Buzz
Even the most brutal tyrants have an affinity for music and performance. If you manage to captivate someone with the political power that can determine life or death, you might just elevate your career—unless your performance is so disastrous that it costs you your life.
10. Johannes Heesters
Johannes Heesters, a Dutch-born German singer and actor, became a beloved figure in Nazi Germany, cherished both by the public and the Nazi elite. His role was to uplift troop spirits and foster an illusion of joy during the chaos of war. He performed for Adolf Hitler and German soldiers, and controversially, it is claimed that he also performed for the guards at the Dachau concentration camp. When Heesters starred in Hitler’s favorite operetta, The Merry Widow, the Führer himself hailed him as ‘the best Danilo I have ever seen.’
After the war, Heesters was never formally accused of propaganda and maintained a prominent cultural presence in postwar Germany and Austria. However, in his native Netherlands, his reputation was severely tarnished, seen as a puppet of the Third Reich. In 1964, during a performance in Amsterdam as Captain Von Trapp in The Sound of Music, he was forced to quit when audience members rose and made Nazi salutes in protest.
Heesters was said to be dissatisfied with the way he was treated. He wrote:
What wrong have I done? Sure, I acted in films during the Third Reich, films that helped distract countless individuals within and outside Germany from the harsh realities of wartime. Yes, I sought to build a career, and I distinctly remember how many people in the Netherlands were proud of my success in the vast neighboring country. But aside from my career—and the fact that, through no fault of my own, Adolf Hitler happened to be one of the admirers of my craft—what wrong have I done?
However, he didn’t win many friends when he described the barracks at Dachau as 'just a typical barracks' in 1978, despite its prominent role in the Holocaust. In a 2008 Dutch television interview, Heesters referred to Hitler as 'a good guy.' His wife quickly corrected him, reminding him that Hitler was the greatest criminal in history, to which Heesters replied, 'I know, doll. But he was kind to me.'
9. Composers of Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte had a deep appreciation for music, viewing it as the art form that 'exercises the greatest influence upon the passions, and is the one which the legislator should most encourage.' However, he despised both English and French music, believing that only Italians were capable of creating great opera. His favorite composer was Giovanni Paisiello, whom he invited to Paris in 1801 to compose and conduct for his private orchestra. Although Paisiello initially hesitated to leave his beloved Naples, he was eventually persuaded to do so in order to improve French-Neapolitan relations. While in Paris, he composed the opera Proserpine, which Napoleon enjoyed, but which failed to impress the Parisian audience. Paisiello used his wife’s struggles with the climate as an excuse to return to Naples, though he went on to compose for Napoleon’s coronation and continued to send the French ruler a 'sacred composition' each year on his birthday.
Another Italian composer whose career greatly benefited from Napoleon was Gaspare Spontini, who had gained notoriety for his controversial libretto La Vestale, a tale of a romantic relationship between a virgin and a high-ranking military officer. In 1809, Napoleon commissioned or suggested Spontini’s next opera, based on the conquistador Cortez, as part of a propaganda effort for his intended invasion of Spain. Unfortunately for Spontini, the invasion was unsuccessful, and the opera was withdrawn from the stage due to political embarrassment. It was later rewritten and reintroduced in 1817, captivating audiences with an onstage cavalry charge and an exploding fleet of Spanish ships.
8. Anita Page
The renowned film star Anita Page became famous for her portrayals of tough, hard-drinking women. She was so captivating that in 1929, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini sent her a stream of love letters. In 2000, she recounted the experience to a reporter for The Guardian:
Oh, darling, his letters were so sweet, so gushy, and actually quite touching. He clearly adored what he saw on screen—me. [ . . ] He admired the films first, then me. Or perhaps my role in those films drew him in initially. My hair seemed to be a big factor—it might have appeared messy, but that was the intended look. He even once asked for a piece of it. I remember my mother wanted to send him a picture of me playing tennis.
Irving Thalberg, the vice president of MGM and someone who had fallen for Page, was infuriated by the letters. The studio feared a public uproar over her playful communication with the dictator, so she was instructed not to reply. However, her mother went behind her back, forging her daughter's signature on a photograph for Mussolini, which only encouraged him further. She ended up sending Mussolini 20 more signed pictures of her daughter, and MGM estimated that over 100 letters from Mussolini were received.
Page’s daughter, Linda, shared her thoughts on the matter:
Let's reflect on this. His letters were far from formal; he lovingly addressed her as his darling, sweetheart, and dearest, showering her with praise, calling her both talented and tremendous. It’s clear Mussolini was smitten. He seemed to track every move she made in the films he watched her in. While mom was undeniably beautiful, I believe he also admired her boldness. I’d venture to say that 'Broadway Melody' was his favorite. Later, when Mussolini aligned with Hitler, Grandma Pomares became upset and felt guilty for the time she had pretended to be Anita.
7. Choi Eun Hee
In 1977, South Korean actress Choi Eun Hee was doing her best to keep the Anyang Performing School afloat amidst financial difficulties when a man from Hong Kong named Wang Dong Il reached out to her. He first suggested she could open a similar school in Hong Kong, and then sent her a script, offering her the role of director. Although she was hesitant at first, Choi was enticed by the potential paycheck. She called her ex-husband, director Shin Sang Ok, who questioned why anyone would want her as a director without experience, but Choi dismissed his concerns, thinking he was simply jealous, and decided to accept the offer.
In Hong Kong, Wang treated Choi to lavish meals, but after three days, she began to feel uneasy as their conversations had barely touched on business and two Chinese men had been following her around and taking her pictures. Later, the Hong Kong company’s director and manager took her out to dinner, joined by an older woman named Mrs. Lee and a 12-year-old girl. Choi grew close to Mrs. Lee, who mentioned that an influential acquaintance of hers wanted to meet Choi at his home in Repulse Bay. When Choi agreed to meet him, she was instead taken onto a boat and told it was just a short 16-kilometer (10-mile) ride to the friend’s villa. But when she hesitated, two men grabbed her and forced her aboard.
A man on the boat called out Choi’s name, prompting her to ask how he knew her. He answered by saying he was from Chosun, the North Korean name for Korea. With a somber tone, he told her, 'Madame Choi, we are now heading to the bosom of General Kim Il Sung.'
Choi was forcibly taken under the instructions of Kim Jong Il, with the goal of revitalizing the North Korean film industry. She wasn’t made aware of this mission until after she was used to deceive her ex-husband, who had traveled to Hong Kong searching for her. While on his way to dinner, he was rendered unconscious with chloroform. In 1983, Kim Jong Il revealed the plan to them.
The filmmakers in the North are simply going through the motions. They lack any innovative ideas. Their works are filled with repetitive expressions, the same redundant themes, and old-fashioned plots. Every film is filled with nothing but tears and wailing. I never instructed them to create such portrayals.
Shin was appointed as his new director, and Choi became the star of his films. They worked under the regime’s control for several years before escaping to Austria in a bold move years later.
6. Sarah Kyolaba
As a young teenager, Sarah Kyolaba Tatu Namutebi Amin left secondary school to join the Suicide Mechanised Regiment’s army band as a go-go dancer. She became well-known for her dynamic dance performances. In 1974, at the age of 19, while performing with the band in Masaka, she caught the attention of dictator Idi Amin. He commanded Director of State Research Lieutenant Colonel Francis Itabuka to quickly transport her to the capital via helicopter. It was reported that there was an altercation with a man claiming to be Kyolaba’s husband, but he was dismissed by security forces.
Idi Amin visited her grandfather to seek approval for marrying Kyolaba, and she became his fifth wife, reportedly his favorite. Throughout their marriage, he is said to have played the accordion while she entertained him with her dancing. Occasionally, he would reciprocate by dancing for her while singing his favorite songs.
5. Bossa Combo
When Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier rose to power in Haiti, his initial policies aimed at liberalizing the country attracted foreign aid and temporarily restricted the feared Tonton Macoutes secret police. This led to the revival of Haiti’s nightlife and the emergence of the mini-djaz musical style. Duvalier also funded a group called Bossa Combo, dubbed the “orchestra for the president.”
Accounts from the time describe a young Jean-Claude arguing with his father about the volume of his stereo, highlighting his early support for music. Before becoming president, he became involved with Bossa Combo. Later, he allocated funds for the band to purchase instruments and record their debut album. One account recalled: “A band like Bossa Combo used to be Jean-Claude Duvalier’s property, right? He was the bandleader, and he even played with them, his large stomach and all. Whenever he wanted them to perform, whether for his own pleasure or for his friends, he’d say, ‘Go call my band for me.’”
Bossa Combo’s close association with the Duvalier regime made them unpopular within the Haitian diaspora, leading to a tepid reception during their first tour in the United States. When Duvalier was exiled in the mid-1980s, the group, having lost their patron, rebranded themselves as Big Band Bossa in an attempt to attract a new fan base in New York and Miami. However, their efforts faltered due to a lack of interest in their style of music in the U.S.
4. Ismail Hussain
In 1993, Uday Hussein, the son of Saddam Hussein, took control of a media empire that included Iraq’s most popular television station and the Voice of Iraq FM, which played Western music despite the Baath party’s official ban on such broadcasts. As the so-called “Music Czar,” Uday had the authority to approve musicians whose songs were deemed sufficiently “patriotic” and pro-Hussein, while he also had the power to intimidate and persecute artists he disapproved of.
Musician Ismail Hussain, who was once favored by Uday, was interviewed by The New York Times in 2003. He recalled performing for Uday while he was intoxicated on Hennessy and shooting machine guns:
He would aim the guns right above my head, and the bullets would fly everywhere. [ . . .] I kept singing right through the flying bullets, I couldn’t hear the music anymore. I just kept singing because I couldn’t stop. You just don’t stop. I would sing until dawn or until Uday decided it was over.
Ismail recalled that Uday favored fast, energetic, and romantic dance music, while his father Saddam preferred “nomadic and gypsy music.” After falling out of favor with Uday, Ismail left Iraq, first for Jordan and then Canada. When asked if he had ever been friends with Uday, he responded:
We never shared a bond of friendship. And perhaps, that was for the better. Because, in the end, he ended up killing his own friends. I never witnessed it firsthand, but it was common knowledge. We would often hear about people who had too much to drink, hit their heads, fell off bridges, or had some other misfortune. They would just vanish, and no one would ask why or how.
3. Maria Yudina
Maria Yudina, the pianist favored by Stalin, found herself in a remarkably rare position: she could openly rebuke the dictator without fear of being sent to the gulag. Stalin first heard her play Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23 on the radio and demanded a copy. The radio station employee who received the order promised to fulfill it but realized the broadcast had been live. In haste, Yudina and an orchestra were summoned from their sleep to record it again. The first two conductors were so nervous they couldn’t continue, and a third was urgently needed.
By the time morning arrived, the record was ready, and Stalin couldn’t distinguish it from the original live performance. As a result, Yudina received a letter containing 20,000 rubles, and in her response, she wrote:
I thank you, Joseph Vissarionovich, for your generous assistance. I will keep you in my prayers, asking the Lord to forgive your significant sins against the people and the country. The Lord is merciful, and I believe He will forgive you. I have donated the money to the church I attend.
In the deeply atheistic Soviet Union, sending such a confession directly to Stalin was essentially a death sentence. However, miraculously, Stalin read the letter and then simply set it aside without comment. His aides had already prepared her arrest warrant, anticipating the famous twitch of Stalin’s eyebrow that would indicate an execution order, but nothing ever came of it. When Stalin lay dying, it was said that Yudina’s performance of the concerto was playing on a record player near his bedside.
2. Ashgabat State Circus
Under the rule of dictator Saparmurat Niyazov, the once-thriving Ashgabat State Circus was banned, deemed a product of a foreign culture “incompatible with the Turkmen mentality.” After Niyazov’s death in 2006, his successor, Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, quickly reinstated the circus and lifted bans on other forms of entertainment previously prohibited, such as 3-D cinemas, lip-syncing, opera, and even gold teeth. The new regime invested $18 million into revamping the circus, including a new facade made of marble and granite.
In 2012, Berdymukhamedov, along with his grandson, visited the circus, where a group of children greeted him with the chant “Glory to the Protector.” He responded, “Glory to the kids, who live in an era of supreme happiness.” The children, as expected, echoed back, “Glory! Glory! Glory!” According to Turkmen state media, the president’s presence “inspired the circus artists to showcase all their skills and professionalism, and they did so brilliantly.” He then entertained the crowd with some dance moves before gifting the circus director a wooden box, allegedly containing $50,000 for the development of the Turkmen circus.
The state media reported:
The announcement was met with a wave of applause. Grateful artists expressed their sincere thanks to the President of Turkmenistan for such a generous gift, promising to dedicate themselves to advancing the national circus school to the highest standards, aiming to enhance its global reputation. At the request of the circus specialists, the President of Turkmenistan posed for a group photograph with them to commemorate this remarkable occasion. Wishing the circus artists continued success, the President then departed the circus building.
1. Gulnara Karimova
Uzbekistan's president, Islam Karimov, has a particular fondness for one pop star: his daughter Gulnara Karimova, who performs under the stage name Googoosha. Despite being labeled as “the single most hated person in the country” by the US State Department, she has released music albums and videos in pursuit of international fame. American Security Project fellow Joshua Foust described her as: “Gulnara is almost a caricature of an evil mob princess: clever, aggressive, and ruthless without any remorse, and with truly stunning hair.”
While her father is notorious for his oppressive rule and brutal tactics, such as boiling his political rivals alive, Karimova received education at Harvard and worked for the United Nations, as well as serving as the ambassador to Spain before she pursued her pop career. She introduced a jewelry line, organized a charity concert with Sting in Tashkent, and featured in music videos with Spanish singer Julio Iglesias and French actor Gerard Depardieu. However, she also gained a reputation for predatory business practices, dominating industries like gold and natural gas.
After being implicated in a major Swedish corruption scandal involving a telecommunications contract and bribery, she managed a business empire that included TV stations and high-end boutiques. When she later portrayed herself as an opponent of the regime, many saw it as a calculated move after a clash with the country’s security forces. Eventually, she was placed under house arrest, where she remains to this day.
