Coming among the most influential voices of his generation since his first recordings of the 1960s, Joan Baez has a special link with the Czech Republic. His first concert in former Czechoslovakia dates back to June 1989, before the velvet revolution.
During this concert given to Bratislava, capital of Slovakia, in front of some 2,000 people, Joan Baez had openly expressed his support for opponents of the communist regime, and in particular to one of the leaders of dissent, a certain Václav Havel, also present after being released from prison.
Video of Joan Baez in Bratislava (1989)
She had also invited a prohibited songwriter on stage, Ivan Hoffman but also singer Vladimír Merta. Each time, the communist authorities had extinguished the sound.
Note that before this, in 1976, Joan Baez had already protested the proceedings initiated by the communist authorities against the members of the Dissident Plastic People of the Universe. Since the velvet revolution, the singer has occurred many times in Czech Republic, for example in 2009 during the concert organized by her friend Václav Havel for the 20th anniversary of the fall of the totalitarian regime.
Video of Joan Baez @ We Shall Overcome LIVE !!! Praha 2009
In this musical Sunday, we let you appreciate the songs of Joan Baez, but we first listen to the Czech version of one of his titles, interpreted by the žalman chick A SPOL. Chamson is called “Vězeňská trilogie”.
Video of Joan Baez – Bratislava Lyra, live 1989
Video of Ivan Hoffman – Let me not tell me Live Bratislava Lyra 1989
