Author Archives: Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi

Rally Report: Jazz Musicians’ Rights – Occupy Justice For Jazz Artist (JFJA)…now or never!!!

Text by Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi
Yesterday I joined the Justice For Jazz Artist (JFJA)/LOCAL 802 rally as a union member and as a music activist for the first time. Our goal was to stand up for free speech and send a message to the Blue Note club owners  to sign on to the demands of our campaign: pension, pay scales, and protections on recordings for all musicians who play the club. The rally started at the Washington Square Park at 9pm and moved from there towards the Blue Note. The message was taken out with a live band, who were all union members, consisting of union members to spread the word out to jazz fans, musicians, and most importantly, the club owners. About 100 people joined the rally. 

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DooBeeDoo supports Democracy Now! The Silenced Majority: Stories of Uprisings, Occupations, Resistance, and Hope!

Text by Democracy Now!

Democracy Now! is on the road for a 100-city Election 2012 Silenced Majority Tour. Between now and Election Day, Democracy Now! will broadcast live across the United States, traveling through many of the electoral swing states, going beyond the mainstream media’s obsessive focus on the latest poll numbers and candidate gaffes, to examine how people are organizing; the impacts of restrictive voter ID laws that are making it harder to vote; and how the massive influx of campaign cash following the Citizens United decision is changing how our democracy works.

Amy Goodman‘s latest book, The Silenced Majority: Stories of Uprisings, Occupations, Resistance, and Hope, written with Denis Moynihan, provides a vivid record of the events, conflicts, and social movements shaping our society today. The Silenced Majority pulls back the veil of corporate media reporting to dig deep into the politics of “climate apartheid,” the implications of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, the movement to halt the execution of Troy Anthony Davis, and the globalization of dissent from Tahrir Square to Liberty Plaza. Throughout, Goodman and Moynihan show the work of ordinary people to change their media—and change the world.

Join us for a public event near you—to help raise critical funds for the public community television and radio stations across the country. Continue reading →

DooBeeDoo supports Justice for Jazz Artists!

Text by Justice for Jazz Artists (Local 802)
Dear J4JA Supporter, 

Join us Thursday night, as we are stand up for free speech and send a message to the Blue Note: the club owners need to do the right thing and sign on to the demands of our campaign: Pension, Pay scales, and Protections on recordings for all musicians who play the club.

We will take our message to the streets with a live band to spread the word to jazz fans, musicians, and most importantly, the club owners. Continue reading →

Musicians to Protest Lincoln Center Allowing Canned Music at Koch Theater Dance Performances

Visiting Ballets Perform to Recordings Instead of Live Music, Contrary to the Mission of the Venerated Live Performance Arts Complex

NEW YORK, NY — In blatant disregard of its most sacred mission, the leadership of Lincoln Center is turning its back on live performance by allowing dance groups to perform to prerecorded music in the complex’s Dave H. Koch theater.

On Thursday, October 18, from 6:30-8pm, Members of the New York City Ballet Orchestra and Local 802 will pass out leaflets outside Lincoln Center’s Koch Theater to  inform the audience attending the traveling ballet revue “Stars of the 21st Century” that they are paying top dollar to see these international performers dance to a recording, not a live orchestra. Although the world-class New York City Ballet Orchestra could have  accompanied the dancers, ticket-buyers, who have paid up to $125 per ticket, will instead be  deprived of the joy of listening to live music.

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Music and Politics: DooBeeDooBeeDoo supports Democracy Now!

Text by Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi

Through the Occupy Wall Street movement I found interest in checking out all kinds of American media. It was very interesting to watch, listen or to read how this movement was covered by the American media.

By being a music activist and the editor of DooBeeDoo I naturally got involved with this movement. I went many times to Zucotti Park and reported about it in DooBeeDoo. In my reports I tried to document that music is an important part of this social-political movement. Me believing in “without music no revolution!”

Why am I interested and “somehow” involved in politics? Because I believe that the purpose of music is to care and speak about people’s lives and their history. Music doesn’t only want to entertain people but also make them aware of social and political issues.

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