Hopefully the Egyptian MU will see that it makes no friends in the wider music world by applying such appalling discrimination against performers. Photo credit: Shutterstock
Mahraganat, is a music genre popular amongst young people in Egypt, and was born in the country’s poorest neighbourhoods. The FIM have publicly pointed out that for several years now, the Egyptian Musicians’ Union and its President Hani Shaker have systematically attacked the genre.
The union’s enforcement power allows it to ban from the Egyptian scene all artists deviating from its cultural and moral standards, with offenders exposing themselves to heavy fines and prison sentences.
MU General Secretary Horace Trubridge spoke out against the discrimination:
“The MU fully supports FIM and the other international organisations opposing this unacceptable prejudice. Hopefully the Egyptian MU will see that it makes no friends in the wider music world by applying such appalling discrimination against performers.”
The FIM is an umbrella organisation, of which the MU is a part of. A number of other international organisations have also signed the FIM’s statement, condemning the repeated attacks by the Egyptian Musicians’ Union on the fundamental rights of its members and urging it to break with these practices.
You can find out more on the FIM’s website.