In an event co-sponsored by
the Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame, the Mayor of Cleveland, and the
Embassy of Hungary in Washington, DC, Ambassador András Simonyi spoke at
the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio today, discussing his
personal experiences with rock music and the impact that it made in
communist-ruled Hungary and other Soviet Bloc countries.
The central thesis of
Ambassador Simonyi's speech was that the free flow of American and
British rock music, and the revolutionary ideas it represented, over the
airwaves into Central and Eastern Europe was instrumental in loosening the
communists' grip on power and contributed to the eventual downfall of
dictatorships there.
Since most Hungarians could
not understand the lyrics to British and American rock songs coming into
Hungary via Radio Free Europe and Radio Luxemburg, it was the music that
captivated them, said Ambassador Simonyi. "Listening to the these
radios made us part of the free world," he said.
At
one point, the Ambassador was asked if rock music could play the same role
in the Middle East as it did in Eastern Europe. "I don't think rock
and roll is
imperialistic. [...] I think those who are rejecting rock music, popular
music, blues music in the Middle East and elsewhere are really scared of
its power. A strong culture will not be defeated; it will be enhanced and
it'll only be better," said the Ambassador, who believes that rock is now part of our
common cultural heritage.
Ambassador Simonyi's
speech was entitled "Rocking for the Free World: How Rock Music Helped
Bring Down the Iron Curtain." The Ambassador, an accomplished blues
guitarist himself, was introduced by his friend Jeff "Skunk" Baxter,
former lead guitarist with the Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan.
Ambassador Simonyi was
welcomed to Cleveland in letters from U.S. Senator George Voinovich,
Congressman Dennis Kucinich,
and Ohio Governor Bob
Taft.
Click on the pictures below
to enlarge
