The Weekly Digest: Tarbaby & Oliver Lake, Burma, French Satire, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain

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Thaddeus Mosley, Eric Revis, Nasheed Waits, Oliver Lake, Orrin Evans (L to R) Photo: Joe Edgar

Tarbaby Trio and Oliver Lake: Naked on Stage
In this interview conducted by Pittsburgh artist Thaddeus Mosley, the jazz trio discusses the meaning behind the name Tarbaby, how they ended up working with Oliver Lake, and their thoughts on performance (one should be naked up there), while mentioning a veritable catalog of influential jazz musicians, plus their favorite musicians from Pittsburgh.

The Tarbaby Trio and Oliver Lake performed in this year’s Jazz Poetry Concert, a premier cultural event hosted by City of Asylum Pittburgh.

Are Burmese Promises to Abolish Press Censorship Beyond Belief?
“Press censorship should be abolished in the near future,” said the Deputy Director-General of Burma’s Press Scrutiny and Registration Department. To get an insider’s perspective on the censorship chief’s statement, Sampsonia Way contacted Cho Tu Zaw, a Burmese writer and film director, and Maung Wuntha, the editor of the Rangoon-based political journal People’s Era.

‎”[Burmese officials] always talk like this. We will give you press freedom, but you must accept ‘responsibilities’ along with press freedom.”

A cover from satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. Click image to view slide show

Slide Show: French Satirical Magazine Charlie Hebdo
The French satirical magazine was firebombed just before a special edition “guest edited” by the Prophet Muhammad appeared on newsstands. Take a look at a collection of past covers from Charlie Hebdo.

“We are Being Cheated:” Saudi Arabian Filmmakers Detained for Film on Poverty
On October 16th, three video bloggers from Saudi Arabia were detained because of a documentary that they produced on poverty in Al-Jaroudiya, a district in the capital of Riyadh.

Censored: Copwatch France
Copwatch Nord-Paris IDF, a website that publicizes incidents of police brutality and misconduct, has been blocked in France. The site has been charged with defaming and putting at risk the safety of police officers.

Bahrain: Facebook posts are synonymous with illegal assembly, incitement, and disturbing the peace
In Bahrain, the use of Facebook and Twitter have become a convenient digital paper trail for government officials to expel and prosecute perceived offenders and protesters in accordance with Bahraini Emergency Laws.