We are sold out of advance tickets for this show. There may be some limited standing room only tickets available once the show starts at 8:00 pm for $75.50.

This benefit performance for Citizens Reach Out (CRO) features folk music legend Joan Baez and the rich traditional Iraqi music of Saadoun Al-Bayati trio.

CRO is a non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness and improving the lives of war victims around the world. By providing public access to first-hand accounts, CRO educates the public about the human cost of war on civilian populations, and to engender a sense of responsibility in all people to alleviate the suffering of these innocents.

Joan is an artistic force of nature whose influence over several generations of musicians is incalculable. Her stunning interpretations have brought many a traditional ballad to the public ear, and she has also played the vital role of championing works by contemporary singer-songwriters, including Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, Richard Farina, Dar Williams, and Richard Shindell.

As anyone knows who has heard her rendition of “We Shall Overcome,” Joan's musical vision is inseparable from her activism in the fields of human rights, peace, and environmental justice. Whether singing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial at Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s March on Washington in 1963 or touring in war-torn Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1993 at the invitation of Refugees International, Joan is one of the world's most prominent defenders of social justice.

Joan began her career performing in coffeehouses in Boston and Cambridge, and rose to fame after her appearance at the 1959 Newport Folk Festival. Each of her first three albums, Joan Baez, Joan Baez, Vol. 2, and Joan Baez in Concert (all on Vanguard), achieved gold record status, winning her a strong following throughout the world with their mix of traditional ballads and blues, lullabies, and classic folk songs. 

Joan continues to release highly successful albums, including her most recent, Day After Tomorrow (2008, Proper Records), which explores themes of hope, homecoming, and the anguish of life during wartime, and a DVD/CD biography documenting Joan’s life, How Sweet the Sound (2009, Razor & Tie). In 2007, Joan received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, the greatest honor that the Recording Academy can bestow.

Over the past 50 years, Baghdad-born Saadoun Al-Bayati has transfixed listeners with his inspired performances of the rich, complex music of Iraq. A singer, oud (lute) player, and percussionist, Al-Bayati is deeply influenced by Sufi rhythms and meditative states. In his trio he performs with his daughter, percussionist and vocalist Summer Albayati-Krikeche, and his son-in-law, percusssionist Yassine Krikeche Tetouani, the son of Morocco’s legendary singer, Abdelouahed Tetouani.

Visit Citizens Reach Out's website

Visit Joan Baez's website