News and Events
July 30th, 2009
Smithsonian Folkways T-Shirts Now Available
By popular request, Smithsonian Folkways T-shirts are now available at
folkways.si.edu!
Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger fans should consider the most popular shirt at the 2009 Smithsonian Folklife Festival, which features Woody's guitar on the front and Pete's banjo on the back.
In addition, the 2009 Smithsonian Folklife Festival program Las Américas: Un Mundo Musical inspired two shirts — "¡Oye!" and "Mi Música".
T-shirt purchases support the nonprofit mission of Smithsonian Folkways and help spread the word when you wear them.
July 27th, 2009
Nine Smithsonian Folkways songs named to 100 Most Essential Folk Songs list
Nine tracks from the Smithsonian Folkways collection were recently featured on Folk Alley's "100 Most Essential Folk Songs" list, including songs from Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, and Elizabeth Cotten. Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land" was awarded the list's top spot. The list also includes twenty three songs from Smithsonian Folkways collection that are performed by other artists, such as "Where Have All the Flowers Gone" by Pete Seeger (as performed by the Kingston Trio) and "Goodnight Irene" by Lead Belly (as performed by the Weavers).
Smithsonian Folkways Songs on Folk Alley's list of 100 Most Essential Folk Songs:
01."This Land Is Your Land" - Woody Guthrie
04. "If I Had a Hammer" - Pete Seeger
08. "We Shall Overcome" - Pete Seeger
30. "Pastures of Plenty" - Woody Guthrie
36. "Freight Train" - Elizabeth Cotton
41. "Changes" - Phil Ochs
45. "Little Boxes" - Malvina Reynolds
64. "Deportee" - Woody Guthrie
68. "The Crucifixion" - Phil Ochs
93. "Hobo's Lullaby" - Woody Guthrie
July 17th, 2009
Smithsonian Folkways: Sounds to Grow On Episode #7 Now Available on Podcast
Smithsonian Folkways: Sounds to Grow On, the 26-part radio series hosted by Michael Asch, son of Folkways founder Moses Asch, features the original recordings of Folkways Records' vast catalogue. Episode #7 features the Songs of Animals - click here to download or subscribe to the podcast.
April 21, 2009
Smithsonian Folklife Festival needs volunteers
The Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage needs capable and enthusiastic volunteers before, during, and after its annual Folklife Festival, which will be held on the National Mall Wednesday, June 24 through Sunday, June 28 and Wednesday, July 1 through Sunday, July 5.
Volunteers for "Giving Voice" will assist program participants with the presentation of African American oral traditions as the Smithsonian prepares for the 2015 opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Volunteers supporting the "Las Américas" program will help artists from the United States and Latin America feature a myriad of musical styles from throughout the Americas. Volunteers for the "Wales Smithsonian Cymru" program will help the Festival's Welsh participants share their rich culture and heritage, presenting connections between traditional culture, new technologies, and national efforts for sustainability.
Volunteers also are needed to support a wide variety of other areas, including the Marketplace (the Festival's retail venue), information kiosks, and with the Festival recycling program.
Certified American Sign Language interpreters and volunteers who speak Spanish or Welsh are especially needed.
More information on all the volunteer opportunities and an application are available
here or by contacting volunteer coordinator Laura Jenkins at
jenkinsl@si.edu or (202) 633-6484.
April 20, 2009
Pete Seeger: American Favorite Ballads Vol. 1-5 Box Set
will be released April 21st
Check back soon for a special announcement including free downloads, but in the meantime, please enjoy this previously unreleased video of interviews and music performance. Click here to learn more.
April 17, 2009
The Working White House:
200 Years of Tradition and Memories online
The White House Historical Society has launched an online version of the traveling exhibition here. Co-curated by the Center's Jim Deutsch, the White House Workers exhibition explores the dedication, skills, and sacrifices of residence staff whose extraordinary service has helped the White House fulfill its multiple roles as a family residence, seat of government, ceremonial center, historic building, and museum.
Smithsonian Folkways has also released a companion DVD with:
- An introduction by former President Jimmy Carter recalling the White House workers he knew.
- Workers at the White House, a 32-minute documentary film featuring a broad range of workers who have served presidents from Herbert Hoover to George H.W. Bush. Until now this film was only available in VHS format.
- The Working White House: 200 Years of Traditions and Memories, a 12-minute introduction to the traveling exhibition.
- Two hours of interviews conducted in 2007 with recently retired White House workers, recounting memories, describing traditions, and expressing sense of community among staff and pride in their service to First Families and the nation.
Click here for more information about the DVD.
March 24, 2009
Classic Protest Songs from Smithsonian Folkways is now available on CD and DRM-free Digital Download
War, social injustice, personal plaints, and calls for action have long fueled musical creation and performance. In Classic Protest Songs, Mark Gustafson and Jeff Place tap the historic Smithsonian audio collections to compile 22 songs favored by leaders of antiwar, civil rights, industrial labor, farm worker, and other struggles to air their grievances. Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly, Janis Ian, Big Bill Broonzy, Pete Seeger, Barbara Dane, Guy Carawan, Phil Ochs, and other marquee artists let their voices ring out with calls for peace and justice.
March 5, 2009
John Cephas, 1930-2009
Piedmont blues guitarist and vocalist John Cephas passed away March 4th at his home in Woodford, Virginia. Cephas, a 1989 National Heritage Fellowship Award recipient, recorded the album Richmond Blues in 2008 with his longtime musical partner Phil Wiggins as part of the African American Legacy Recording Series.
Cephas & Wiggins teamed up in 1977 after meeting at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival and were named W.C Handy Blues Entertainers of the Year in 1987. Cephas, who once said "blues music is truth", served on the Executive Committee of the National Council for the Traditional Arts and was a founder of the Washington D.C. Blues Society. Click here to watch a video of Cephas & Wiggins discussing the Piedmont Blues style and click here to watch them perform in the 2007 Smithsonian Folklife festival Ralph Rinzler Memorial Concert.