Jose's Musical Conscience: "MUSIC HEALS!!!"
“Jose Feliciano uses his music as a voice to express his inner beliefs to heal hearts, so to speak, and has shared so much of it over the years with his listeners. “The Star Spangled Banner,” for instance, was his way of thanking America for the opportunities it had given him and his family when they emigrated from Puerto Rico while “Killing’s Not The Answer,“ on the other hand, admonishes the US and any country that feels that war is the answer to conflict.
Here you can explore Jose’s inner voice with a selection of some of the music that reflects his personal ethics —his musical conscience, so to speak. As our gift to you, we hope that it is a source of inspiration as we contend, MUSIC HEALS.”
The National Anthem
Please click the STOP button on the Music Player above before listening to Jose's audio message.
“The year was 1968. Martin Luther King had been assassinated earlier that spring. Robert Kennedy was murdered less than two months later. Our country was at war in Vietnam, as well as here, because of that conflict in Asia. Our nation was divided by race, by class, by gender and even by age. The older generation did not have faith in their children and the younger generation didn't trust "anyone over 30". Their attitudes reflected that in their dress, their politics and in their music.
Enter Jose Feliciano. The young, blind musician from Puerto Rico was having great success in Latin America with the Bolero and currently, a major hit on the American scene with "Light My Fire." He had been invited to sing the National Anthem at the fifth game of the World Series, for the Tigers against the St. Louis Cardinals, in Detroit, by veteran play-by-play announcer, Ernie Harwell.
Before nearly 54,000 fans in the seats, and countless millions more tuned in to televisions and radios around the country, a nervous Jose walked out to left field with his guide dog, Trudy, and his guitar.
He wanted to sing an anthem of gratitude to a country that had given him a chance; who had allowed a blind kid with a dream reach far above his limitations, far beyond the expected to a place few at his young age, had achieved. He wanted to sing an anthem of praise to a country that had given a better life to him and his family.
The controversy was to shadow Feliciano and his music for many years. It inspired a sense of compassion about our Anthem, which, until that time, had pretty much been taken for granted. It became the topic of conversation in circles that never discussed patriotism and, it brought about a sense of commitment to whatever side of the line one stood.
Today, it is common to hear our National Anthem performed in a stylized fashion. Some renditions are clearly better than others, still sparking some criticism. You will, however, notice that it is very acceptable, indeed admirable, to deliver an intensely personal interpretation of The National Anthem. This was not the case before Jose Feliciano.”
Killing’s Not the Answer
Please click the STOP button on the Music Player above before listening to Jose's audio message.
Now, once again Jose has been moved by world events to give voice to what millions of us believe: "Killing's Not the Answer”. This musical prayer for peace, which will be distributed free to fans, is a distinctive Feliciano folk-based song that challenges all those who employ violence. While blind since birth, it is obvious that Jose Feliciano can see quite clearly:
"We have too much to lose in our world to jeopardize it by resorting to violence of any kind and we're too smart to be reduced to that. We have alternatives and should visit those avenues first. I love this country very much and the countless others that I have visited in my lifetime. We have to use every means possible to preserve and protect Peace. I hope we can...I really do."
- Jose Feliciano
Oxygeno
Please click the STOP button on the Music Player above before listening to Jose's audio message.
This free download is a gift from Jose to the World.
These are in MP3 format and can be added to your online music players. Simply click on each title above to enjoy this message of peace from Jose and to hear his historic restylized version of the National Anthem.
Saving the MP3 File
WINDOWS Users, right click on the title above and select "save" to download the MP3 to your hard drive. For MAC users, click on "save as" in your file menu to download the song to your desktop
