Recommendations of the Editorial team
Wolfgang Niedecken found clear words in Rust at the awarding of the Radio Regenbogen Awards: radio stations and media have to be more active in the fight against right -wing extremism – especially by adding more socially critical songs to the program. “The artists are actually just waiting for these songs to actually play on the radio,” said the 74-year-old in an interview with the German Press Agency. “But that doesn’t happen,” he added.
Wolfgang Niedecken has long been politically active
For decades, Niedecken has been using his stage not only for music, but also for social commitment. Already in 1992 he organized a large rally against neo -Nazis in Cologne with the Arsch Huh initiative (which means: getting up and opening your mouth) – over 100,000 people came to protest. He received the Federal Cross of Merit 1 for his commitment in 2013. But the BAP front man is also active apart from the music: As a special ambassador for the “Together for Africa” campaign, he is committed to educational and auxiliary projects, supports the children’s aid organization World Vision in the fight against the use of child soldiers in Uganda and is involved in prostitution.
Niedecken deliberately relies on targeted actions: “Wherever I can, I do something without inflating myself – that’s the feat.” But his balance sheet is critical. Without the outside support, a lot remains ineffective: “The media have to play along.”
Actions against the right – this band have set a sign
The doctors are a prominent example of musical commitment to the right. Her song “Scream for Love” from 1993, which is explicitly directed against neo -Nazis, experienced a revival through the “Aschloch” campaign in 2015 and, thanks to numerous supporters, again reached the top of the German charts. The dead trousers also positioned themselves with their song “Sascha… an upright German” against right -wing extremism. The revenues of the song were donated to an anti-racism campaign in Düsseldorf.
With the song “This is all covered by the freedom of art”, Danger Dan also set a strong statement against right -wing activities in 2021. The song went viral, landed in the charts – and ran on numerous radio stations. He hits a nerve between poetry slam, chanson and protest song.