Egyptian band beats censorship via YouTube
The band Cairokee has used YouTube as a platform to publish its new album after a state censor banned it, prompting critics to ask whether such censorship has any point in the age of the internet.
CAIRO — Egyptian rock band Cairokee did not give up when the General Authority for Censorship of Works of Art on July 2 banned the sale of their new album “A Drop of White.” Why would they, when there is an alternative outlet in the form of YouTube? The YouTube launch of their 11-song album on July 11 was a resounding success. One song, “Al-Kayf,” ("Fix") has been viewed over 6 million times since its internet launch.
"Al-Kayf" was the most popular song in Egypt in July, even after Egyptian pop superstar Amr Diab released “Meaddy El Nas” ("Passing People"), which has still failed to match the YouTube hits of "Al-Kayf" since the release of Diab’s album July 20.
"Al-Kayf" was not the only successful song on the album. “Wrong Way Blues” has been watched over 4.5 million times, the title song “A Drop of White” 2.7 million times, while “Cease-Fire” and “I Thought There Was Still Time” each have received well over 1 million hits. So far, songs on the album have been viewed on YouTube over 24 million times.
But why did the censorship authority ban the album?
