| Tao Rodríguez-Seeger | |
|---|---|
Tao Rodriguez at MagnoliaFest 2007 |
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| Background information | |
| Born | 1972 (age 39–40) Poughkeepsie, New York |
| Genres | Folk, Folk rock, Old time music |
| Occupations | Musician |
| Instruments | Banjo, Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals |
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Associated acts | The Mammals, Pete Seeger, The Anarchist Orchestra, Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion, Roy Brown, Tito Auger |
| Website | The Mammals.net |
Tao Rodríguez-Seeger (b. Poughkeepsie, New York, 1972) is an American contemporary folk musician. He plays banjo, guitar, harmonica, and sings in Spanish and in English. He is known as a founder of The Mammals and is the grandson of folk musician Pete Seeger.
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Tao spent nine years of his childhood in Nicaragua. Tao's father, Emilio Rodríguez, a Puerto Rican filmmaker, was invited by the Sandinistas to document the nation's civil war.[1] Tao's mother is Mika Seeger.[2] When he was fourteen, 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 was a founding member of 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.
He had a radio show "The Tao of Tao" on WAMC.[6]
On January 18, 2009, Tao performed with his grandfather Pete Seeger, Bruce Springsteen and a youth chorus. They sang Woody Guthrie's famous song "This Land Is Your Land" during the finale of President Barack Obama's We Are One Inaugural Celebration in Washington, D.C., before an audience estimated to be 400,000 people. This performance was noteworthy for the singing of two of Woody's original verses that have traditionally been widely censored. One verse mentioned "private property" and the other made reference to a depression era relief office.[7]
On October 21, 2011, Tao was part of The Pete Seeger March, which walked in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street to Columbus Circle. At Columbus Circle, Tao performed with his grandfather Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie, David Amram, and other celebrated musicians.