Sometimes, music must look to the past to establish a vision for the future.
This is the case with Peoples’ Voice Cafe, nestled on 35th Street between Park and Madison avenues. A self-described “alternative coffeehouse,” the cafe’s ultimate goal is to pave the way to a future where war, poverty, and discrimination melt away to peace through music. It hosts unique weekly performances by artists dedicated both to political activism and the expression of under-discussed topics.
One of the more active and notable of these artists is Ray Korona, a folk musician who tours around the country and writes songs about “working, the environment, peace, and social justice.” “It’s a comfortable place,” Korona said. “There’s a real warm connection between the people and the performers … a lot of times, I find that people will seek you out at restaurants to have meals. And you don’t see that in a lot of venues.”
This connection extends beyond mere musical appreciation, even if that is a large part of the experience on Saturday nights. Peoples’ Voice Cafe was founded by a loose connection of volunteers from all walks of life, a free model maintained today. “That is one of the secret ways the People’s Voice could keep going,” Korona said. “It has a real community spirit. It doesn’t matter who you are. You’re kind of swept up into this environment.”
“The work of PVC volunteers is the secret of its success,” said Korona. “As a songwriter, I felt compelled awhile back to write the Peoples’ Voice Cafe song. The chorus sums it all up this way, ‘It’s a progressive cafe made from dreams and brick and wood. When the music starts to play, the politics are always good.’”
Speaking of politics, Korona said about the first year of the Obama administration, “A lot of people here are very disappointed that the Democrats have been dragging their feet on the big social issues. On the other hand, Obama managed to excite people again. When he said ‘Yes we can,’ I think people decided to step out and try to make things better.”
Open-mindedness is typical of Peoples’ Voice, according to another volunteer and musician, Heather Lev. “We’re not affiliated with any political group. We’re independents.”
Peoples’ Voice Cafe is in many ways a throwback to an earlier time.
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