From: owner-believers-digest@smoe.org (believers-digest) To: believers-digest@smoe.org Subject: believers-digest V8 #70 Reply-To: believers@smoe.org Sender: owner-believers-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-believers-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk believers-digest Friday, May 7 2004 Volume 08 : Number 070 In Today's believer's digest: ----------------- Fw: Pete Seeger , Symbol of Justice at 85 ["auerworld" Subject: Fw: Pete Seeger , Symbol of Justice at 85 Thought there might be people interested in this. - ----- Original Message ----- From: To: Sent: Wednesday, May 05, 2004 11:34 PM Subject: Pete Seeger , Symbol of Justice at 85 > Pete Seeger , Symbol of Justice at 85 > > Submitted to Portside > > by John Pietaro > > Befittingly, just as the workers' commemoration of > May Day winds down, Pete Seeger celebrates another > birthday. Perhaps the only complaint is that Pete, > the personificartion of radical politics in music, > was not born but two days earlier! > > Since 1940, Pete Seeger has been a tireless > performer of the protest song, focusing his > strongest efforts on that music which was created > by, for and about, the so-called common man. The > product of a Left-wing composer/musicologist father > and a classical violinist mother, Pete almost > singlehandedly resurrected, of all things, the 5- > string banjo and its application as a fiercely > American instrument derived from African origins > and developed by the sweat and blood of workers: > slaves, indentured servants, the poor. In his wake, > the 5-string banjo developed into an icon during > more than one "folk revival", first withstanding > elite dogmatism from within the Left, and then > the Right-wing assault of McCarthyism. Even Bob > Bylan's decision to go electric. No matter what, > Pete and his music were always there. Are always > there. > > Pete Seeger early on developed a strong kinship > with the political Left, slowly moving in as > progressives began to look about them and came to > understand that a US radical art must reflect > those its trying to reach. He began performing > for various events of radical Labor unions, > Communist-aligned cultural organizations, anti-fascist > collectives, American Labor Party rallies and then > later on in strong support of the civil rights, > environmental , women's and peace movements. But it > was at the dawn of the 1940s, that Seeger > developed a partnership with Woody Guthrie in > several ventures, including inviting the latter to > join his group The Almanac Singers. The Almanacs, > credited with being the first urban folk-protest > group, begat The Weavers, a more defined ensemble. > The Weavers played to wider audiences but never > lost their progressive vision or call for activism, > even during such dangerous times as the reactionary > 1950s. And then, Pete sang for college students > and children, when no one else cared to > listen...or, rather, when the Blacklist deprived > others of his talents. And when he could not > sing for them, he sang for the trees and forest > life about him. Seeger was hell-bent on allowing > music to touch deep, whether as a weapon or as a > healing force. Uniquely, he almost always achieved > both simultaneously. > > By the time folk music became an area of > commercial success for the record business during > the 1960s, Seeger was seen as a founder, an elder, > but still a contemporary. If the forces of > reaction shut him out of broadcast television or > commercial radio, his voice resounded loudly as a > songwriter. Pete's songs "Turn, Turn, Turn", "Where > Have All the Flowers Gone?", "If I Had A Hammer", > "The Bells of Rhymney", among others, were smashing > successes for other artists, all of whom paid > tribute to the composer (or co-composer, in some > cases) during their performances. As has been widely > reported, it was left to the Smothers Brothers > and their silly, irreverant but cutting- edge > television program, to break the Blacklist. When > the networks refused to allow Seeger on to perform > his "Waist Deep in the Big Muddy", a stinging > anti-war song driven by Pete's grinding 12-string > acoustic guitar, the Brothers fought back. It may > have been a death-blow for their show, but they > ultimately prevailed; Seeger was seen by millions on > that historic night and the Blacklist, this > terribly fascistic device used to silence so many, > was effectively killed off. > > During the course of his career, which will not > be written of in past tense, Pete Seeger has spread > the important messages contained in his core > belief system. In addition to the above listed > songs, he was composer of so many other topical > works. Perhaps more importantly, Seeger has made it > a mission to keep the older songs of struggle > alive, even through adversity. In performances all > over the world, Pete presents the songs of Woody > Guthrie, Labor bard (and martyr) Joe Hill, songs of > the slaves and the Native Americans, the Wobblies, > the immigrants, the farmers, the factory workers, > the lost union songs and those of many cultures. > It was his performance of Jose Marte's > "Guantanamera", including a section in which he > translated the beautiful poetry of the great Cuban > writer, that led to its popularity. Pete taught us > traditional songs of the Spanish Civil War--in > Spanish. He sang the praises of Leadbelly, who > never got to hear his song "Goodnight Irene" > become a Weavers hit in 1951. Huddie "Leadbelly" > Ledbetter had died the year prior, but Seeger > made sure that his widow would continue to receive > royalties, as he did for the family of Solomon > Linda, the originator of "Wimoweh" (NOT 'The Lion > Sleeps Tonight', Seeger always reminds us; this song > was not written for the Tokens who had the hit with > it, but by and for African people awaiting the > symbol of the lion to avenge the terrible > atrocities committed on that continent by > imperialists). > > Pete Seeger, this man who performed with Woody > Guthrie in migrant camps, who helped organize unions > via music and conviction, who sang for peace when > it was not popular to do so and then fought the > fascists as a member of the US Army; > > this man who founded The Almanac Singers, The > Weavers, People's Songs, People's Artists and stood > onstage with Paul Robeson during the concert which > became known as "The Peekskill Riot"; > > this man who braved the House Un-American > Activities Committee, who marched with Dr. King, who > inspired the formation of The SNCC Freedom Singers, > who is credited as one of the composers of "We > Shall Overcome", who sang against and powerfully > protested the Viet Nam war, who made 'Broadside' > magazine possible, who acted as a guide to the > environmentalist movement, who helped to physically > re-build the Sloop Clearwater and engage in the > clean-up of the Hudson River, who laid the path > for so many and whom has never stopped fighting > for justice should be seen by all as a symbol, > not just a singer. > > Pete's songs are truly the story of 'the folk', > and so they tell the people's story. Long before > Howard Zinn wrote his 'A People's History of the > United States', Pete Seeger sang it. Whether he's > explaining just whom Casey Jones the Union Scab > was or asking the question "Which Side Are You > On?" or telling of the women workers' struggle in > "Bread and Roses" or engaging in Leadbelly's story > of racism that brings about "The Bourgeious > Blues", or singing the mournful anti- war "The > Crow on the Cradle", or offering an introspective > celebration of the earth in "Sailing Down My Golden > River", its all about us. All of us. > > During the course of 45 years, Pete has not > relented. Though his performances are few and far > between these days due to the effects of aging, > his activism remains constant. Though he may > refrain from solo singing much of the time, he > revels in leading groups, particularly large > audiences, in song. And when he is asked to serve > as a guest speaker for a Labor, peace or other > human rights cause, he always does so with musical > instrument in hand. Pete Seeger stands then, now > and always as the very model of the cultural > worker. Taking the distant advice of Joe Hill, he > recognized long ago that more can be said in one > topical song than in a hundred pamphlets. But, > even in silence, Pete's philosophy can be > understood by anyone who gets close enough to > read what he long ago adorned on his banjo head: > 'This Machine Surrounds Hate and Forces It To > Surrender'. > > Happy 85th birthday, Pete Seeger. May you continue > to grace us with your message and your presence > for many years to come. > > In Solidarity, > > John Pietaro > > Following is an announcement from the producers of > WBAI-FM's 'Building Bridges' program and their Pete > Seeger special... > > -----Forwarded Message----- From: Ken Nash Sent: May 2, > 2004 2:16 PM To: ken nash Subject: Building Bridges - > Pete Seeger Birthday Special > > Normal 0 > > Radio WBAI?s Building Bridges: Your Community & Labor > Report > > Produced & Hosted by Mimi Rosenberg & Ken Nash > > Monday, May 3, 2004, 7-8 pm EST, over 99.5 FM > > or streaming live at > http://www.2600.com/offthehook/hot2.ram > > ******************************************************* > *************************** > > Happy Birthday to Yah Pete Seeger > > Join Building Bridges to Celebrate Pete on his birthday > on May 3rd. Pete Seeger musician, singer in the > forefront of the labor movement, the struggle for civil > rights, the peace and anti-war movements, and the > fight for a clean world > _______________________________________________________ > > portside (the left side in nautical parlance) is a news, > discussion and debate service of the Committees of > Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism. It aims to > provide varied material of interest to people on the > left. > > For answers to frequently asked questions: > > > To subscribe, unsubscribe or change settings: > > > To submit material, paste into an email and send to: > (postings are moderated) > > For assistance with your account: > > > To search the portside archive: > HELP! owner-believers@smoe.org Send mail to believers@smoe.org Susan's CD's are available on your desktop at World Cafe CDs http://worldcafecds.com ------------------------------ End of believers-digest V8 #70 ****************************** ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------- This has been a posting from the Susan Werner believers-digest To unsubscribe send mail to Majordomo@smoe.org with "unsubscribe believers-digest" in the body of the message