Musician political prisoners in Spain

Subject: Musician political prisoners in Spain
From: Jack Campin
Date: 21 Feb 18 - 05:52 AM

The rappers Pablo Hasel and Valtonyc are both in prison, with substantial sentences, for political statements in their songs (and in Hasel's case, Twitter posts which don't even begin to approach Trump's in offensiveness).

https://www.facebook.com/Absolucionpablohasel

https://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Spain-Supreme-Court-Sentences-Rapper-Valtonyc-to-3.5-Years-In-Prison--20180220-0030.html

I guess the rap community is onto this, but it needs to be known more widely.

Subject: RE: Musician political prisoners in Spain
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Feb 18 - 07:05 AM

Musicians are murdered every year in Mexico Jack. It needs to be known more widely.

Journalists

https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2017/12/22/572822696/number-of-journalists-killed-in-mexico-reaches-historical-high-report-says


Everyone

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-12-24/mexico-murders-hit-record-high-with-23,101-people-killed/9284686


Took Musicians


https://www.buzzfeed.com/norbertobriceno/bone-chilling-murders-of-mexican-folk-musicians?utm_term=.tmJNbmW55#.euzXRk133

Subject: RE: Musician political prisoners in Spain
From: Jack Campin
Date: 21 Feb 18 - 09:54 AM

OK, but Mexico is a US neo-colony (hence an American responsibility) and Spain isn't. The UK is still part of international bodies that can and should hold Spain to account over this.

Subject: RE: Musician political prisoners in Spain
From: Jack Campin
Date: 23 Feb 18 - 07:44 AM

The latest victim is a clown accused of insulting the police:

http://elmon.cat/politica/jutge-imputa-delicte-dodi-resistencia-greu-al-regidor-sant-joan-vilatorrada-jordi-pesarrodona

More from the NYT:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/21/world/europe/spain-art-censorship-catalonia.html

The NYT doesn't say who the 12-member band in prison are. Anybody know?

Subject: RE: Musician political prisoners in Spain
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 23 Feb 18 - 08:43 AM

Seems to be rap band La Insurgencia
https://www.facebook.com/somoslainsurgencia/


During the trial, the Prosecutor?s Office argued that the songs of La Insurgencia ?advocate a violent method to combat a system that [the accused] consider unfair?
?Now it?s time to appeal to the Supreme Court,? said Sa?l Zaitsev, one of the condemned members of La Insurgencia. But this will take years and meanwhile 12 people have their destroyed because some government members don?t like their lyrics. And of course many other artists will take note and self censor their work.

The case has been judged by the same Court that sentenced to 12 years in prison M?nica C. and Francisco S. for the detonation of a ?large firework? in the Basilica of Pilar in Zaragoza, and is seen as part of the judicial processes against the supposed anarchist terrorism that led to the now discredited and abandoned Pandora and Pi?ata massive police operations.
https://thefreeonline.wordpress.com/2017/12/15/musicians-face-prison-for-subversive-lyrics/




"They just want us to stop singing or start self-censorship."

Some of the 'offending' lyrics come from songs like Pepe, in which the group praise Jose Balmon, the leader of the Communist Party of Spain who was imprisoned for alleged links to violent group GRAPO, which he denies.

The lyrics read
-we will defeat them,
we will win,
we will do it for the fallen,
Pepe.-

?It does nothing but increase the list of prisoners who have been put behind bars for their ideas in Spain. The repression that has been raging and is taking place these days with the Catalans who demand a right as basic as voting, is the same repression that has been suffered by numerous groups, peoples, organizations, artists and activists since the Franco regime.?<>http://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2017/12/07/marbella-rapper-sentenced-to-two-years-over-rap-lyrics-says-spain-is-returning



~~~~



Discogs lists of about 50 musicians who have been inside
drugs ... murder ... tax evasion(not a folk musician) ...

https://www.discogs.com/lists/Artists-who-have-served-or-are-serving-time-in-prison/126001?page=1&limit=100

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Subject: RE: Musician political prisoners in Spain
From: Jack Campin
Date: 24 Feb 18 - 06:27 AM

From the Independent:

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/rapper-jailed-lyrics-spanish-royal-family-valtonyc-josep-miquel-arenas-beltran-a8226421.html