Holly Near is a unique combination of entertainer, teacher and activist. An immense vocal talent, Near's career as a singer has been profoundly defined by an unwillingness to separate her passion for music from her passion for human dignity. She is a skilled performer and an outspoken ambassador for peace who brings to the stage an integration of world consciousness, spiritual discovery, and theatricality.
Holly was born to parents from the states of North Dakota and New York. They were political activists, ranchers, and supporters of culture in the rural community of Ukiah, California. Although Holly sang publicly from the time she was eight years old, her professional career began in her early twenties when she worked as an actress in film and television. She also appeared in Hair on Broadway. Eventually music returned to become her major focus, especially that music which articulated the social conditions of the world community.
In 1971, when she was 22 years old, Holly joined Jane Fonda, Donald Sutherland, and other artists in the Free The Army Tour, singing to soldiers who were resisting war and racism from within the military. Near started writing and singing political songs. Following in the footsteps of such writers as Pete Seeger, Phil Ochs, Beverly Grant, and Hazel Dickens, she added newly discovered feminist perspective to anti-war songs and developed a unique and recognizable style.
Near was probably the first woman artist to start an independent record company when in 1972 she founded Redwood Records which became a major force in alternative music for nearly 20 years. Near's vision for Redwood was to promote and produce music by politically conscious artists from around the world, a mission fulfilled for almost two decades.
Finding herself at the forefront of a growing feminist movement, Near worked for world peace and multi-cultural consciousness. The world was her university and social change movements informed her songs. She sang the secrets long before such ideas found space in the major media. Near helped support the work of artists from Nicaragua, Chile, Australia, Canada, England, Argentina, Cuba, Uruguay, Vietnam, El Salvador, Mexico, and the United States. She was outspoken on such issues as gay and lesbian rights, a woman's right to choose, stopping domestic violence, and opposing nuclear war.
Holly has traveled from the fields of central California singing in support of The United Farm Workers to El Salvador where she sang for peace amidst war and conflict. Her songs were sung clandestinely in Latin American prisons and sung boldly by Irish and English women who joined together to protest war. Whether in support of nurses striking for better conditions in the emergency room or in opposition to racist violence on the police force, Holly sings a bold truth.
A peace activist and advocate for human and civil rights, Holly has linked the multitude of issues that are our lives, refusing the idea of separate "causes." When asked how she keeps her energy for this work, she smiles: "I am selfish. I reach for the world I want to live in. And I believe in leaving our best efforts as a gift to our children."
Amidst all her work for peace and human rights, Holly is a consummate singer and entertainer. When she sings show tunes or songs from the 30s, her audience knows that Ms. Near could have chosen to be a Broadway musical star or a cabaret artist. And yet, these great songs come through Holly's unique world experience and we hear them as if for the first time. Out of this gentle, vibrant woman comes a huge voice, a unique sense of humor, an unexpected theatricality and a startling power. The moment she feels trapped in a genre, she breaks into a song that challenges the boxes and stereotypes.
In an interest to document social change music, Near's papers are archived with the Schlesinger Library at Radcliff. Near teaches performance craft and song writing. She has been a cultural leader for over 35 years and now shares her experience in creative and challenging master classes. Holly reminds both students and audience alike about the importance of their lives, and whenever they are with her, they feel a sense of being welcomed home.
Both as a participant and a leader, she bears personal witness to the hugely important role that music plays in political action movements. Throughout her lengthy career, Ms. Near has used her performances to educate, challenge, and inspire. The unifying and healing quality of her work explains the diverse nature of the groups who call on her to speak and sing.
She presented the 2004 Ware Lecture for the Unitarian Universalist General Assembly in Long Beach, California; delivered the keynote address for Women Change America, a conference presented by the National Women's History Project at Smith College; spoke to participants at HerbFest in Iowa and the Bioneers Conference in California; and led a Martin Luther King Day celebration in Northern California. She participated and performed at the March For Women's Lives in Washington, DC and at the Stop The War demonstration in New York, NY before the US invasion into Iraq.
In 2004, Holly joined Eve Ensler for a march in Juarez, Mexico to protest the uninvestigated killing of hundreds of young women. In Toledo, Ohio, she sat witness to the testimony of women reporting rape and other violence against women. Holly helped raise funds for 10,000 Kites, a collaborative anti-war project between young people from Israel and Palestine who in spring of 2005, flew kites over the wall that separated them.
Last year, Holly joined thousands of protesters in Columbus, Georgia to demand that the infamous School of the Americas be closed down. She will attend again this year. Dictators and military police are trained at this school in skills that are used to destroy growing democracies, skills which include repression and torture.
Near's portrait hangs at The Freedom Center in Cincinnati, Ohio along with those of other social change artists including Paul Robeson, Marion Anderson, Pete Seeger, Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon, Joan Baez, Harry Belafonte, and Woody Guthrie. She has received numerous awards for her work for social change, including honors from the ACLU, the National Lawyers Guild, the National Organization for Women, NARAS, Ms. Magazine (Woman of the Year), and the Legends of Women's Music Award. Most recently, she was one of 1000 PeaceWomen nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize 2005.
Holly is not resting on her laurels, but continues to write and sing political songs with grace and humor. Holly Near's integrity earns her the reputation as one of the most articulate political artists of our time. Her newest CD, Show Up, proves that she continues to sing with a power and maturity that may only come from decades of love and fear, despair and inspiration.
Guantanamera
Holly Near Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From the land of the palm trees
And before dying, I want to share the poems of my soul
My poems are soft green,
My poems are also flaming crimson
My poems are like a wounded fawn
Seeking refuge in the forest
The last verse says "con los pobres de la tierra"
I want to share my fate
The streams of the mountain
Pleases me more than the sea
The song Guantanamera by Holly Near is a powerful tribute to personal truth, written by the Cuban composer Joseíto Fernández. The opening stanza of the song encapsulates the persona's honesty and desire to share his innermost feelings through the poetry of his soul. The land of the palm trees adds to the exotic setting of the song, and the persona's need to express his thoughts before he dies indicates a sense of urgency, as if his message cannot wait. The personification of the persona's poetry as soft green or flaming crimson adds a layer of complexity and richness to the poem. The wounded fawn seeking refuge in the forest is a vivid and poignant image, suggesting that the persona's poetry is both fragile and in need of protection.
The last verse of the song Guantanamera suggests that the persona's message is not intended for the privileged few but rather should be shared with poor people. The persona seeks to share his fate with those who are marginalized and downtrodden, and the streams of the mountain are more pleasing to him than the sea, symbolizing his connection to nature and his humble roots. Overall, the song Guantanamera is a powerful statement about personal truth, honest communication, and the importance of sharing one's message with others.
Line by Line Meaning
The words mean, I am a truthful man
The lyrics of this song represent an honest reflection of my identity
From the land of the palm trees
I originate from a place where nature is abundant and beautiful
And before dying, I want to share the poems of my soul
I wish to express myself creatively and share my unique perspective with others before I pass away
My poems are soft green,
My words embody peace and tranquility
My poems are also flaming crimson
My words can also convey passion, intensity, and deep emotion
My poems are like a wounded fawn
My words may evoke a sense of vulnerability or fragility
Seeking refuge in the forest
My words may speak to a desire for safety or protection
The last verse says "con los pobres de la tierra"
The final line of my poem is a call to stand with and support the oppressed and marginalized people of the world
With the poor people of this earth
I seek to align myself with those who are struggling or disadvantaged
I want to share my fate
I wish to live in solidarity with others, recognizing that we are all interconnected
The streams of the mountain
I find greater pleasure and joy in the simple beauty of nature, rather than the grandeur of the sea
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, THE BICYCLE MUSIC COMPANY
Written by: PETER SEEGER, JULIAN ORBON, HECTOR ANGULO, JOSE (DP) FERNANDEZ DIAZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind