Defending Music: A Right to Expression
Everyone has the right to music, both as a mechanism of expression and enjoyment. Freemuse, a Copenhagen-based international organization, established March 3rd as Music Freedom Day to advocate for musicians’ right to freedom of expression. According to Freemuse, artists should be able to carry out their craft without fear of oppression, imprisonment, or censorship. Since 2007, when Music Freedom Day launched, more than 100 partners and collaborators in 36 countries have joined the annual event. The combination of campaigns such as Music Freedom Day, silent diplomacy, and political developments has helped foster the release of artists around the world.
The right to freedom of expression is articulated in international agreements on human rights. It appears in Article 19 of both the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). It can also be found in Articles 27 and 15 of the UDHR and the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) respectively, convey one’s right to music. These articles include the right to freedom of opinion and expression via any media. They also include the freedom to participate in cultural life and enjoy the arts. These pieces of international law dictate musicians’ freedom to express themselves through their art, as well as the right of all people to experience music without fear or negative repercussions.
Despite its explicit protection in international law, the right to music remains in jeopardy today. In every region of the world, musicians are subject to persecution, censorship, and other threats to their personal safety. The statistics for 2021 noted 1251 violations in 103 different nations. These infringements included censorship, prosecution, oppression, and imprisonment. Freemuse breaks censorship down into four distinct categories: political, religious, corporate, and censorship against women. While the historical majority of violations are grounded in politics, there has been a significant rise in religiously motivated attacks on artistic freedom.
Establishing an Advocacy Day
Following a global conference on censorship held in Istanbul in 2006, Freemuse determined an international day of advocacy would be a valuable tool. This day could combat encroachments on musical freedom by providing an opportunity for local organizations and networks to organize around a specific cause. Thus, advocates established March 3rd, 2007 as the first annual Music Freedom Day. Journalists around the world conducted interviews with suppressed musicians and with radio executives endorsing censorship. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) was one of the most enthused partners. They dedicated a week of programming to the event, featuring productions addressing censorship and a documentary on musical freedom. Freemuse also collaborated with a number of radio networks including the Daily Times Pakistan, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Iraqi National News Agency, and Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation. Quotes from these programs and interviews became publicized in the mainstream media across the globe.
The international platform has greatly expanded in the years following the establishment of Music Freedom Day. The event serves as a platform to coordinate with international musicians, organizations and corporations. It encourages the inclusion of diverse cultural mediums and styles in the promotion of one like cause. The web of nations collaborating on the event now reaches every region of the world, with particularly notable networks in Africa and the Middle East. The event features a diversity of expressions such as:
- Radio and television agendas. These are modified to include interviews with censored musicians, as well as programs discussing censorship and the freedom of expression.
- Exhibits and demonstrations. These have acted as publicity measures, like Afghanistan’s release of 1000 red balloons over Mazar-i-Sharif to convey the nation’s love for music.
- Seminars and roundtables are common events. A Polish organization, Indeks 73, hosted a public debate on “music freedom and freedom in music” in 2010.
- Concerts are prevalent, celebrating the freedom of music around the world. They have featured artists such as exiled Sudanese musician Abazar Hamid, formerly imprisoned Turkish singer Ferhat Tunç, and Norwegian Sami musician Mari Boine.
Music Freedom Day 2016
On Music Freedom Day 2011, Freemuse released three new songs from imprisoned musician Win Maw. These had been smuggled from his detention center in Burma. In 2016 they released a playlist of 60 songs that had previously been censored. The day is frequently dedicated to regional events or causes, including the deaths of persecuted artists or activists, tumultuous ethnic conflict, and ongoing revolutions.
Freemuse dedicated the event in 2016 to victims’ memories from the November 2015 terrorist attack at the Parisian Bataclan Theatre. Nearly 90 audience members were killed while listening to a rock concert. Music Freedom Day 2016 was an advocacy tool for the right to both perform and listen to music without fear. This goal was complemented by the widespread promotion of the 2015 documentary “They Will Have to Kill Us First.” The documentary is based on the 2012 militant group Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO). This group put a total ban on music in Mali, modeled after the Taliban’s comparable initiative in 1990’s Afghanistan. The film follows several Malian musicians who, though forced to live in exile, still manage to perform their craft with fervor. On Music Freedom Day the documentary was either screened or broadcasted in 55 nations around the world.
The Impact of Music Freedom Day
The organization of a day of advocacy is an easily promotable, far-reaching event that can encourage collaboration between a wide variety of social groups. It can incorporate the use of both local initiatives and media. Music Freedom Day has proven to be a flourishing tool in raising awareness for the rights of musicians in an increasingly polarized world.
Despite fluctuations caused by variable local funding and engagement, the number of nations involved with the event overall has increased fivefold since its initial organization by Freemuse in 2007. It now reaches every region of the world and a wide array of diverse societies and cultures. Means used to increase awareness have expanded from radio broadcasts to television, podcasts, seminars, demonstrations and live music. By continuing to engage local organizations and media, Freemuse intends to broaden their reach even further. While violations may still occur, Music Freedom Day has been an effective tactic to stimulate the enduring celebration of music around the world. It does this while also raising awareness for campaigns which advocate on behalf of threatened and imprisoned musicians.
About Freemuse: Founded in 1998, Freemuse documents infringements on the rights of musicians around the world. Since 2011 Freemuse has broadened its scope to include projects advocating freedom of all artistic expressions. It initiated the global network Artsfex for the protection of artistic freedom. Freemuse collaborates with associates around the world to incorporate their research in nations’ Universal Periodic Reviews to the United Nations Human Rights Council.
