Chances are, the 90-day travel ban so suddenly imposed by the Trump administration in late January on travelers that strictly limited arrivals from Iran and six Arab countries in the Middle East and Africa won’t affect the music touring business. At least not right away, especially with last month’s decision by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which rejected the administration’s bid to reinstate the travel ban. In either case, expect an on-again/off-again legal melee on the subject in the months to come and the uncertainty will continue. However, it’s always the unintended consequences that get you.
The music that comes out of that region is a footnote in the grand scheme of things, and Iraqi or Sudanese musicians aren’t making much of a mark over here at the moment (although that kind of thing is always just one Paul-Simon Graceland away from happening). But that’s not the point. The point is that restricting the ability of musicians to tour, to move around the world, in the process making a living and cross-pollinating local music cultures, is simply just not good business, especially for a business for which travel is literally existential.
Travel Bans — Past and Present
The travel ban, which is ostensibly limited and intended to allow more intense vetting of those wishing to come here from certain countries, is reminiscent of other bans aimed at certain groups of people, to inoculate us from their “harmful” influences. Not surprisingly, these have included plenty of musicians. Amy Winehouse was banned twice from the U.S. due to minor drug-possession and assault-related offenses, though she still managed to win five Grammy Awards during the first absence (performing via satellite for the 2008 broadcast). The other ban, where her work visa was nixed due to assault charges, kept her from performing at Coachella in 2009.
Another case was in 2010, when Bob Dylan was kept from performing in China because Beijing feared his message could undermine their authority with the country’s young. (From her show on a Shanghai stage in 2008, Icelandic singer Björk had startled Chinese authorities by shouting one word, “Tibet,” twice, after performing her song, “Declare Independence.” Tougher restrictions on potentially risky artists and artistic expression ensued.) And back in 2004, Muslim convert Cat Stevens (a.k.a. Yusuf Islam), a U.K. citizen, was put on a U.S. no-fly list, resulting in missed and canceled concerts. (That ban was lifted in 2006.)
But at least they had some notice, and that’s a big part of why this is such a problem. If President Trump had given agency professionals 30 days to review his order on exactly who could go or not go where, he could have avoided the confusion at airports, not to mention the media hysteria and the protests. It was the suddenness and the unpredictability of the order that caused most of the initial uproar and will leave the largest lingering concerns.
Looking at the Big Picture
It’s also the beginning of a potentially slippery slope for any artistic endeavors that depend on being able to predictably and efficiently travel internationally on strict schedules and have to pull in elements and players from around the globe. On top of these are the industrial pitfalls. More western sound-reinforcement providers have established operations in the regions affected by this ban. Pro audio companies are doing the same. Last year, saw the first Prolight + Sound Middle East trade expo, held at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre. It hosted 37 exhibitors from 11 countries, more than 120 brands, and drew over 1,577 visitors from 50 countries. Our industry is looking at this region as a place of growth and opportunity. Meanwhile, our government looks at it as the equivalent of a leper colony. That sets the stage for Chinese and other Asian pro audio manufacturers and service providers to step in, even as cargo and other transport services in the region start “losing” a lot of American carnet and visa documents.
Music Industry Questions Ban
Instances like these might be what are motivating some in the live-music industry to question whether the Trump administration’s travel ban might have deeper consequences. The management of the South By Southwest event, which takes places this month, issued a statement in January calling the ban intolerant.
“We stand against discriminatory laws and unequivocally support civil rights for all persons everywhere,” the event organizers said. “Participation by speakers, artists, and filmmakers from around the world is crucial to the creative mix of ideas that makes our event meaningful.” In other words, actions like the ban might not immediately impact you, but it begins a pattern of abuse that will eventually find its way to your doorstep.
The travel ban has compelled at least one SXSW artist, Raam Emami, of Iranian rock project King Raam, to cancel his appearance at the festival, according to Billboard, which also reported on a number of artists from the affected countries already in the U.S. who are unsure if they would be let back in if they were to leave, despite the fact that they have valid green cards and travel visas.
Back in 2003, the Dixie Chicks voiced a comment from a London stage about then-President Bush’s decision to invade Iraq. Their career then proceeded to fall off a cliff, leaving them shunned by country radio, which is literally the oxygen of that genre. This time, there is a growing league of touring music artists, including Tegan and Sara, Chuck D, KT Tunstall, John Legend, St. Vincent, Billy Bragg, Arcade Fire’s Win Butler and others, who are making their feelings known. What a difference a decade or so makes. Donald Trump earned the enmity of musicians almost from the beginning, during his election campaign, by appropriating songs from artists who found his message and/or methods loathsome. By the time of the inauguration, the entertainment committee was perilously close to running out of people willing to perform for it.
Practically speaking, the chances of this ban having an immediate meaningful effect on music or even theatrical touring is negligible. There’ll be the odd orchestra or troupe that ends up short a clarinetist or vocalist in the next few months as a result of having the wrong passport in the wrong airport, green card or O & and P visas notwithstanding. (In fact, that already happened: a Norwegian tenor horn player scheduled to compete in a national competition with Eastern Iowa brass musicians in early March was informed she couldn’t travel to the U.S. because she has dual citizenship in Norway and Iran, despite having been born in Norway. The Trump administration reversed its position on dual citizenship visas even before the courts blocked the 90-day ban, and Paniz Golrang was given the green light to attend.) But long term, the seeds of the kind of distrust that businesses are built on have been planted.
Certainly, there’s a long history of friction between the West and the Middle East. But if any industry and community depends on free trade and the ease of movement globally, it’s the music-touring business. It’s not “just” politics.
