Joan Baez – a singer, activist and pacificist committed to the struggle against all segregation – recorded her first album in 1959 at the age of eighteen. The titles on these four sides are taken from the first four records she made, and they all reflected the position she took in the folk movement that was then emerging, together with her militant support of minority groups. It would be sixty years before she said farewell to the stage, in July 2019 at the Montreux jazz Festival, after a sixty-year career of unrivalled quality that actively showed her sincere commitment to social and political causes. The grace in her exceptional voice, her kindness and admirable personality – and her determination – earned her an exceptional place in the history of popular music, as well as in the hearts of an ever-increasing audience.
Joan Baez est une icône de la musique folk et une figure majeure du mouvement des droits civiques. Chanteuse, auteur-compositrice et militante, elle est connue pour sa voix cristalline et son engagement politique. Dans les années 1960, elle a joué un rôle crucial en popularisant la musique folk et en soutenant des causes sociales telles que la lutte contre la guerre du Vietnam et les droits civiques aux États-Unis. Proche de Bob Dylan, elle a influencé de nombreux artistes et reste aujourd'hui une figure emblématique de la musique engagée.
Joan Baez is an iconic figure in folk music and a key figure in the civil rights movement. A singer, songwriter, and activist, she is renowned for her clear, powerful voice and political activism. In the 1960s, she played a crucial role in popularizing folk music and supporting social causes such as the anti-Vietnam War movement and civil rights in the United States. Close to Bob Dylan, Baez has influenced countless artists and continues to be a symbol of socially conscious music.