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By: Michelle Stefano
Below is an excerpt from an interview by Folklife Specialist Guha Shankar with Community Collections Grant recipient Mark Boots Lupenui entitled, “Heirloom Songs” from Kohala, Hawai’i: Documenting a Fragile Musical Legacy, as part of a series on the Library’s Of the People blog featuring the 2022 awardees of the AFC’s Community Collections Grants program. The …
Posted in: Folklife Today
By: Michelle Stefano
This is an excerpt from a post on the Library’s Of the People blog highlighting the 2022 AFC Community Collections Grant recipient, Habele Outer Island Education Fund and their project, “The Warp and Weft of the Remathau.” Written by AFC Senior Folklife Specialist Nancy Groce, the post is part of the Of the People blog …
Posted in: Folklife Today
By: Stephen Winick
We're continuing the Homegrown Plus series with a very special presentation of Samoan dance. In addition to the dance video, the blog features an interview with Eti Eti, one of the members of the dance group. The dance video was created by the Student Association For Fa'asamoa, a program of the Samoan Studies Institute at American Samoa Community College. The Samoan Studies Institute’s mission is to ensure and promote the continuity of Samoan culture, traditions, language, and heritage. Since its inception, SAFF has been active in performing the Siva Samoa (traditional Samoan dance), and in teaching and practicing old Samoan customs. For their Homegrown video, the SAFF dancers performed a 30-minute program of traditional dances in several locales at the college, under the direction of Molitogi Lemana. See the video right here in the blog!
Posted in: Folklife Today
By: Stephen Winick
We're continuing the Homegrown Plus Premiere series with international recording artist Herb Ohta, Jr., who is one of today's most prolific ʻukulele masters. In this blog you'll find an embedded concert video, an interview video, and a set of related links to explore! We're very excited to present Herb Ohta, Jr. in the series. Influenced by jazz, R&B, Latin and Brazilian music, as well as traditional Hawaiian sounds, he puts his stamp on Hawaiian music by pushing the limits of tone and technique on this beautiful instrument. The son of ʻukulele legend "Ohta-san," he started playing at the age of three, and began teaching at the age of nine. Based in Honolulu, he shares the music of Hawaiʻi and the beauty of the ʻukulele with people around the world, performing concerts and conducting instructional workshops. As a special treat, Herb asked his good friend Jake Shimabukuro to join him for a medley of traditional Hawaiian songs. Shimabukuro, also a Honolulu native, is one of the most highly acclaimed ʻukulele players in the world, and has collaborated with many great musicians, including Willie Nelson, Bette Midler, Jimmy Buffett, Kenny Loggins, and Amy Mills. He's never forgotten his roots in Hawaiian music, though, and was kind enough to join Herb in his Homegrown concert.
Posted in: Folklife Today
By: Jennifer Davis
Today is a state holiday in Hawai’i commemorating the birthday of Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole Piʻikoi. As an adult, he was frequently called Ke Ali‘i Maka‘āinana (Prince of the People), for the services he gave to the Hawaiian people. Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalaniana’ole, often called simply Prince Kūhiō, was born in Kōloa, Kaua’i, Hawai’i, on …
Posted in: In Custodia Legis
By: Stephanie Hall
Staff at the American Folklife Center continue to use new digital tools to support remote discovery and access for our resources by users of all kinds. Whether you are a community scholar, a teacher, an academic researcher, a creative artist, or a curious consumer of local culture we hope that our geographically-oriented research guides offer …
Posted in: Folklife Today
By: Stephanie Hall
Staff at the American Folklife Center continue to use new digital tools to support remote discovery and access for our resources by users of all kinds. Whether you are a community scholar, a teacher, an academic researcher, a creative artist, or a curious consumer of local culture we hope that our geographically-oriented research guides offer …
Posted in: Folklife Today
By: Bailey DeSimone
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and we want to dedicate this month’s From the Serial Set post to the peoples of Asia and the Pacific Islands who enriched U.S. history and culture. Today, we’ll be sharing highlights from the narrative of Commodore Perry’s journey from the Chesapeake Bay to the Edo …
Posted in: In Custodia Legis
By: Jennifer Davis
Blog post about Native Hawaiian laws and their history
Posted in: In Custodia Legis
By: Bailey DeSimone
The picture of the week is a cluster of cherry blossoms which were planted as a symbol of friendship between the United States and Japan after World War II.
Posted in: In Custodia Legis