Pete Seeger y su banjo han estado a la vanguardia de muchas causas de justicia social en todo el mundo. Está considerado uno de los músicos más importantes del siglo XX. La trayectoria musical de Pete Seeger como cantautor conlleva 137 albums y 53 EP y singles, es partícipe de grupos musicales como The Almanac Singers, The Weavers o Peo- ple´s Songs. Canciones como: We Shall Overcome; If I had a hammer o This land is your land de Woody Guthrie se han convertido en clásicos de la historia de la música, fue represaliado y censurado en los años cuarenta y cincuenta del siglo XX, en la época del maccarthysmo por su simpatía con el comunismo y por su compromiso social y político en causas de los sectores más desfavorecidos de la sociedad. Sus canciones combinan el folklore tradicional y lo más actual, con baladas escocesas, cantos de trabajo de origen judío, “carceleras” de los negros del Sur, canciones mineras, contra la guerra del Vietnam, las relativas a la brigada Lincoln y guerra civil española o a la defensa del medio ambiente. La trayectoria musical de Pete Seeger ha sido reconocida con diversas distinciones en su país, tenía escrito en su banjo “Esta máquina atrapa el odio y lo obliga a rendirse”.
Pete Seeger and his banjo have been at the fore- front of many social justice causes all over the world. He is considered one the most important musicians of the 20th century. Pete Seeger’s music career comprises 137 LP’s and 53 EP’s or singles and he was a member of bands such as The Almanac Singers, The Weavers or People´s Songs. Songs such as: We Shall Overcome, If I had a hammer or This land is your land by Woody Guthrie have become classics in the history of music. He was persecuted and censored in the 1940’s and 50’s by McCarthyism for his communist sympathies and his social and political commitment in favour of the underprivileged sections of society. His songs are a mixture of traditional folklore, Scottish ballads, Jewish work songs, Southern Ne- gro prison songs and mining songs, against the Vietnam War, about the Lincoln Brigade and the Spanish Civil War or the protection of the environment. Pete Seeger’s music career has been recognized with various awards in his home country. His banjo was inscribed with the words “This machine surrounds hate and forces it to surrender”.