Music thrives in post-Qaddafi Libya

Music thrives in post-Qaddafi Libya
Music thrives in post-Qaddafi Libya

Music thrives in post-Qaddafi Libya

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Libya’s vibrant music scene was crushed when Colonel Muammar Qaddafi came to power. He insisted on handpicking which artists could be heard on the radio. Music about politically sensitive topics was off limits. As a result, many artists were sidelined or silenced. Things began to change during the revolution, as music played a prominent role in helping to drive out the Qaddafi regime. Libyan-American hip-hop artist Khaled M just returned from Libya, where he was helping to redevelop the country’s cultural infrastructure. He tells Jerome McDonnell and Morning Shift and Radio M host Tony Sarabia about which artists to watch.