære regimer: 3. mars FRI KUNST – under autoritære regimer, fredag 3. mars 2023. Safemuse inviterer til den årlige markeringen av Fri Kunst på Riksscenen – en feiring av kunstnernes unike posisjon til å beskrive, utforske og utfordre vår tidsånd, og til å belyse og avkle maktutøvelse
FRI KUNST – under autoritære regimer: 3. mars FRI KUNST – under autoritære regimer, fredag 3. mars 2023. Safemuse inviterer til den årlige markeringen av Fri Kunst på Riksscenen – en feiring av kunstnernes unike posisjon til å beskrive, utforske og utfordre vår tidsånd, og til å belyse og avkle maktutøvelse
FRI KUNST – under autoritære regimer: 3. mars FRI KUNST – under autoritære regimer, fredag 3. mars 2023. Safemuse inviterer til den årlige markeringen av Fri Kunst på Riksscenen – en feiring av kunstnernes unike posisjon til å beskrive, utforske og utfordre vår tidsånd, og til å belyse og avkle maktutøvelse ...
About us Support us Meet our new staff members Edvard Valberg and Anna Talbot Edvard Valberg and Anna Talbot are Safemuse´s newest members. Edvard and Anna started working in January and will take part in Safemuses projects and activities until autumn 2023. Edvard Valberg is the singer of the punk band Honningbarna. The band has
Meet our new staff members Edvard Valberg and Anna Talbot Edvard Valberg and Anna Talbot are Safemuse´s newest members. Edvard and Anna started working in January and will take part in Safemuses projects and activities until autumn 2023. Edvard Valberg is the singer of the punk band Honningbarna. The band has
Meet our new staff members Edvard Valberg and Anna Talbot Edvard Valberg and Anna Talbot are Safemuse´s newest members. Edvard and Anna started working in January and will take part in Safemuses projects and activities until autumn 2023. Edvard Valberg is the singer of the punk band Honningbarna. The band has ...
About us Support us OPEN CALL: Whose voices are being heard? – Exchange program for artists from Poland and Norway 2023 OPEN CALL FOR ARTISTIC RESIDENCY IN WROCLAW, POLAND 2023 We invite artists to apply for the residency exchange “Whose voices are being heard?” organised by the Wrocław Institute of Culture (Wrocław/PL), Hvitsten Salong (Hvitsten/NO)
OPEN CALL: Whose voices are being heard? – Exchange program for artists from Poland and Norway 2023 OPEN CALL FOR ARTISTIC RESIDENCY IN WROCLAW, POLAND 2023 We invite artists to apply for the residency exchange “Whose voices are being heard?” organised by the Wrocław Institute of Culture (Wrocław/PL), Hvitsten Salong (Hvitsten/NO
OPEN CALL: Whose voices are being heard? – Exchange program for artists from Poland and Norway 2023 OPEN CALL FOR ARTISTIC RESIDENCY IN WROCLAW, POLAND 2023 We invite artists to apply for the residency exchange “Whose voices are being heard?” organised by the Wrocław Institute of Culture (Wrocław/PL), Hvitsten Salong (Hvitsten/NO...
About us Support us FREEMUSE AND SAFEMUSE WITH A JOINT PLEA TO NORWEGIAN AUTHORITIES Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi: “Don’t cry if I die tomorrow” The following statement was sent by Freemuse and Safemuse to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Minister for Culture, the Mayor of Oslo, the head of the
FREEMUSE AND SAFEMUSE WITH A JOINT PLEA TO NORWEGIAN AUTHORITIES Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi: “Don’t cry if I die tomorrow” The following statement was sent by Freemuse and Safemuse to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Minister for Culture, the Mayor of Oslo, the head of the
FREEMUSE AND SAFEMUSE WITH A JOINT PLEA TO NORWEGIAN AUTHORITIES Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi: “Don’t cry if I die tomorrow” The following statement was sent by Freemuse and Safemuse to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Minister for Culture, the Mayor of Oslo, the head of the ...
About us Support us MEET SAFEMUSE’S NEWEST ARTIST IN RESIDENCE: WANG CHONG — Ibsen, face masks and freedom to surf the Internet A man of many talents: Wang Chong is Safemuse’s newest artist in reidence. Photo: Zhou Jing / Courtesy of the artist. A long-awaited arrival Wang Chong is Safemuse’s newest and long-awaited second artist
MEET SAFEMUSE’S NEWEST ARTIST IN RESIDENCE: WANG CHONG — Ibsen, face masks and freedom to surf the Internet A man of many talents: Wang Chong is Safemuse’s newest artist in reidence. Photo: Zhou Jing / Courtesy of the artist. A long-awaited arrival Wang Chong is Safemuse’s newest and long-awaited second artist
MEET SAFEMUSE’S NEWEST ARTIST IN RESIDENCE: WANG CHONG — Ibsen, face masks and freedom to surf the Internet A man of many talents: Wang Chong is Safemuse’s newest artist in reidence. Photo: Zhou Jing / Courtesy of the artist. A long-awaited arrival Wang Chong is Safemuse’s newest and long-awaited second artist ...
About us Support us A NEW GENERAL MANAGER IN SAFEMUSE We are pleased to announce that Celina Jerman Bright-Taylor is set to become the new general manager of Safemuse – Safe Havens for Artists. Bright-Taylor has worked as an advisor in the organisation for the past two years and will take on her new role
A NEW GENERAL MANAGER IN SAFEMUSE We are pleased to announce that Celina Jerman Bright-Taylor is set to become the new general manager of Safemuse – Safe Havens for Artists. Bright-Taylor has worked as an advisor in the organisation for the past two years and will take on her new role
A NEW GENERAL MANAGER IN SAFEMUSE We are pleased to announce that Celina Jerman Bright-Taylor is set to become the new general manager of Safemuse – Safe Havens for Artists. Bright-Taylor has worked as an advisor in the organisation for the past two years and will take on her new role ...
About us Support us Letter to the 65th Grammy edition: Conditions of Iranian artist Mehdi Rajabian This letter was sent to CEO Harvey Mason Jr. on the 10th of October 2022. “There will need to be a change of regime for him to get out…That he actually managed to be creative and to work with
Letter to the 65th Grammy edition: Conditions of Iranian artist Mehdi Rajabian This letter was sent to CEO Harvey Mason Jr. on the 10th of October 2022. “There will need to be a change of regime for him to get out…That he actually managed to be creative and to work with
Letter to the 65th Grammy edition: Conditions of Iranian artist Mehdi Rajabian This letter was sent to CEO Harvey Mason Jr. on the 10th of October 2022. “There will need to be a change of regime for him to get out…That he actually managed to be creative and to work with ...
About us Support us An artist´s reflection: Hvitsten Salong 2022 By belarusian artist Zhanna Gladko Photo: Zhanna Gladko About the artist Zhanna Gladko (1984) is a visual artist and a graduate of the Republican College of Arts in Minsk and the Department of Easel Graphics at the Belarusian State Academy of Arts. She is currently
An artist´s reflection: Hvitsten Salong 2022 By belarusian artist Zhanna Gladko Photo: Zhanna Gladko About the artist Zhanna Gladko (1984) is a visual artist and a graduate of the Republican College of Arts in Minsk and the Department of Easel Graphics at the Belarusian State Academy of Arts. She is currently
An artist´s reflection: Hvitsten Salong 2022 By belarusian artist Zhanna Gladko Photo: Zhanna Gladko About the artist Zhanna Gladko (1984) is a visual artist and a graduate of the Republican College of Arts in Minsk and the Department of Easel Graphics at the Belarusian State Academy of Arts. She is currently ...
About us Support us – We are doing this to support independent voices Artistic freedom of expression, solidarity and collaboration In an increasingly polarised world, with tensions between nations, cultures, political parties and cultural norms, a growing group of artists are encountering obstacles in the execution of their work. Artists are in many cases regarded
– We are doing this to support independent voices Artistic freedom of expression, solidarity and collaboration In an increasingly polarised world, with tensions between nations, cultures, political parties and cultural norms, a growing group of artists are encountering obstacles in the execution of their work. Artists are in many cases regar
– We are doing this to support independent voices Artistic freedom of expression, solidarity and collaboration In an increasingly polarised world, with tensions between nations, cultures, political parties and cultural norms, a growing group of artists are encountering obstacles in the execution of their work. Artists are in many cases regar...