JTMP

Colorlines.com: Las Cafeteras Bring Activism and Good Music to SXSW

Las Cafeteras category

MAR 26, 2013 -Today's featured activist musicians that JTMP are spotlighting are Las Cafeteras, who "met in 2005 as students at free Son Jarocho classes at the Eastside Cafe in Los Angeles. The group says they use the folk music from Southern Veracruz, Mexico, as a tool to build autonomy, community and solidarity."

Read more on ColorLines.com here. Watch video of a performance by Las Cafeteras below of the traditional song, "La Bamaba" spiced up to reflect their activism.  (photo credit: LasCafeteras.com)

Yoko Ono Tweets Pics of Glasses John Was Wearing When He Was Shot

MAR 22, 2013 - Yoko Ono, in an effort to get behind sensible gun legislation, has tweeted pictures of John's glasses he was wearing the night he was shot by a handgun, along with statistics of gun deaths and violence. The pictures are very moving, and show blood stains on the glasses. Check out the pictures at Yoko Ono's Twitter page. JTMP recommends everyone contact their Congress Member and Senator and tell them you support sensible gun legislation, such as universal background checks, a ban on military-type assault rifles, and a ban on high-capacity magazines.

Yoko Ono Tweet 1 category

Michelle Shocked shows cancelled after her anti-gay rant

MichelleShocked BellyUp 2010 RKeaton category

MAR 20, 2013 - Several Michelle Shocked shows have been canceled after the singer, who has been known to "speak her mind" in the past, went on an anti-gay tirade the other night. Fans are outraged, and the blogosphere has not been kind to her. She was actually somewhat of a "gay icon" at one time, but not anymore after this stunt. Even after she tried to  distance herself from her remarks, it looks like she may have burned a bridge. Check out the juicy details at Queerty.com here, and start up a discussion and tell us how you feel about this on our Justice Through Music Facebook Page here. Abby Huntsman from HuffPo Live has a video on the story below.  (photo credit: CC/RKeaton)

Pearl Jam honors soldiers legacy with Last Letter

Tomas Young category

MAR 20, 2013 - Pearl Jam and MoveOn.org have launched a campaign on the 10th anniversary of the Iraq War, to read and share a letter from an Iraqi vet who had to fight this immoral war. Pearl Jam's spokesperson Nicole Brandenburg said,"Our brave and incredible friend Tomas Young is dying. He asked us to pass along Chris's story along with his letter in the hope that --  as uncomfortable as it is -- people will take a moment to look death in the eye and remember him and the many others like him as more than a war statistic." The brave Iraqi War veteran  is Tomas Young, and he penned a letter to former Vice-President Dick Cheney and former President George W. Bush criticizing the decision to go to war with Iraq, as he lies dying from a bed in hospice care. He writes:

"I write this letter, my last letter, to you, Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney. I write not because I think you grasp the terrible human and moral consequences of your lies, manipulation and thirst for wealth and power. I write this letter because, before my own death, I want to make it clear that I, and hundreds of thousands of my fellow veterans, along with millions of my fellow citizens, along with hundreds of millions more in Iraq and the Middle East, know fully who you are and what you have done. You may evade justice but in our eyes you are each guilty of egregious war crimes, of plunder and, finally, of murder, including the murder of thousands of young Americans—my fellow veterans—whose future you stole."

To help out soldiers like him, contact and pressure your representatives to direct more funding to veteran care, and one can also help out by donating to the Wounded Warrior Project which helps out disabled veterans. For more information and to read the letter in full, check out TruthDig.com. Also, check out a great article about Tomas Young by Chris Hedges on TruthDig.com here, , and finally, check out the full MoveOn.org Iraq War campaign here. Pearl Jam's website also shares Tomas' letter, and also points out the 2007 documentary titled, "Body of War" which followed around Tomas Young and can be viewed on Netflix and purchased; read more on Pearl Jam's website here.

Share this letter with your friends, and join the conversation on Justice Through Music's Facebook Page here: http://www.Facebook.com/justicethroughmusic

BoiseWeekly SXSW Music Meets Activism When You Get Upset

category

MAR 18, 2013 - A group of activist musicians took part in a "Raise Your Fists: Music Meets Activism" panel discussion at a recent SXSW event, including Mikel Jollett of The Airborne Toxic Event and Mike Mills of REM and shared their thoughts on how being a musician and an activist can change the world. Mikel Jollett said, "You don't have to be a huge band, you just have to be upset and want to do something."  (photo: Mikel & Anna TATE - Credit: CC/Sake209)

Read more on BoiseWeekly.com here.

Popular

Subscribe

spot_imgspot_img