Ray Korona (1946 – October 16, 2014) was an American

folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Folk Plus or Fo ...

musician, particularly known for

topical songs A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetition ...

Biography and repertoire

Ray Korona wrote folk and folk rock songs about working, the environment, peace and social justice issues along with songs on the more traditional themes of love and friendship. Previously an attorney, Korona left the profession to pursue a career in music. In addition to songwriting and performance Korona helped organise events, ran a home studio, volunteered at a collective-run cafe and supported the Peoples Music Network. A founding member of the Travelling Musician's Union, Local 1000 of the American Federation of Musicians. Korona's songs vary from the satirical and topical to ballads, chorus and story songs. Due to the subject matter of many of these songs, they are often referenced in studies of political and economic issues and used in support of various public causes by their advocates as discussed here. A number of Korona's songs addressing such diverse subjects as homelessness, downsizing, gay rights and health care policies are included in the directory of some 3,000 songs identified for use in classrooms for teaching purposes maintained by the nonprofit corporation, M.U.S.I.C. In the United States, Teachers' Curriculum Institute has published the lyrics to Korona's "Globalization Blues" song in a classroom text which includes a disc with a recording of the song to promote academic discussions on the subject of globalization. This same song has likewise been published for classroom use in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Another song, "Where Do We Go From Here?" sparked a

New York Magazine ''New York'' is an American biweekly magazine concerned with life, culture, politics, and style generally, and with a particular emphasis on New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to ''The New Yorker' ...

cover story reporting on the impact of the housing crisis' on the New York City artist community. Other songs by Korona have been utilized in advocating causes rather than in fostering learning. His health care rights song, "Send Me An Ambulance" was featured on

National Public Radio National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...

and performed at major

Jobs With Justice Jobs With Justice (JWJ) is a labor rights organization in the United States, focused on the vision that all workers should be able to collectively bargain. It was founded in 1987 and is made up of individuals and affiliated organizations. As of 2 ...

rallies for national health care reform. "We Will Have Dignity," a song against child labor, has been published around the world in many languages by the UN’s

International Labour Organization The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a United Nations agency whose mandate is to advance social and economic justice by setting international labour standards. Founded in October 1919 under the League of Nations, it is the first and o ...

to lend support to its work on this issue.

The Ray Korona Band

Korona performed both solo and with a unique collective of musical organizers, The Ray Korona Band. The Band is a core group of musicians—Ivice (harmonies & dulcimers), Barry Kornhauser (bass, cello & mandola), Sharon Abreu (harmonies & fiddle), Ellen Davidson (harmonies & piano) & Gina Tlamsa (harmonies, flute, fiddle, mandolin & bouzouki) that works with a wide variety of players who bring racial, cultural and musical diversity to its work. Occasionally, guest musicians like

John McCutcheon John McCutcheon (born August 14, 1952) is an American folk music singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who has produced 41 albums since the 1970s. He is regarded as a master of the hammered dulcimer, and is also proficient on many other i ...

, Barry Mitterhoff and

Perry Robinson Perry Morris Robinson (September 17, 1938 – December 2, 2018) was an American jazz clarinetist and composer. He was the son of composer Earl Robinson. Early life and education Robinson was born and grew up in New York City. He attended the Le ...

sat in with the group and Korona often performed in concert with

Pete Seeger Peter Seeger (May 3, 1919 – January 27, 2014) was an American folk singer and social activist. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, Seeger also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of the Weavers, notably ...

. The names of those who have shared the stage with him suggest the orientation of his activist views and musical style, such as

Patti Smith Patricia Lee Smith (born December 30, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, poet, painter and author who became an influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album ''Horses''. Called the "punk poet ...

Harry Belafonte Harry Belafonte (born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr.; March 1, 1927) is an American singer, activist, and actor. As arguably the most successful Jamaican-American pop star, he popularized the Trinbagonian Caribbean musical style with an interna ...

Tom Paxton Thomas Richard Paxton (born October 31, 1937) is an American folk singer-songwriter who has had a music career spanning more than fifty years. In 2009, Paxton received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Anne Feeney Anne Feeney (July 1, 1951 – February 3, 2021) was an American folk music, folk musician, singer-songwriter, political activist and attorney. She began her career in 1969 as a student activist playing a Phil Ochs song at a Vietnam War protest, o ...

, Richie Havens, Judy Gorman,

Leon Rosselson Leon Rosselson (born 22 June 1934, Harrow, Middlesex, England) is an English songwriter and writer of children's books. After his early involvement in the folk music revival in Britain, he came to prominence, singing his own satirical songs, i ...

, Suni Paz, Pat Humphries,

Lucy Kaplansky Lucy Kaplansky (born February 16, 1960) is an American folk musician based in New York City. Kaplansky has a PhD in clinical psychology from Yeshiva University and plays guitar, mandolin, and piano. Life and career Kaplansky was originally f ...

, Gary US Bonds. Since many of Korona's songs are topical, he has also shared stages with noted speakers, such as

Amy Goodman Amy Goodman (born April 13, 1957) is an American broadcast journalist, syndicated columnist, investigative reporter, and author. Her investigative journalism career includes coverage of the East Timor independence movement, Morocco's occupation ...

Noam Chomsky Avram Noam Chomsky (born December 7, 1928) is an American public intellectual: a linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, historian, social critic, and political activist. Sometimes called "the father of modern linguistics", Chomsky i ...

Greg Palast Gregory Allyn Palast (born June 26, 1952) is an author and a freelance journalist who often worked for the BBC and ''The Guardian''. His work frequently focuses on corporate malfeasance but he has also worked with labour unions and consumer adv ...

, and

Jim Hightower James Allen Hightower (born January 11, 1943) is an American syndicated columnist, progressive political activist, and author. From 1983 to 1991 he served as the elected commissioner of the Texas Department of Agriculture. He publishes a monthl ...

. Korona was a regular at the Cornelia Street Cafe's Monday night songwriter workshop in the 1980s.

Discography

*''A Little Too Much Sunshine'' CD *''The Safe Thing To Do'' CD (includes a peace song co-written and performed with

) *''The People Are In Charge!'' CD *''The $5 Working People's Music Tape'' CD and tape (new songs on current labor issues) *''A Friend Like You'' CD *''It's Still the 60's'' CD *''Free Harbors'' CD *''Ray Korona Band Live at the Peoples' Voice Cafe'' DVD *''Send Me An Ambulance'' tape and video (cassette single in support of universal health care) *''Fight the Contract on America and the Stars Who are Selling It!'' tape (with Charlie King *"Sanctions" CD single (about the sanctions in Iraq and how they devastated the old, the sick and the children of that country) A number of Korona's songs are also featured on compilation albums, such as the new ''More Gardens'' CD, a two disc collection of songs supporting the need for community gardens in urban areas.

References

External links

Ray Korona official web site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Korona, Ray 1946 births 2014 deaths American folk singers Political music artists American male singer-songwriters