Latest news with #DuduTassa
Times
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Times
Free speech! But only for the people on ‘our side'
Another compelling week in the ever-flexible world of free speech. Its great champions, Reform, got in across swathes of England and immediately set about banning all flags bar the Union Jack, the St George's Cross and county insignia from flying over its town halls. Nothing rainbow, nothing woke, nothing in support of Ukraine, obviously. Turns out Reform is very much up for free speech and expression, providing the words and opinions chime with its own. This is how free speech plays in our illiberal world. The same folk who are outraged by the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel shutting down concerts by Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead and Israeli musician Dudu Tassa want Kneecap to be removed from the Glastonbury bill
Telegraph
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Pro-Palestinian activists' cultural vandalism is making our society poorer
There's been no loud clamours for freedom of expression this time. The music industry isn't signing petitions either. Irish band Kneecap is so fashionable that the slightest hint that they should maybe be banned from this year's Glastonbury festival summoned the likes of Paul Weller, Primal Scream and Radio 1 DJ Annie Mac to suddenly announce their commitment to artistic freedom. But when it comes to the cancellation of Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood, they've appeared to have lost their voices. Greenwood's crime was planning to appear with Jewish Israeli musician Dudu Tassa. That Dudu – whose grandfather was a famous songwriter in Iraq in the 20th century – is singing in Arabic with Arabs, and the pair's mission is to revive Arab songs from the last 100 years makes no difference: such were the violent threats against the two venues they were due to perform in, London and Bristol, it was decided it would not be safe. Another victory chalked up for the 'pro-Palestine' brigade. This new type of tyranny affects us all. In the last few weeks, we've seen our cultural and our sporting life attacked by frothing extremists whose violent threats have been indulged for far too long. Last month, an under 21s netball competition in Cardiff was cancelled because of threats resulting from the inclusion of an Israeli team. Europe Netball said it had been forced to cancel for the 'safety and wellbeing' of everyone involved. A few days later, the World Bowls Tour in Aberdeen – with bolstered security after it had been previously cancelled because of the inclusion of Israelis – was attacked when protesters took over the venue with Palestinian flags and released cockroaches into the area of play. Israeli supermodel and actress Gal Gadot, meanwhile, had to stop filming in London last week as she was dogged by protesters shouting through loudspeakers and banging drums like naughty toddlers desperate to get their way. There doesn't even have to be Israelis or British Jews involved. These cos-playing revolutionaries, with their masks and their red paint, almost held up the London Marathon's elite runners by dropping paint over Tower Bridge. They've hijacked degree award ceremonies, attacked art venues, theatres and – of course – there are the regular demonstrations which take over central London. 'Intimidating venues into pulling our shows won't achieve the peace and justice everyone in the Middle East deserves', said Greenwood and Dudu about their cancellation, adding it would be 'hailed as a victory by the campaigners but we [...] don't find that anything positive has been achieved.' The failure of our authorities to stand up to these people diminishes us as a nation – and it will slowly eke away at our culture and freedoms. There's a grim irony that the very week we remember those who fought the Nazis and secured our liberty from tyranny 80 years ago, we appear to be caving in to the people that want to take it away.
Times
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Radiohead star cancels concerts with Israeli musician after ‘threats'
Jonny Greenwood, the Radiohead musician, has cancelled two concerts with the Israeli performer Dudu Tassa after 'threats' by pro-Palestinian activists. The guitarist and keyboardist condemned 'censorship' and 'intimidation' for the decision to pull out of the concerts in London and Bristol next month. 'The venues and their blameless staff have received enough credible threats to conclude that it's not safe to proceed,' Greenwood and Tassa said in a statement. 'Promoters of the shows can't be expected to fund our, or our audiences', protection.' Pro-Palestinian activists have previously urged Radiohead to cancel concerts in Israel ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP/GETTY IMAGES Pro-Palestinian campaigners have opposed the shows because they feature Tassa, an Israeli musician, and because their joint album, Jarak Qaribak, was partially recorded in Tel Aviv. The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel described the concerts as
Belfast Telegraph
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Belfast Telegraph
Radiohead star makes Kneecap comparison as his gigs are cancelled over ‘credible threats'
The guitarist and keyboardist has collaborated with Israeli-born rock musician Dudu Tassa for more than a decade, and the pair were due to perform at Bristol Beacon's Lantern Hall and London's Hackney Church in June, after releasing the record Jarak Qaribak in 2023.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Radiohead star Jonny Greenwood speaks out on cancelled shows with Israeli musician Dudu Tassa
Guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Jonny Greenwood was due to play two shows with Israel-born musician Dudu Tassa in the UK in June. However, the two have confirmed that the concerts at Bristol Beacon's Lantern Hall and London's Hackney Church will no longer go ahead after the venues decided it was "not safe to proceed". Greenwood and Tassa posted a joint statement addressing the cancellations: 'The venues and their blameless staff have received enough credible threats to conclude that it's not safe to proceed.' The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (Pacbi), a member of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, welcomed the cancellations, claiming the performances would have "whitewashed" the war in Gaza. 'Forcing musicians not to perform and denying people who want to hear them an opportunity to do so is self-evidently a method of censorship and silencing,' continued the statement by Greenwood and Tassa. 'Intimidating venues into pulling our shows won't help achieve the peace and justice everyone in the Middle East deserves. This cancellation will be hailed as a victory by the campaigners behind it, but we see nothing to celebrate and don't find that anything positive has been achieved.' 'We believe art exists above and beyond politics; that art seeks to establish the common identity of musicians across borders in the Middle East should be encouraged, not decried; and that artists should be free to express themselves regardless of their citizenship or their religion – and certainly regardless of the decisions made by their governments.' The statement also referenced the statement signed by more than 100 artists regarding Belfast rap trio Kneecap. UK politicians have been trying to pressure music festivals to remove Kneecap from festival line-ups this summer over alleged concert footage showing them calling for the death of Conservative MPs and appearing to support Hamas and Hezbollah. Quoting the artist's statement expressing 'opposition to any political repression of artistic freedom', Greenwood and Tassa said: 'We have no judgement to pass on Kneecap but note how sad it is that those supporting their freedom of expression are the same ones most determined to restrict ours.' Greenwood has collaborated with Tassa for many years, and released the album 'Jarak Qaribak' with him in 2023. Their statement also said: "We agree completely with people who ask 'How can this be more important than what's happening in Gaza and Israel?' They're right - it isn't. How could it be? What, in anyone's upcoming cultural life, is?" Greenwood also faced opposition from pro-Palestinian groups last year after performing with Tassa in Tel Aviv amid the war in Gaza. Greenwood reacted to the controversy at the time by writing: 'I've been collaborating with Dudu and releasing music with him since 2008 – and working privately long before that. I think an artistic project that combines Arab and Jewish musicians is worthwhile. And one that reminds everyone that the Jewish cultural roots in countries like Iraq and Yemen go back for thousands of years, is also important.' 'Anyway, no art is as 'important' as stopping all the death and suffering around us. How can it be? But doing nothing seems a worse option. And silencing Israeli artists for being born Jewish in Israel doesn't seem like any way to reach an understanding between the two sides of this apparently endless conflict.' Greenwood concluded: 'So: that's why I'm making music with this band. You're welcome to disagree with, or ignore, what we do but I hope you now understand what the true motivation is, and can react to the music without suspicion or hate.'
