Holly Near
Template:TOCnestleft Holly Near has been a far-left folksinger of some accomplishment in the "Hanoi Lobby" and then other Communist-support fronts and causes, including Chile, since the 1970's. She accompanied Jane Fonda on a number of her tours, including going to North Vietnam in 1972, and in the "FTA" shows near military bases in the U.S. and abroad.
She has been a singing companion of Ronnie Gilbert, another folksinger and former co-singer with Pete Seeger and the folk-group known as The Weavers.
Because she was an open lesbian, she was banned from coming to and performing in Castro's Cuba (DETAILS TO FOLLOW).
U.S. National Friendship Tour, 1984 re Chile
"Holly Near will join Inti-Illimani, the internationally acclaimed Chilean ensemble for a 15-city National Friendship Tour this May, entitled 'Nueva Cancion por la Paz en las Americas...Singing for Peace in the Americas.' This musical collaboration presents and exciting blend of cultures, musical styles, sounds and ideas from the rich Andean melodies of Inti-Illimani to the empassioned lyrics of Holly Near. Ms. Near and Inti-Illimani have each been leading exponents of progressive music in their cultures. They will perform separately and together in this extraordinary program of new songs for peace Friday, may 4 at the Felt Forum here in New York."
"Inti-Illimani grew out of the New Chilean Song Movement which was stimulated by the cultural renaissance promoted by the government of Salvador Allende. Inti-Illimani plays more than 16 wind, string and percussion instruments that belong to the Europeans, indigenous, African and 'mestizo' cultures which are interwoven to form the rich musical heritage of Latin America..."
"The Friendship Tour follows Ms. Near's recent trip to Nicaragua, where she performed in hospitals, outdoor marketplaces, and popular neighborhoods. She, along with a delegation of cultural workers, took thousands of dollars of donated equipment and supplies to artists in Nicaragua..."
"The National Friendship Tour is sponsored by Cultural Work, Inc. CWI, the non-profit organization formed by Holly Near last year (i.e. 1983) to fund and support cultural and educational work. The tour is coordinated by the Great American Music Hall. At the Music Hall, Holly Near and Inti-Illimani's concerts will be recorded live by Redwood Records for a September release. In addition to sponsoring the tour, CWI is coordinating a direct aid campaign in each tour city to raise money to send to Nicaragua, to the zones of popular control in El Salvador, to Guatemalan refugees and to people's rights organizations in Chile. A goal of raising $50,000 nationwide is projected."[1].
Peace for Cuba Appeal
In 1994 Holly Near was an initiator of the International Peace for Cuba Appeal, an affiliate of the Workers World Party dominated International Action Center.
Other prominent initiators included Cuban Intelligence agent Philip Agee, academic Noam Chomsky, Congressman John Conyers and Charles Rangel[2].
Rosenberg Fund for Children
In 2003 Holly Near was on the Advisory Board of the Rosenberg Fund for Children[3].
Holly Near serves[4]on the Advisory Board of the Rosenberg Fund for Children.
Vietnam conference
Vietnam - The Power of Protest - Telling the Truth - Learning the Lessons was held Friday and Saturday, May 1-2, in Washington, D.C.
The conference "has a star-studded program of progressive leaders of the past half century": Dolores Huerta, Danny Glover, Daniel Ellsberg, Phil Donahue, former Congresspersons Patricia Schroeder, Ron Dellums and current Reps. Barbara Lee and John Conyers, singer Holly Near, and more.[5]
References
- ↑ Daily World, "Solidarity concert for Chile, Nicaragua"April 27, 1984, P. 9, Culture Work, Inc., apparently one of their promotional pieces
- ↑ International Peace for Cuba Appeal - letterhead, Nov. 14, 1994
- ↑ Rosenberg Fund for Children Letterhead June 19 2003
- ↑ http://www.rfc.org/staffandboards
- ↑ PW, Pentagon commemoration of Vietnam War far from complete by: Rosalio Munoz