If you’ve been following current events you may be aware of China’s opposition to Google’s decision to end its censoring of search results in the country—unfortunately, they’re exchanging one form of censorship for another: The Chinese Ministry of Culture has refused permission for Bob Dylan to play his scheduled dates in Shanghai and Beijing this month, the Guardian reports. This has led to the canceling of shows in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and South Korea (though Dylan was previously able to complete the Japanese leg of his tour).
According to promoter Jeffrey Wu, Chinese “officials ha[ve] become more cautious since Björk, the Icelandic singer, chanted ‘Tibet! Tibet!’ after performing a song called “Declare Independence” in Shanghai in 2008.” Wu, of Taiwanese promoters Brokers Brothers Herald, said that “What Björk did definitely made life very difficult for other performers. They are very wary of what will be said by performers on stage now.”
On a brighter note, Dylan (the composer of the forthcoming My Own Love Song soundtrack) now has the entire month of April off until his tour resumes late next month in Greece.