{"id":243,"date":"2010-10-19T05:55:33","date_gmt":"2010-10-19T12:55:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/freedimensional.org\/?p=243"},"modified":"2017-04-03T06:44:01","modified_gmt":"2017-04-03T06:44:01","slug":"abazar-hamid-supporting-culture-in-the-face-of-injustice-world-policy-blog-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fd.artistsafety.net\/2010\/10\/abazar-hamid-supporting-culture-in-the-face-of-injustice-world-policy-blog-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Abazar Hamid – Supporting Culture in the Face of Injustice {World Policy Blog #1}"},"content":{"rendered":"
When his last album was censored and he received Ray Ban outlet<\/a> threats, Hamid and his family moved to Cairo, a city populated by Sudanese refugees. Hamid saw how many of his fellow Sudanese were in exile, and wanted to perform for them. But first he needed a work permit. The money generated from the concert would pay for his permit. It was a Catch-22.<\/p>\n FREEMUSE, an organization that helps oppressed musicians and composers, nominated Hamid to freeDimensional for help. fD granted him $200 for his work permit and Hamid was able to http:\/\/www.usofacomputers.com<\/a> set up his first performances in a local art space. This experience led to the creation of a Creative Resistance Fund, which gives grants to help and support artists in tyrannical regimes.<\/p>\n by\u00a0Vivian Lee<\/strong><\/em><\/em><\/p>\n<\/a>Abazar Hamid has a song hoping for peace in Darfur and a song with visions of a new Sudan\u2014two subjects that the government\u00a0won\u2019t allow on the radio<\/a>. Only his most innocuous tunes about love are allowed in public. All Hamid wants to do is reverse the deadly effects Hakama, the traditional Arab singers more locally known as the\u00a0Janjaweed women<\/em>, have on communities and on the conflict in Sudan. While Hamid sings about peace and love, Hakama singers go on about killing, raping and pillaging ethnic Africans.<\/p>\n