Friday 31 January 2014

Banjo Heroes: Pete Seeger



I've always preferred the music and playing of Pete Seeger's half brother, Mike, but Pete Seeger's list of interests makes him pretty special; musician, teacher, activist, environmentalist and most of all banjo player. His Wikipedia entry gives an idea of the extent of his personal achievements  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_Seeger Even if you don't go for 'Little Boxes' you got to admire a man who is prepared to stick to his principals in the face of overwhelming opposition, as he did in the McCarthy era. In a century that has seen the social contract between the individual and society eroded to the point that people only matter as digits on a balance sheet, Pete Seeger stuck to his left-wing principles and championed causes that often only brought him scorn. In a time of increasing inequality and austerity we could do with a few more Pete Seegers. 'How to Play the 5-String Banjo' is pretty special too!

1 comment:

  1. Brian (wot is PeeBee)31 January 2014 at 06:22

    Bro' Mike for style and skill/Pete for politics/Peggy for voice.

    ReplyDelete