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Louisiana
The American Folklife Center was created in 1976 by the U.S. Congress through Public Law 94-201 and charged to "preserve and present American folklife." The Center incorporates the Archive
of Folk Culture, which was established at the Library of Congress in 1928, and is now one of the largest collections of ethnographic material from the United States and around the world.
Collections
The collections of the American Folklife Center include materials from
Louisiana that are as varied and rich as the folk traditions of the state.
Among its recordings are a treasure trove of blues, Cajun, Creole, and
spiritual music; 12 hours of performance and interviews with Huddie "Leadbelly" Ledbetter;
and 8 hours of performance and interviews with jazz legend Ferdinand "Jelly
Roll" Morton. The collections also include recordings of Chitimacha tales
and songs.
Louisiana participated in the Library's Bicentennial Local Legacies project,
which includes documentation of local traditions and celebrations for the
American Folklife Center's Archive of Folk Culture.
American Folklife Center collections presented online through the American
Memory Project include Southern
Mosaic: The John and Ruby Lomax 1939 Southern States Recording Trip;
folksingers and folksongs documented during a three-month trip through
the Southern United States. The collection includes material from Alabama,
Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South
Carolina, Texas, and Virginia.
Lecture Webcast
January 18, 2006: Mister Jelly Roll, Mister Lomax and the Invention of Jazz. Dr. John Szwed and pianist Dave Burrell explore the legacy of Louisiana-born Ferdinand Joseph Lamothe, AKA Jelly Roll Morton. [webcast and event flyer]
Publications
Published Recordings
- Bahaman Songs, French Ballads and Dance Tunes, Spanish Religious
Songs and Games, Library of Congress AFS L5. [audiocassette]
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