Category Archives: Music Activism

Music activism will survive: 2 Vietnamese musicians sentenced to prison!

Text by Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi

It happened again last week in Vietnam: musicians – music activists are sentenced to prison because of telling the truth. Like the Pussy Riots three months ago Vo Minh Tri 34, whose stage name is Viet Khang, and Tran Vu Anh Binh, 37, were sentenced to 4 years and 6 years respectively in Ho Chi Minh City.

Both were convicted of “spreading propaganda against the state.” Viet Khang protested in his songs against the government’s soft policy towards China in a territorial dispute. A YouTube video of his song Viet Nam Toi Dau – Where is my Vietnam? (watch video below) became a big hit. And Tran Vu Anh Binh supported an imprisoned blogger, Nguyen Van Hai,  in the song Nguc Toi Hien Ngang – Courage In The Dark Prison. In this song Mr.Binh urges people to go on the streets in support of Mr. Hai and protest nonviolently.

Again the same situation which we have observed in different totalitarian countries recently: the government or regime of that country is trying to silent dissidents who have successfully used the Internet and social media, such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter,etc. to spread out anti-regime messages.

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Special Women Around Us: Pussy Riot Women Sentenced to 2 Years Yesterday!

Text by Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi

What I expected really happened yesterday. The Punk girls got their verdict, which they expected, because they knew what they were doing. As I said before: the Punk band members Maria Alyokhina, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Yekaterina Samutsevich were totally aware of their action and knew that public protests carried serious risks in Russia. They’re fortunate that they received support from outside and inside of Russia.

A quote from Tolokonnikova’s husband, Pyotr Verzilov”Whatever Putin wants, Putin gets. That is the only thing to say.”

I’m sure the story of this three women hasn’t finished yet. It’s the beginning of a movement without a name. The women proved that Russian (young) women have a voice which speaks for many people oppressed Russians: women and also men. I’m sure that they won’t stay in prison for a long time.

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Special Women around us: The Pussy Riot Trial in Moscow – read Yekaterina Samutsevich closing statement!

Text by Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi

I still don’t know what’s going to happen with the Pussy Riot women. Madonna and Sting did their best to get them out of jail. I hope that Yekaterina Samutsevich ‘s official statement, who’s a member of the band, clears things up in Russia. They are accused not only of hooliganism, but also of blasphemy, religious hatred and terrorism. They could be sentenced to seven years in prison. I disagree with those accusations and believe they just did, what any Russian would do, who is progressive political conscious. All the young three women are concerned about their country and use music as a media to spread out their message. They had the courage to speak out and knew that public protests carried serious risks in Russia. I wish the best for them.

If you don’t know anything about the Pussy Riot, please read my post about them here.

Text from the Russian blog http://olenskae.tumblr.com/ or http://olenskae.tumblr.com/post/29137327674/yekaterina-samutsevich-closing-statement-at-the-pussy

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Special women around us: punk music achieves an uproar in Russia – Pussy Riot are still in custody in Moscow!!!

Text by Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi

Three young Russian female punk musicians, members of  a Russian feminist punk-rock collective the Pussy Riot, were arrested March 6 after a performance on the altar of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior of the Russian Orthodox Church in Moscow, February 21, 2012. Two weeks before March’s presidential vote, in which they asked Mother Mary to deliver Russia from Putin’s third presidential term. Maria Alyokhina (24), Nadezhda Tolokonnikova (23) and Yekaterina Samutsevich (29) performed a punk public prayer  and an anti-Putin song  “The Virgin, Putin banish.” They are accused by the authorities  of “hooliganism.” The three women were totally aware of their action and knew that public protests carried serious risks in Russia.

The lyrics (taken from the video below)

The virgin, Devo, Putin banish
Putin banish, Putin banish

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A short introduction of a music activist and a citizen of the world: Daniel Barenboim

Text by Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi

The Argentine-borne Israeli Daniel Barenboim is something special in the world of western classical music: he uses music as a platform to unite opposing parties. He isn’t afraid of performing or conducting aesthetically and politically controversial composers, such as Richard Wagner, Arnold Schoenberg and others. For example in 2001 he did something unbelievable by conducting Wagner in Israel. I couldn’t believe it when I heard about it. By many Jews he was hated for that, but he didn’t care.

He is not just a musician, conductor, educator, but also a musical activist. He has his own political views and is not afraid to express them in his music and choice of music materials. He supports the Palestinian rights and is an outspoken critic of Israel’s right wing governments. He is against the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories.

In 1999 the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra was founded by Barenboim and the Palestinian-American intellectual Edward Said. The idea was to bring a group of young classical musicians together every summer from Israel, Iran, the Palestinian territories, and European and Arab countries to demonstrate that music can unite musicians from opposing countries to collaborate peacefully. This orchestra’s purpose is to promote mutual reflection and understanding.