POP/ROCK - June 13, 1989

Czechoslovak officials disrupted a concert by U.S. folk singer Joan Baez in Bratislava after she dedicated songs to human rights activists and urged the release of political prisoners, dissident sources said Monday. Prominent dissidents, including playwright Vaclav Havel who was freed from prison last month, were in the audience. Baez dedicated the gospel tune “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” to the Charter 77 human rights movement and praised the Independent Peace Assn., whose activists have been jailed for a series of anti-government protests over the past year. When Baez invited a popular Czechoslovak opposition singer, Ivan Hoffmann, on stage to perform before the audience of several thousand people, the microphone was turned off, the sources said. Hoffmann left the stage and Baez was able to resume singing, but later the sound system was again put out of operation, people started to boo and the hall reportedly was full of commotion. Baez, 48, had planned to give a news conference after the concert but it was cancelled by the booking agency, which said she had violated her contract but did not specify how.