Paul Robeson Tribute

Here is a famous song performed live in Moscow in 1949 by the legendary Paul Robeson.
Paul Robeson (1898 -- 1976) was an American actor, athlete, singer, writer, civil rights activist, and a great humanist. Son of a slave, Paul graduated with honors from his high school in Somerville, New Jersey, where he excelled academically, and participated in singing, acting, and athletics. Robeson later studied law at Columbia and African history and languages at the School of Oriental and African Studies of London. Robeson found fame as an actor and singer with his fine bass-baritone voice. He is one of the few true basses in American music, his beautiful and powerful voice descending as low as a C below the bass clef. In addition to his stage performances, his renditions of old Negro spirituals were acclaimed. Robeson also became interested in the folk music of the world. He came to be conversant with 20 languages, fluent or near fluent in 12. His standard reportoire after the 1920's included songs in many languages (e.g., Chinese, Russian, Yiddish, German, etc.). Between 1925 and 1942 Robeson appeared in eleven films, in the UK and the USA ("Song of Freedom", "The Proud Valley", "The Emperor Jones", "Show Boat", "King Solomon's Mines", "Jericho", etc.).
In June 1949 during the 150th anniversary celebration of the birth of Alexander Pushkin, Robeson visited Russia to sing in concert and was given a warm public welcome. Robeson remains a celebrated figure in Wales. A number of Welsh artists have celebrated Robeson's life. In 1958, Robeson's 60th birthday was celebrated in several US cities and twenty-seven countries across Europe, the Soviet Union, Latin America, Asia and Africa. Over 3000 people gathered in Carnegie Hall to salute Robeson's 75th birthday, including Dizzy Gillespie, Odetta, Sidney Poitier, Harry Belafonte (who also produced the show). In 1976, at the age of 77, Paul Robeson died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was interred in the Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York. In 1998, he received a Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement. In 2004, the United States Postal Service honored Robeson with a stamp in the Black Heritage Series.
Listen to Paul Robeson's deep voice and enjoy this fantastic performance!

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Paul
• Robeson

[arthurhorner]

Wales remembers and loves you

[doUcare4music]

This has to be close to perfection... His voice is so rich, deep and strangely, like honey.

[thepkboricua]

The somerville middleschool use to b a high school which was the same school paul went to, its pretty cool knowing that you go 2 a school that a famouse guy went to

[alunhughes147]

He said "If l ever came back ,it would be as a Welshmen " a people he truly identified himself with. God bless you Paul......you could have been a boy from the valleys

[vampirellella]

An american hero.

[482c]

And an American I love him and Arthur Scargill!

[CarolinaVzla]

100% agree!!!!

[0311ohrah]

Can any one post the Chinese marching song sung by Paul Robeson?

[yourcamden]

Do you know where I can find the lyrics to Paul Robeson's 'Anthem of the United Nations'(1944)?