A conversation about music, freedom of expression and the drive to be creative – accompanied by soup, Palestinian rap and Sudanese peace songs.
How dangerous can a song be? What is it that makes certain musicians so threatening for regimes and dictatorships that they are persecuted, imprisoned, tortured and even killed for their art? Why is it daring for some artists, composers and musicians to express a desire for freedom of expression? How do you keep the muse and the joy of creation alive when you are placed under extreme duress? These are some of the themes which will be discussed by the musicians Khaled Harara and Abazar Hamid in conversation with the leader of the organisation SafeMUSE, Jan Lothe Eriksen. In addition, we will serve up fine music, and delicious soup.
Khaled Harara, is a free flowing rapper from Gaza in Palestine and has been Gothenburg´s Official City Artist since 2013. Khaled was born in Yemen and lived as a refugee in Gaza. In Gaza he organised workshops for youth. The workshops fell foul of the authorities. Not only that, but his group Palestinian Unit and his arts organisation were also banned.
- Music is the most potent language of all. More powerful than any weapon. You can destroy the body, but not ideas, asserts Khaled Harara, who was forced to flee from Gaza after death threats from the authorities there.
Abazar Hamid, a voice for peace is now Harstad´s first Official Town Artist. In Khartoum he suffered both censorship and direct threats. He sought to use music as a vehicle for bringing peace in Sudan. He travelled round the country striving to bring about an antidote to traditional Arabic songs of hate. For this work and for his critique of the government he attracted a number of dangerous foes. He fled with his family from Sudan in 2008 in fear of his life and entered exile in Egypt.
Jan Lothe Eriksen is an initiator and project leader for the organisation safeMUSE which helps persecuted and threatened artists, musicians, authors and composers gain a platform for their work. It works in close collaboration with the freedom of expression campaign organisation Freemuse. SafeMUSE was a key player in bringing Abazar and his family to Harstad.