“Not everyone is lucky enough to have a microphone in front of them, so if you have the chance to talk, you have to say something important” Music and activism have strong connections and Serge Martin Bambara — aka "Smockey", meaning “se moquer”, or “to mock” – is the one of the most exciting performers merging the two today. 13th April marked the day Smockey became the inaugural Music in Exile fellow at the annual Index on Censorship Freedom of Expression Awards at the Unicorn Theatre in London, with a live performance of his popular tracks. The award was presented by Martyn Ware, founder member of the Human League and Heaven 17. The hip-hop artist may be little known outside his home country, but he has had an impressive impact on political and social development in Burkina Faso, both through his music and campaigning. He has also suffered the destruction of his recording studio, the acclaimed Studio Abazon, which was firebombed during the attempted coup in September 2015. Soldiers fired two anti-tank rockets into the building, according to reports. Smockey combines rap with traditional Burkinabé music and humour to “spread truth”. “Knowledge is important, and I write as a way of presenting it to the people,” he told Index on Censorship. “Musicians often put their heads above the parapet to speak about issues that governments would rather ignore,” said Jodie Ginsberg, CEO of Index on Censorship. “Smockey has used his music to expose endemic corruption and fight for democracy. We are delighted to have him as the inaugural Music in Exile fellow.” The crowd-funded Music in Exile fellowship was launched in partnership with the team behind the new award-winning documentary covering threats to music in Mali, They Will Have To Kill Us First. The fellowship recognises musicians who perform despite enormous threats to their freedom. "We are so proud that Smockey has been announced as the first winner of the Music in Exile Fellowship. We started the Music in Exile Fund with Index on Censorship in order to empower other musicians who wanted their voices heard against oppression. The fund was possible due to the support of the audiences internationally who have donated generously after watching They Will Have To Kill Us First. We look forward to seeing Smockey grow further as an artist thanks to the support and guidance of the fellowship," said Sarah Mosses, producer of the film. Smockey first became interested in hip-hop music after listening to American artists like Public Enemy, Afrika Bambaataa and LL Cool J. He began rapping in Burkina Faso in 1988, before moving to France in 1991 to study. While there, he signed to the record label EMI, but it wasn’t until he returned to his country of birth on a holiday in 1999 that his music took on the political dimension it is famed for today. “It was around the time of the murder of journalist Norbert Zongo, who was assassinated following investigations into the activist by president Blaise Compaoré,” he said. “Student demonstrators were being beaten by police. It was very disturbing to me.” Smockey soon packed up his computer and keyboard in France and moved back home to Burkina Faso in 2001. “Seeing the things going on in my country, I had to do something,” he said. “At the time, I didn’t know exactly what, but I knew it would involve music.” “Not everyone is lucky enough to have a microphone in front of them, so if you have the chance to talk, you have to say something important,” Smockey said. This is the thinking behind subversive songs like Votez Pour Moi (about democracy), Tomber la Lame (FGM) and A Qui Profite le Crime (government corruption). In the summer of 2013, Smockey co-founded Le Balai Citoyen (The Citizen Broom) with reggae artist Sams’K Le Jah. The grass-roots movement was set up in opposition to then president Blaise Compaoré. Le Balai Citoyen played a big part in the ousting of Compaoré. It urged the people of Burkina Faso to organise and take to the streets. Following mass demonstrations in late 2014, Compaoré resigned on 31 October after 27 years in power. A transition government, led by the military, was established. However, a military coup saw General Gilbert Diendéré — leader of the Regiment of Presidential Security (RSP), Compaoré’s former secret service — seized power in September 2015. The Music in Exile Fund is a joint project launched by Index on Censorship and the producers of the award-winning They Will Have To Kill Us First, a documentary about musicians in Mali where music was banned. The Music in Exile Fund will contribute towards Index on Censorship’s Freedom of Expression Awards Fellowship, which is a year-long structured assistance programme to support those facing censorship. The money raised will be used to support at least one musician or group per year, beginning with Smockey. As the Music in Exile fellow, Smockey will receive training and opportunities to connect with other free speech heroes around the world. Index supports these activists with training on digital activism and other tools to stand up to the pressure of censorship and continue their battle for free expression around the world. The Index Freedom of Expression Awards recognise those individuals and groups making the greatest impact in tackling censorship worldwide. Established 16 years ago, the awards shine a light on work being undertaken in defence of free expression globally. All too often these stories go unnoticed or are ignored by the mainstream press.
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Arthur Beatrice are excited to announce details of a brand new track and the video for 'Every Cell’, the third to be lifted from their forthcoming second album, 'Keeping The Peace', released on 27th May through Open Assembly Recordings / Polydor Records. Recorded at London's The Church and Pool studios, and mixed by Dan Grech-Marguerat, Every Cell is one of three new Arthur Beatrice tracks to feature the Children of Kingdom Gospel Choir. The video was filmed at the world famous RAK Studios and directed by Josh Renaut. Watch the 'Every Cell' video HERE To celebrate Record Store Day on the 16th April, 'Every Cell' will be made available as a standalone limited edition vinyl release. The record will be backed by an exclusive vinyl-only re-work from the Mister Saturday Night-signed Nebraska. Mastered and cut by Matt Colton at Alchemy, the beautiful baby-blue coloured 12” will also feature original artwork from Anthony Gerace. Every Cell is arguably the standout track of a second record brimming with invention by this consistently evolving young British band. It’s a multi-layered song that doesn’t comfortably slip into easy categorisation, drawing influence from a diverse and eclectic range of artists, yet sounding wholly fresh and exciting. In support of Keeping The Peace’s release, Arthur Beatrice follow their twin sell-out shows in London and Paris last month with a European tour. Kicking off in Brighton on the 24th May and concluding on the 4th June in Amsterdam, the eight-date tour also calls at London’s Scala on the 25th May, Arthur Beatrice’s biggest headline show to date. Tickets for all shows are on sale now via http://www.online-presence.info/#live Arthur Beatrice Live: Tues 24th May - Bleach, Brighton Wed 25th May - Scala, London https://www.facebook.com/arthurbeatrice/ Letlive.'s fourth studio album entitled 'If I'm The Devil…' will arrive on June 10. With a sound that Afropunk described as "the first truly unique post-hardcore band in years," Letlive. is a band that reflects humanity as a collection of emotional, frontal-lobe beings, and uses their ambition to ignite the same passion with their fans. 'Good Mourning, America' fuses political lyricism with the urgency of punk, rhythms of hip hop, and avant-garde noise: Check it out here Since their beginning in 2002, Letlive. has been a band that is not easy to categorise. In fact, Letlive. refuse to be constrained by the ideas of a "scene" – whether it is punk, metal, indie, rap. However 'If I’m the Devil…' necessitates a genre, one could posit revolutionary counterculture music - a punk rock Run the Jewels, a more emotional Rage Against the Machine, and Public Enemy with more inclusive politics. The album is the follow up to Letlive.'s critically-lauded 2013 release, ‘The Blackest Beautiful’. And the time spent between that and 2016 are defined by the band's engagement with the griot lineage of Saul Williams and Ta-Nehisi Coates, the deaths of Eric Garner and Mike Brown, the social pathologies that led to Ferguson, Missouri and divisive redlining policies that are functionally domestic terrorism. And with those ideas Letlive. is a band that aims to bring political messages into rock music again. “Our music is very left-leaning. It’s very clear I have a large disdain for the way a lot of systems are working and our society’s incapability to unravel," front man Jason Butler states. Pre-orders for ‘If I'm the Devil…’ are available here letlive. – ‘If I'm the Devil…’ - Track Listing: 1. I've Learned To Love Myself 2. Nü Romantics 3. Good Mourning, America 4. Who You Are Not 5. A Weak Ago 6. Foreign Cab Rides 7. Reluctantly Dead 8. Elephant 9. Another Offensive Song 10. If I'm The Devil... 11. Copper Colored Quiet UK & European Tour Dates 21st April – Sound Control – Manchester, UK – SOLD OUT 22nd April – The Dome – London, UK – SOLD OUT 23rd April – The Underworld – London, UK – SOLD OUT 24th April – Fighting Cocks – Kingston, UK – SOLD OUT 26th April – Dynamo – Eindhoven, Netherlands – Tickets 27th April – Hafenklang – Hamburg, Germany – Tickets 28th April – MTC – Cologne, Germany – Tickets 30th April – Groezrock – Meerhout, Belgium – Tickets https://www.facebook.com/theletlive/ Platinum-selling enigmatic band, The Lumineers, released their highly anticipated second album, "Cleopatra", the follow up to their multi-Grammy-nominated, self-titled debut. Today, "Cleopatra" shot straight to the top of the iTunes charts around the world and currently sits at #1 in the US, Canada, Australia, Ireland, plus #2 in the UK, New Zealand, Norway to name just a few territories. To celebrate the album release, the band has just announced a string of exclusive in-store performances throughout the UK as well as a landmark takeover of Spotify's homepage. The Americana pack-leaders are surprising fans by holding a series of intimate gigs and signings at HMV stores across the UK. The first performance at HMV Oxford Street, London will kick off their UK return, just 24 hours before their sold out opening headline show in Bristol. Please visit http://www.hmv.com/hmvlive/the-lumineers for details on how to attend. IN-STORE PERFORMANCE & SIGNINGS Wed Apr 13, 6-7.30pm - HMV, 363 Oxford Street, London Fri Apr 15, 1-2.30pm - HMV, Argyle Street, Glasgow Tue Apr 19, 1-2.30pm – HMV, Manchester Images of the in-store performance to follow. For further detail and information on how to attend please visit http://www.hmv.com/hmvlive/the-lumineers HEADLINE UK 2016 TOUR DATES: Thur Apr 14 – Bristol, O2 Academy – SOLD OUT Fri Apr 15 – Glasgow, Barrowlands – SOLD OUT Tue Apr 19 – Manchester, Albert Hall – SOLD OUT Sun Apr 24 – London, O2 Brixton Academy – SOLD OUT www.thelumineers.com Music legend Eric Clapton has reunited with famed producer Glyn Johns for his forthcoming 23rd studio album "I Still Do", set for release on May 20, 2016 on his Bushbranch Records / Surfdog Records. Clapton and Johns – who has also produced albums for The Eagles, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and The Who – most famously worked together on Clapton’s iconic "Slowhand" album, which is RIAA-certified 3x-platinum and topped charts globally. The 12-track record includes some original songs written by Clapton. This album follows his last release, the 2014 chart-topping Eric Clapton & Friends: The Breeze, An Appreciation of JJ Cale. “This was a long and overdue opportunity to work with Glyn Johns again, and also, incidentally, the fortieth anniversary of 'Slowhand'!” said Eric Clapton. The album’s artwork – a carefully crafted illustration of Clapton – is the work of esteemed artist Sir Peter Blake, whose previous art includes the co-design of The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album sleeve, as well as the Band Aid single “Do They Know It’s Christmas?,” Paul Weller’s Stanley Road and The Who’s Face Dances. I Still Do features Blake’s signature at the bottom right corner of the cover. After his time with the Yardbirds in 1963, Clapton began a career as a professional musician that has seen numerous bands, an abundance of albums, countless worldwide sold out shows, an impressive array of accolades, unwavering critical acclaim and his consistent display of legendary guitar work. Clapton’s career, has resulted in 18 Grammy Awards and the distinct honour of being the only triple inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. www.facebook.com/ericclapton ALBUM TRACK LISTING
MUSICIAN CREDITS: Eric Clapton: Guitars, Tambourine & Vocals Henry Spinetti: Drums & Percussion Dave Bronze: Double Bass & Electric Bass Andy Fairweather Low: Electric & Acoustic Guitar, Backing Vocals Paul Carrack: Hammond Organ & Backing Vocals Chris Stainton: Keyboards Simon Climie: Keyboards, Electric & Acoustic Guitar Dirk Powell – Accordion, Mandolin & Backing Vocals Walt Richmond – Keyboards Ethan Johns – Percussion Michelle John – Background Vocals Sharon White – Background Vocals Angelo Mysterioso - Acoustic Guitar & Vocals on “I Will Be There” ALBUM CREDITS: Produced by: Glyn Johns |
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