War On Gaza: German Club Cancels Gig By FrenchLebanese DJ Over ProPalestine Views
Berghain, a German nightclub known for its global techno scene, was accused of canceling an artist's concert due to pro-Palestinian sentiment.
French-Lebanese DJ Arab Panter was about to perform in Berlin last Friday when he was told his show would be cancelled.
The DJ took to Instagram to express his frustration at being silenced over his comments.
“Tonight I was supposed to play with Berghain for the first time at his Ritmo Fatale label party. “Berghain has decided to cut short my career with Arab Panther because of my pro-Palestinian stance,” said the DJ.
“To avoid negative publicity, Berghain has decided to cancel the evening and close the club this Friday, January 12, 2024, citing “renovation work” as the official reason for all booking agents.
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“A week after the public announcement, they again expressed their concerns.”
The DJ's work reflects and speaks of the desire for peace and justice and is filled with Arabic scales and Middle Eastern instruments.
Arab Panther, who often appears on stage in a black Middle Eastern keffiyeh, said his agent had been informed of the real reason for the cancellation. Berghain apparently objected to the cancellation of the pro-Palestinian artist's event, and told other artists that the club section would be closed due to "unexpected construction work." This club is open every Saturday and Sunday evening.
I guess in connection with October 7th they faced pressure from customers or threats from above, perhaps from the government or internal authorities.
- DJ Panther Arab
Berghain asked Arab Panther's agent not to reveal the exact reason for the cancellation, but his representative refused.
Despite repeated attempts to speak with Berghain and discuss the matter directly, the club refused to cooperate with the artist.
“I think in connection with October 7 there is pressure from customers or threats from above, perhaps from government officials or internal authorities,” Arabian Panther said in Resident Advisor, an online music magazine and electronic music community platform. .
“But the way they handled the whole situation by telling Kendall [the agent] to lie and not respond to my requests to reach an agreement was disgraceful.
“Perhaps they took this decision to protect a part of their population that provides benefits to society from the dangers that befall Arabs and Palestinians” (this is about me, not the other way around). Club, it would be a big sign for me to play at this place. "
DJ opposed apartheid
This is not the first time that clubs in Berlin have banned musicians from playing their music because of their pro-Palestinian stance.
In 2020, another popular Berlin club, ://about Blank, canceled an event organized by a band that refused to provide a statement supporting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.
The author’s separation from the German publisher for “Silence in Gaza” resulted in a significant loss of income.
Learn more"Pro-Israel sentiment is not unique to Berlin. In May 2021, the Institute for the Future, a “progressive electronic music club” in Leipzig, held a concert in collaboration with Israel.
The German-based club scene is often faced with a growing number of international DJs and party scenes.
In 2021, the popular series Buttons://About Blank announced that it was severing ties with the site due to its pro-Israel stance.
“There's always something underground that doesn't fit with our philosophy of radical acceptance,” Buttons said. “It is no longer possible to accommodate the communities we want to accommodate, given their attitudes towards Israel,” adding that the club features Palestinians, DJs and people of color.
Events such as Buttons, Gegen, Cocktail d'Amour, Part 4 Resistance, and Leken brought the German music scene into greater political consciousness.
In 2021, they launched a campaign entitled “Berlin Nightlife Workers Against Apartheid” to highlight Germany's involvement in the oppression of the Palestinian people.
Many artists on the German electronic music scene are leading a cultural boycott of Israel.
In 2018, #DJsForPalesine was founded, supported by renowned artists such as Ben UFO, Black Madonna, Call Super, Caribou and CL, and committed to ending the ongoing apartheid regime in Israel.
“We need to reach a point where more artists, especially from the south, think about excluding artists from other German institutions who do not have a clear stance against colonialism.” »
-DJ Zuhur
Last September, ://about Blank published a controversial new book of essays on the topic of “anti-Semitism.”
The book Judenhates Underground argues that "accusations of anti-Semitism are counterproductive" in the electronic music world "because they conflict with our image of the 'progressive party world'."
The book shows the basic German political stance that unconditionally supports Israel's actions. However, this opinion is not controversial in the electronic music scene.
“We need to reach a point where more artists, especially from the south, think about boycotting other German institutions that do not take a clear position on colonialism, racism and censorship,” he said recently. Interview. “It's a tool for anti-racist and anti-fascist artists.”