Singing can be a very dangerous activity in West Papua. In 1984 the bloated bodies of musicians Arnold Clemens Ap and Eddie Mofu were washed up onto a beach. They’d been tortured and killed by the Indonesia military. In 2001, Sam Kapissa died in suspicious circumstances, described officially as food poisoning. Many West Papuans believe… Read more »
Music Review
Peter Hicks and Geoff Francis – Music is our weapon
Peter Hicks and Geoff Francis are creative dynamos. The couple, who are both members of Socialist Alliance, live in the small rural community of Pelverata, south of Hobart. From this quiet home base they make a lot of beautiful noise! Hicks, a well-known performer on the folk music scene, also directs the Tasmanian Grassroots Union… Read more »
Making music: The Bread & Roses of Life
Facing the Music is a cinema verité type documentary on the music department of Sydney University. Shots of intense-looking students playing classical music. Passionate lectures on Beethoven. You might think that this is an odd kind of film for a radical paper to review. But it’s not. Facing the Music shows in detail, which is… Read more »
Funky Feminist Fights Hip Hop Hate: A Tale of Two Rappers
Eminem, aka Marshall Bruce Mathers III, is white, male and famous. The hip hop “artist” from Detroit sings about raping his mother, brutally murdering women and terrorising gays and lesbians. Sarah Jones is black, female and a little-known underground artist. She raps against sexism, using her talents as a powerful wordsmith to answer all misogynists… Read more »
The Times We’ve Been Through : Music for the Times We’re Going Through
Ever found yourself singing along to a catchy tune and then blushing with embarrassment when the actual reactionary meaning of the lyrics dawns upon you? I confess, I have! There’s no danger of that when you listen to the new Peter Hicks CD. The Times We’ve Been Through, is full of catchy tunes guaranteed to… Read more »
