Indigo Girls Set to Rock Santa Fe’s Peace Conference
Known
worldwide for their folk-influenced rock music and
activism in human rights and the environment, the Indigo
Girls are booked to perform at the Santa Fe Opera May 17
in conjunction with the World Peace Conference in Santa
Fe.
The
conference, “Building a Culture of Peace,” will take
place May 16 and 17, 2007, at the Hilton Hotel in Santa
Fe, New Mexico.
The
event will feature keynote speakers Jody Williams and
Rigoberta Menchu, both Nobel Peace Prize Laureates; and
Arun Gandhi. His Holiness the Dalai Lama will appear by
video.
“We
are honored to announce the participation the Indigo
Girls in conjunction with the Peace Conference,” said
Michael Cerletti, Secretary of the New Mexico Tourism
Department. “Their music crosses all boundaries,
something we are confident this conference will do as
well.”
The
Indigo Girls, Amy Ray and Emily Saliers, have been
producing music together for 20 years, releasing their
latest album “Despite Our Differences” in September
2006. Their Grammy award-winning lively
folk-soul-and-rock lyrics wrestle with issues ranging
from the mistreatment of indigenous cultures to
environmental protection, encouraging tolerance and
understanding.
“It’s
flattering we were asked to do the concert,” Ray said.
“We’ve been activists focused on human rights and
nonviolence for a long time. We don’t always sing
specifically about those things, but about looking at
yourself and the world around you, and building
self-esteem while understanding others.”
The
Minneapolis-based non-profit group, Honor the Earth,
found the passion and backing they needed from Ray and
Saliers at an Earth Day Rally in 1992. HTE’s mission
for justice in the indigenous communities of the USA
parallels Menchu’s initiative in the indigenous
communities in Guatemala.
“A lot
of songs we write are just stories about life. When we
do talk about activism I usually try to look at both
sides of something and ponder it, then give people the
tools to think for themselves,” Ray said. “Sometimes
they are calls to action, but it depends on the song.
We don’t take one angle with every song; no issue is
that black and white. You learn with a wiser
perspective that talking about things in a black and
white way is not going move anyone, it will only divide
people rather than creating a dialogue.”
Ticket sales begin Friday (March 16) at the Santa Fe
Opera Box Office. Premium tickets will include a VIP
meet-and-greet reception after the concert. For ticket
information call the Santa Fe Opera Box Office,
505-986-5900 or 1-800-280-4654.
The
Hilton Santa Fe has provided a special conference rate
of $103 (plus tax) for rooms reserved by April 15, along
with the Sage Inn at $59 (plus tax) and Santa Fe Youth
Hostel (http://tinyurl.com/y7sa5y).
Visit
www.santafepeace.org to register.
For more information about the World Peace Conference,
contact Producer Marjorie Mann, 505-827-6461, or
www.santafepeace.org; or visit
www.newmexico.org
