Category Archives: Music Activism

Music Activism: Marc Ribot speaks out – in words and music!!!!

Text By Marc Ribot

I never thought that much about ‘health care systems’ until my daughter was born on England’s National Health Service. My partner and I had been living in NYC, but lacked health insurance, and couldn’t get any because pregnancy was a ‘pre-existing condition’. The cost- not including (pre-post natal care) at NYC hospitals was $16,000 “if everything went perfectly”: we didn’t have it. My partner was from England, and her mom lived in South London, so off we went.

Lewisham Hospital isn’t in a rich area, and it wasn’t as squeaky and new as some in the US – but the care was great: they had a better licensed mid-wives program than any I’ve seen. both midwives, nurses, (and even the doctor!!!) visited us at home both before and after the birth. And it was all free.

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Bill de Blasio is counting on musicians?!

Text by Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi

Honestly I still don’t know whether Bill De Blasio is the right candidate for NY’s musicians. (The other candidates aren’t better.) Every time when I listen to his speech he never speaks about musicians’ issues, such as fair pay scale, pension contributions by the club owners, importance of music  in everyday life, music education and music entertainment/service. So I still can’t recommend him. If he becomes mayor I try to remind him – of course with the help of my union which endorsed him – of his unspoken promise to improve the lives of  musicians in NY….What do we want? Justice For Jazz Artists!

I think whoever wins the election means nothing for us musicians. We still have to continue to fight for our rights with or without our union!

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Event Recommendations: B’Earthday Celebration for Russell Maroon Shoatz in New York & Pittsburgh!

A TALE OF TWO CITITES: NEW YORK & PITTSBURGH…
BLACK AUGUST B’EARTHDAY CELEBRATION…
HONORING RUSSELL MAROON SHOATZ’S 70TH BIRTHDAY

maroon_the_implacable.inlineOn August 23 & 24th, 2013, from 7pm-9pm, the Campaign to Free Russell Maroon Shoatz, in collaboration with Scientific Soul Sessions, Movement in Motion, and Human Rights Coalition-Fed Up! will be hosting events in Pittsburgh and New York City to celebrate Maroon’s 70th birthday.

Maroon, who has spent close to 30 years in solitary confinement in the state of Pennsylvania, is a crucial symbol in the growing movement against the long-standing practice of solitary, which amounts to unconstitutional torture under international human rights law.

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Justice for Jazz Musicians – and Pensions?

(This is an informative commentary written  by one of my favorite jazz writers Nat Hentoff who’s been very supportive of the J4JA campaign for a while. I would like to share it with you. If you “like” it please distribute it in your Facebook page. – Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi, DooBeeDoo editor)

hentoffText by Nat Hentoff published by Jazzed (the Jazz Educator’s magazine)

December 17, 2012

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