PETE SEEGER

"He has the gift to be simple" - talking about Pite Shigeru. And, apparently, the secret of his phenomenal success. Singer himself as a song - simple and understandable.

OA Feofanov wrote:

"At the concerts of Pete Seeger once installed relaxed atmosphere and a wonderful understanding between the singer and audience. And it seems that Seeger - one of the listeners, only he knows all the songs, knows how to sing, so he on the stage. His performances attract thousands of audiences. The workers call it a troubadour, having a brilliant ability to make them laugh or cry. Melodies of his songs are simple theme close to the audience and topical, and as soon as he begins to stamp one′s foot in time with his banjo, all in the hall also begin to stamp one′s foot and sing along to it.

In the thick knitted sweater, tall, thin, with a simple, not a Hollywood smile, he immediately has the audience to itself.

I like singing Seeger. His voice is smooth and pleasant. True, not all can Peet Shigeru. Experts say that if you only like blues, then you should not listen to Seeger. However, I do not know any white singer, who would be able to response to the black blues. And not all the songs Pete Seeger is good: sometimes on the plate between the two great songs you can find the groove with songs of trifles.

But this does not diminish the talent Seeger, folksingera number 1. His great skill can not be doubted, and its influence on modern song in the U. S. could be the theme of the thesis musicologist.

Immense repertoire of Pete Seeger. He sings songs that deride the American generals, stuck in the Vietnam War. He sings songs about the unity of workers, the hopes of ordinary Americans. He sings songs of the workers building the railroad, and the songs of miners. He sings and love serenades, and gentle lullabies. With warmth and penetration he sings old American ballads, and in his songs through the light on the sadness of the past times, when people lived on the ranch, in a quiet, idyllic world where everything was lit rest, "where it was rare to hear a bad word" . And then after this quiet, like light candles in the country house, the songs heard hammered accompaniment. Pete Seeger straightens his shoulders and begins to sing a song International Brigade fought in Spain in 1937-1938. This is followed by a song about Hiroshima, written by Siger on word Turkish poet Nazim Hikmet, and then abruptly, disturbing sound song about today.

The singer modestly called himself "an amateur who earns a living performance of folk songs. "

Peter Seeger was born May 3, 1919 in a musical family.

Photo — «Pete Seeger»

His father Charles - a musicologist, anthropologist, and mother - cellist. Since childhood he studied to play the banjo, ukulele and guitar. Being a teenager, he became interested in American folk music. For a while Pete worked under the guidance of renowned folklorist Alan Lomax.

Entered Harvard University in the late 30′s, he throws it and sent to wander the country in search of the rural folk music. Sam also performs these songs, sometimes getting a reward nemudreny lunch.

Significant impact on Seeger had Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger which met in autumn 1939 at a concert.

"I saw Woody - Pete Seeger says, - a small, undersized boy in a cowboy hat and boots, blue jeans, unshaven. He told one after another, stories and singing his own songs . . . I learned from him so much, I can not even enumerate all - especially his ability to become one of the most ordinary people to speak their language, without using fancy words and never be afraid, no matter what situation you may find themselves. Then we sang with him at union meetings, in churches, saloons, at parties. "

In 1941 in New York was founded commonwealth "Almanach Singers", whose mission - promoting the old and new folk songs, the organization of song performances for the youth and student audiences, Issue plates. Seager says:

"In 1941 in New York, I met with Lee Hayes. He, Mill Lampel and I began performing, singing, calling himself "Almanach Singers". "In the village, - said Lee, - in every farmer′s house there are two books - the Bible and the Almanac. One helps us in the afterlife, the other makes our existence on this earth. "

With the help of friends we were able to make several records with songs about the world and the trade union movement . . . "

The first statement "Almanach Singers" was held at the National Youth Congress in Washington in 1941. Soon, along with Seeger and Hayes began to speak and Guthrie, enriched the repertoire of many songs on the theme of the day. With the growing popularity of speeches joined by new singers, performers on the banjo, guitar, accordion. The group Seeger performed at New York, Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee, San Francisco and many other cities and towns Singer says:

"In the autumn of 1941 we rented the condo in Greenwich Village in New York, which became known as the" Almanac-House. "house is open to all. Kitchen, our rather strange but interesting, the furniture is almost completely absent, were sleeping when we have to. But the production of phenomenal songs . . . Every Sunday afternoon we organized concerts.

Photo — «Pete Seeger»

Thirty-five cents for admission - and we sang together with friends all day. We called it "hutenanni. In early 1942 there were our anti-Hitler song ( "Reuben James", "Splyashem at the grave of Hitler", etc. ). With these songs we started to speak on the radio. "

GM Shneerson said: "It was the beginning of a powerful movement" folknikov ", in other words, advocates of revival of traditional folk songs in a new capacity, approximate download time of the events (" topical songs "), sometimes written from scratch, but in the spirit of American song tradition . . .

Interestingly, these new songs successfully withstand competition from the commercial production of song "Tin-pan-alley. Moreover, the new movement "folknikov" beginning to have noticeable impact on the American entertainment industry. Separate, less politically sharp songs from the repertoire of Seeger and his friends picked up the Broadway platform, came out in huge print runs on a gramophone record in the interpretation of famous stars.

Since 1946, Seeger and Hays in New York are beginning to produce a monthly newsletter "Peoples Songs" to "organize, create, encourage and promote the songs of American workers. "

In 50-ies Seeger openly spoke of his sympathy for the ideas - the "humane socialism", for which he got into the "black list" of the Commission on Un-American Activities.

In 1961 he was summoned to the regular meeting of the commission. He was accused of "subversive activity in the field of entertainment" Seeger refused to answer these questions, referring to the sixth amendment of the Constitution of the United States. As a result, the singer was sentenced to a year in prison, for contempt of Congress. " However, a democratic America does not agree with this verdict: In many cities have established committees protection Seeger. This singer Seeger at the trial had been circulated in hundreds of thousands of copies. "I am 42 years old, and I consider myself a happy man. I have a wife and three healthy children. We live in a house built by our own hands on the bank of the Hudson. For nearly twenty years I have people sing folk songs of America and other countries. I am proud that he never refused to sing for any group of people because of any differences of opinion with them. I sang the rich and poor, sang the Americans of different political and religious belief, belonging to different races and teachings. A good song can only do good, and I′m proud of those songs that I sing . . . Have I no right to sing? .

Photo — «Pete Seeger»

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Ordinary Americans have succeeded: Seeger was acquitted by the Court of Cassation USA. His voice rang out again in the country.

"Seeger is constantly looking for new forms of mass music-making, the way to mastering the attention of his listeners - writes GM Schneerson. - Least of all at the same time it has its own artistic success. Listening to the speeches Pete Seeger in concert, getting to know his record on a gramophone record (they napety over sixty plates), I involuntarily ask ourselves: where is this conquering power of the artist, so simple and informal conversation with the audience? Why do so willingly, so merrily connect to his songs people probably had never thought about participating in the collective singing in a concert hall? And still they sing, sometimes dividing the voices, singing enthusiastically, with a flame. This atmosphere of collective creativity, obviously, partly explains the reason for the nationwide popularity of Seeger in the U. S. and far beyond this country. His work is inspired by love and respect for the common man, to the national artistic traditions of all peoples, faith in the ennobling force of good songs . . .

Love for the homeland and its people, to a high truth of life dictates Pete Shigeru themes and musical imagery of songs such as "Waist Deep in the Big Muddy" ( "According to his neck in mud") - caustic satire on the American generals, hopelessly mired in the dirty war in Vietnam, or "The train is going to Nuremberg," sounded like a stern warning to American war criminals, murderers of women and children in the Vietnamese village of My Lai. "

Seeger gave hundreds of thousands of concerts, but one of the most memorable was a grand concert in Washington, DC, gathered at the monument to George Washington, about 400 thousand people. The singer recalls:

"The author of these lines also had the opportunity to speak at the rally. Together with his friend, a wonderful Negro singer Fred Kirkpatrick, I sang a song, the contents of which concerned all, who cares about issues of war and peace. Short refrain: "Bring our boys home!" - Took up the chorus of all. After the song ended, I looked at the chairman, to see if there still is time for one song. He nodded to me, and we Kirkpatrick struck up a short phrase, which in itself seems quite unpretentious . . . However, this song gave me one of the most extraordinary experiences of my life . . .

We sang again and again one single phrase, I hear the first time on record the Beatles:

"We say one thing - give peace a chance!"

Kirkpatrick and I dragged out this short song, not being sure of how it will.

Photo — «Pete Seeger»

However, after four or five repetitions of people have sang it with us, and they gradually rose from their seats, lifting up their hands, depicting the letter "V" - a symbol of victory. Finally, they began to sway from left to right, back and forth in slow motion songs. Popular light music orchestra conductor Mitch Miller jumped on the stage, to help us to maintain the correct rhythm of this movement, he also began to sway, as if conducting an audience. Peter, Paul and Mary joined us at the microphone. We sang our little sentence again and again, as many as eight or ten minutes . . . Exciting and impressive, this many-voiced choir and the uniform motion of hundreds of thousands of people! "

Pete Seeger has composed many songs, which are considered classics, including "Where are all the flowers" and "Song of the hammer. " Some of his songs have achieved huge commercial success. So the song "Where are all the flowers" became a hit in the U. S. and abroad in the performance of the famous French singer Dalida. Three hundred thousand records with the record of this song performed by a unique Marlene Dietrich were sold in Germany.

Although Seeger was recorded at the famous "Columbia", mostly his records appeared on the small firm "Folksways" - "Ways of the people. "

Commerce has never attracted Seeger: "Street Tin Frying pans serves as the opposite role of King Midas. Everything that she touches turns to garbage. You may like the music or do business. But you can not do both. Ninety percent of what you hear in juq-boxes may be discarded, because all this is performed by people who are proud of the fact that do not understand music. "

Pete Seeger fervently believes in the strength and vitality of folk songs: "Commerce will not kill traditional music - he says. - It may be a few to spoil it, but the real folk music will live as long as living people.

Since the mid 70-ies Seeger regularly collaborated with the son of Woody Guthrie, Arlo Guthrie, spoke in support of the environmental movement, went to concerts in China and the USSR, although its actions in defense of freedom of speech and caused some embarrassment for the then leaders of our country. Despite its age, it remains one of the leading singers of the ideas of freedom and equality.

Seventy-five years, Seeger has received an unexpected but deserved reward: it is crowned with a ribbon and medal Award Arts Center John F. Kennedy. So America reciprocated a rebel and a defender of the insulted and injured, a folk singer and poet of the legendary Pete Seeger.