Over the decades, multiple women have made instrumental contributions to the history of both American and global popular music. But among the most outstanding, there is no doubt, is Joni Mitchell, Canadian-born singer-songwriter, poet and painter, today considered an icon for her wide repertoire in various genres such as folk and jazz.
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Perhaps more important, Mitchell, who began to make his mark in the 1960s and 1970s, has been a source of inspiration and an example for dozens of performers who have followed in his footsteps ever since.
To honor that legacy, the US Library of Congress this week presented him with the prestigious Gershwin Prize in Popular Musicthe highest award that this country gives to an artist in the world of song.
The award was presented as part of a tribute concert this Wednesday at the DAR Constitution Hall in which music giants such as James Taylor, Brandi Carlile, Cyndi Lauper, Graham Nash, Annie Lennox, Diana Krall, Herbie Hancock, Angelique Kidjo, Ledisi, and Marcus Mumford.
Despite an aneurysm in 2015 that left her in a wheelchair, the 79-year-old artist returned to the stage
US Library of Congress
the gershwin prize was established in 2007 to honor George Gershwin, one of the most famous composers in US musical history for pieces like Rhapsody in Blue (1924) and an American in Paris (1926).
The idea, from its inception, was to annually celebrate the career of an artist who has had a “notorious influence in the promotion of music as a vehicle for cultural understanding, impact and achievements in the entertainment and information of audiences as well as inspiring the new generations of musicians.
To date, the award has been given to true legends in the popular song universe: Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, Burt Bacharach, Carole King, Billy Joel, Willie Nelson, Smokey Robinson, Ton Bennet, Lionel Ritchie, and Emilio and Gloria Estefan, among others.
Mitchell’s career began in Canada, her native country, playing songs armed with just a guitar and in small coffee shops and nightclubs.
An idyllic brand
His fame, however, began to grow in 1965 when he moved to the US and signed a contract with the Reprise record label. Although her songs, all composed by her, caused an immediate impact, it was ¨Blue¨, the album she released in 1971 which launched her to world stardom.
According to the ranking of records published by rolling stone magazine, Blue ranks third among the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, second only to The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds and Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On.
According to this publication, Blue is the most important contribution made by a woman. Big words if one takes into account that she competes in that category with other legends like Aretha Franklin, Carole King, Patti Smith and others.
Mitchell, according to the Library of Congress, redefined the role of women in music until then almost relegated to being performers.
example of resilience
“He oversaw all aspects of their albums, including songwriting, arranging, performance, production, and artwork. His sound also crossed several musical genres, from folk to jazz, rock and classical music”, says this entity whose musical archive is one of the most important in the world.
The Canadian company also developed in parallel an entire career as a painter, creating many of the covers for his own albums and a large number of highly sought-after paintings and visual art.
At 79 years old, Mitchell he continues to inspire thousands not only for his artistic career. In 2015 she suffered a brain aneurysm that left her in a coma and from which she came out in a wheelchair and unable to speak. An almost terminal condition for most of her but not for the singer that she insisted on recovering despite her advanced age.
This Wednesday, with some difficulty, the Canadian went back on stage to sing one of her songs and announced that she plans a new concert tour throughout the US.
SERGIO GOMEZ MASERI
EL TIEMPO correspondent
Washington
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