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The Hermit's Tale

 

PAUL BAKER HERNANDEZ

Carthusian Hermit turned Troubadour

 

'Cultural Guerrillero' Paul Baker Hernández coordinates Echoes of Silence, an international network dedicated to peace, justice and beauty. Inspired by the great Chilean singer/martyr Víctor Jara's words: 'We're workers, not Stars', he made his guitar while a silent monk from an old table/toilet seat, and left the monastery to invade Queen Elizabeth's private castle protesting nuclear weapons; to sing 'We Shall Overcome' for 300,001 (the Pope!); to serve as bodyguard for Salvadoran exiles attacked by death squads even in Los Angeles, USA; and to co-found the Víctor Jara Cultural Movement jn Nicaragua.

            Paul has shared platforms with Inti Illimani, Rita Moreno, Martin Sheen, Jackson Browne, Dar Williams, Luis Enrique and Carlos Mejia Godoy; has written singing English versions of Victor's best-loved songs ('Te recuerdo Amanda', 'Ni Chicha Ni Limona''); while his own songs include 'Frrappucino , Crrappucino (Anyone for Starbucks?)', 'That Expletives-deleted Mobile', and, 'I Thought I Heard Sweet Víctor Singing in the Night', - this last written in the Jaras' garden in Chile. He has shared the music with groups as small as one and as large as 300,000 ('We Shall Overcome', the Pope in Scotland,1982).

            When not on tour, Paul digs eco-drains to heal his barrio's water and children, organizes  delegations, coordinates projects, encourages creative recycling, assists his wife Fatima in her pro bono health and education work, writes news articles and songs to challenge Starbux, Big Oil and other dictators.

 

  In the Foreword to his book,  'Song In High Summer', Joan Jara writes: "I wish that history had allowed Victor and Paul to meet. They would have been friends."

 

More information: http://echoespaul.wix.com/echoes-of-silence

 

Donate tax free. 

UK: 

Cheques to 'The CHRISTINE KING COOPERATIVE' (memo: 'Echoes of Silence'). Mail to:  Echoes of Silence, Christine Jennings, 3 Upper Regents Park, Bradford on Avon, BA15 1EB, ENGLAND

 

USA tax-free online: 

https://org2.salsalabs.com/o/ 7315/donate_page/fiscally- sponsored-projects

 

Like Paul, the Cooperative and the Nicaragua Network have worked in Nicaragua since the 1980s.

 

Contact: paulbaker2004@yahoo.com  cell/mobile 77060717 (International prefix: 505)

SKYPE: Paulbakerhernandez2

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