as us takes aim at immigration musicians feel the pinch
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today
Arab Today, arab today
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today

As US takes aim at immigration, musicians feel the pinch

Arab Today, arab today

Arab Today, arab today As US takes aim at immigration, musicians feel the pinch

Iraqi-American Dena El Saffar
Austin - Arab Today

Before he staged a professional comeback last week, the rapper Kayem had disappeared from public life for two years.
A US citizen by birth who remembers his relatives’ suffering at the hands of Muammar Qaddafi’s regime in Libya, he was lying low on legal advice after the US authorities crippled his career by putting him on a no-fly list. He blames profiling for the scrutiny he receives at airports.
“I’ve been on lockdown,” the rapper — who used to go by Khaled M. — said at South by Southwest, the pre-eminent global media and cultural festival in Texas where he made his reappearance.
After initially planning to wait until summer, he changed his mind after President Donald Trump issued a ban on travelers from seven Muslim-majority countries in January, raising fears of future travel headaches.
Although courts subsequently suspended the ban — along with a second revised version this month — the new culture under the Trump administration is seriously complicating many travelers’ lives.
At least eight foreign performers were turned away attempting to travel to the US for South by Southwest. And among those artists who were able to play, worries are growing about how tougher immigration rules will affect their careers and the music world more broadly.
Despite the suspension of Trump’s travel bans, the president has vowed to ramp up enforcement of existing rules.
Cherine Amr, lead singer of the Egyptian-Canadian metal band Massive Scar Era, which was turned away at the border, said being denied access to US events represents a massive impediment for artists.
“Any musician here knows that in order to make it in the music business — especially for the metal scene — you have to make it in US,” she wrote on Facebook.
The festival itself was not immune from criticism. South by Southwest’s artist contract said festival officials would potentially work to deport those found violating visas it sponsored.
Some artists criticized the clause in an open letter for being tone-deaf to the political moment at best.
“In light of recent attacks on immigrant communities, this practice is particularly chilling,” they said.
South by Southwest said it has never assisted in the deportation of any artist and would review its artist contract for 2018. Artists say music provides emotional connections with people who might not otherwise be exposed to foreign cultures — especially under the current climate.
Dena El-Saffar, who was born in the US and explores her Iraqi heritage through music, says it provides a way to “diminish boundaries between people and cultures.”
For rapper Emmanuel Jal, a former child soldier from South Sudan — which is not affected by Trump’s travel ban — music helps “represent the voices of those people who are not getting heard.”
“My country’s still at war. People are still dying, kids are in refugee camps,” he said.
“If I run away from representing their voice, I run away from a responsibility.”

Source: Arab News

arabstoday
arabstoday

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

as us takes aim at immigration musicians feel the pinch as us takes aim at immigration musicians feel the pinch

 



Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

as us takes aim at immigration musicians feel the pinch as us takes aim at immigration musicians feel the pinch

 



GMT 21:30 2017 Tuesday ,10 October

N. Korea hacked Seoul's war plan: report

GMT 02:19 2017 Wednesday ,25 October

Feb20/Mar20

GMT 00:26 2017 Saturday ,04 March

Real Madrid legend Raymond Kopa dies aged 85

GMT 07:48 2017 Friday ,20 January

Brazil's Temer regrets death of Supreme Court judge

GMT 02:45 2017 Friday ,03 November

Trump taps Jerome Powell to lead US Federal Reserve

GMT 17:34 2017 Friday ,10 February

The top nominees at the Grammy Awards

GMT 08:43 2016 Tuesday ,01 November

Lebanon elects Aoun president, ending two-year vacuum

GMT 09:37 2016 Tuesday ,06 December

Asian stocks rebound

GMT 04:32 2017 Tuesday ,01 August

Venezuela's Maduro rejects 'imperial' US sanctions

GMT 17:25 2017 Wednesday ,11 October

Close call: passing asteroid to test

GMT 13:36 2016 Monday ,22 August

NASA's newest space mission

GMT 23:19 2017 Tuesday ,14 November

UAE ranked top economy in the GCC

GMT 15:20 2017 Tuesday ,18 April

'Skinny bundles' step up challenge to US Big Cable

GMT 02:06 2017 Sunday ,12 March

Tillerson speaks to Bahrain king on phone

GMT 09:56 2012 Wednesday ,01 August

I do not fear challenges
Arab Today, arab today
 
 Arab Today Facebook,arab today facebook  Arab Today Twitter,arab today twitter Arab Today Rss,arab today rss  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
arabstoday, Arabstoday, Arabstoday