Tao Rodríguez-Seeger

Tao Rodríguez-Seeger (born 1972) is an American contemporary folk musician. A founder of The Mammals, he is the grandson of folk musician Pete Seeger. He plays banjo, guitar, harmonica and sings in English and Spanish.

Tao Rodríguez-Seeger
Tao Rodriguez at MagnoliaFest 2007
Tao Rodriguez at MagnoliaFest 2007
Background information
Born1972 (age 50–51)
Poughkeepsie, New York, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)Musician
Instrument(s)
Years active1986–present
Member ofThe Anarchist Orchestra, Tao Seeger Band
Formerly ofThe Mammals
WebsiteThe Mammals.net

Biography

Rodríguez-Seeger is the son of Mika Seeger and Emilio Rodríguez, a Puerto Rican filmmaker.[1] After his father was invited by the Sandinistas to document the nation's civil war, Seeger spent nine years of his childhood in Nicaragua.[2]

In 1986, Rodríguez-Seeger started performing with his grandfather, Pete Seeger.[3] In 1999 he was a member of the band RIG, with Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion.[4] In 2001, he founded The Mammals with Michael Merenda and Ruth Ungar.[5] In 2006 he recorded an album, ¡Que vaya bien!, with Puerto Rican folk singers Roy Brown and Tito Auger of the Puerto Rican rock band Fiel a la vega and he formed the Anarchist Orchestra (now known as the Tao Rodriguez-Seeger band) with Jacob Silver, also of the Mammals, Laura Cortese and Robin McMillan.

Seeger had a radio show "The Tao of Tao" on WAMC.[6]

Barack Obama inaugural celebration

On January 18, 2009, Seeger performed with his grandfather Pete Seeger, Bruce Springsteen and a youth chorus at the We Are One Inaugural Celebration of President Barack Obama. They sang Woody Guthrie's famous song "This Land Is Your Land" during the finale, before an audience estimated at 400,000. The performance included two of Guthrie's original verses to the song that have often been omitted; one verse mentions "private property" and the other refers to a depression era relief office.[7]

On October 21, 2011, Seeger was part of The Pete Seeger March which walked in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street to Columbus Circle. There he performed with his grandfather Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie, David Amram, and other musicians.[8]

Discography

With the Mammals
  • Born Live (2001);
  • Evolver (2002);
  • Migration (EP)(2004);
  • Rock That Babe (2004);
  • Departure (2006).

With Roy Brown and Tito Auger
  • Que Vaya Bien (2006)

With the Anarchist Orchestra/the Tao Rodriguez-Seeger Band
  • The Anarchist Orchestra (EP) (2006)

With the Tao Seeger Band
  • Rise and Bloom (2010)

Notes
  1. Dunaway, David K., How Can I Keep from Singing: Pete Seeger, McGraw Hill (1981), DaCapo (1990), ISBN 0-07-018150-0, ISBN 0-07-018151-9, ISBN 0-306-80399-2
  2. Link, Melissa, "Not Just Another Folk Singer" Athens Banner-Herald 26 September 2002. Retrieved April 13, 2007
  3. Mike Green & Associates. Retrieved 14 April 2007. The Mammals Bios Archived 2007-06-21 at the Wayback Machine
  4. Link, Melissa,"Not Just Another Folk Singer" Athens Banner-Herald 26 September 2002. Retrieved April 13, 2007
  5. Himes, Geoffrey "Old School" Archived 2007-09-30 at the Wayback Machine Baltimore City Paper 26 November 2004. Retrieved 4 September 2007
  6. Barry, John W., "Individualism Shines Through Work of Duo" (sidebar) Poughkeepsie Journal 21 November 2003. Retrieved:14 April 2007
  7. Ben Smith's Blog http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0109/Seegers_version.html
  8. "Seeger, Guthrie join Occupy Wall Street rally". CBS News. Associated Press. October 22, 2011. Retrieved January 21, 2016.
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