Shoot the Singer!

From gangsta rap to narcocorridos and beyond, this unique book is the first worldwide presentation of contemporary cases of music censorship. With an accompanying CD of banned music from around the world, the book also includes a discussion of the causes, methods and logic behind contemporary attempts by governments, commercial corporations, and religious authorities to prevent people from hearing certain kinds of music and, in particular, the content of particular songs. Cases come from a surprisingly wide range of countries, including Israel, Turkey, North Korea, Mauritania, Mexico, France, South Africa, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Cuba, and the United States, and more. In addition to presenting a large number of specific instances, this volume also explores the logic behind these concerns–including two instances where censors explain, in their own words, what they were doing–and the implications of a digital world for music censorship in the future.