Bob Neustadt
June 16, 2017 – 7:15 pm
Sponsored by and Held at the Beacon Unitarian Universalist Congregation
510 N. Leroux Street, Flagstaff, AZ
(Between Elm and Fine Avenues)
Robert Neustadt is professor of Spanish and Latin American Studies at NAU. In 2010, Bob accompanied a group of students from NAU on a field trip to the Arizona/Mexico border. During the trip they met with deported people in Mexico, attended immigration hearings in the Federal Courthouse in Tucson, played the wall as a musical instrument, hiked on migrant trails, visited places in the desert where migrants had died, spoke with Border Patrol and spoke with migrants at a humanitarian base camp. The experience was so gut-wrenching that on returning from the trip a song emerged. He played this song, called “Voluntary Return,” for his friend Chuck Cheesman. Chuck was moved and suggested that they produce an album as a fundraiser for the humanitarian organization No More Deaths / No más muertes.
Robert and Chuck co-produced Border Songs, a double CD of music and spoken word, in Spanish and English, about the border and immigration. Contributors include Pete Seeger, Amos Lee, Michael Franti, Scott Ainslie, Lilo Gonzalez, Cyril Barret, Ted Warmbrand, Matt Hall, Christa Sadler and many others. They launched the album, now sold out, at a standing-room-only concert at the Coconino Center for the Arts on October 12, 2012. Border Songs raised almost $100,000 for humanitarian aid.
Over the last six years Bob has continued to write songs about our global immigration crisis. From moving ballads to protest songs, his lyrics attempt to raise awareness about the cruelty of our contemporary humanitarian crisis. Touching on different aspects of the refugee crisis on our border and across the globe, Bob’s songs consistently defend the dignity of human beings no matter which side of some line they were born. Please join us in welcoming Bob to his first performance at the Folk Project.
Format:
- 7:15 – 8:15 p.m. – Open Mic
- 8:15 – 8:30 p.m. – Refreshment/Coffee Break
- 8:30 – 9:30 p.m. – Featured Performer
Admission:
- $5.00
Up-Coming Featured Performers:
- July 21 — Jen Hajj – Idyllwild, California Singer/Songwriter
- August 18 — Aaron Howard – Montana Singer/Songwriter
- September 15— Carol Markstrom – Tucson Area Singer/Songwriter
For further information see: www.flagfolkproject.org