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Posted by: Douglas D. Peach
In this post, the American Folklife Center highlights a July 2024 concert performance and oral history interview with the Swanky Kitchen Band--an ensemble performing fiddle-based kitchen band music from the Cayman Islands.
Posted in: Cayman Islands, Cultural Heritage, Folk Music, Folksong, Homegrown Concert Series, Homegrown Plus
Posted by: Douglas D. Peach
In this post, the American Folklife Center (AFC) highlights a May 2024 concert performance and oral history interview with the Somapa Thai Dance Company and Orchestra--an ensemble performing traditional music from Thailand, whose members now predominately live in the Washington, DC metropolitan region. The AFC organized Somapa's performance in celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and as part of the 2024 Homegrown Concert Series.
Posted in: Asian American History, Asian Americans, Cultural Heritage, Dance, Folk Music, Folksong, Homegrown Plus
Posted by: Douglas D. Peach
On April 10, 2024, Dr. Melissa Cooper (Associate Professor of History, Rutgers University-Newark) presented a fascinating lecture on Gullah Geechee cultural history at the Library of Congress, as part of the American Folklife Center's Benjamin A. Botkin Lecture Series. In this post, we highlight the video recording of Cooper's lecture and an oral history interview with Cooper, conducted by American Folklife Center staff members.
Posted in: AFC Events, African American History, African Americans, Benjamin Botkin Folklife Lecture Series, Black History Month, Cultural Heritage, Folk Music, Folklorists, Gullah Geechee, Narratives
Posted by: Douglas D. Peach
In February 2024, the American Folklife Center and the Health Services Division organized a panel discussion on longevity with experts in public health and the traditional arts. This post provides a webcast of the event and provides responses to audience questions that were unanswered, due to time constraints, during the event.
Posted in: AFC Events, Folk Medicine, Folklorists, Narratives
Posted by: Douglas D. Peach
In this post, AFC Folklife Specialist Douglas D. Peach spotlights a recent concert and oral history interview with masters of chamamé music, the Alejandro Brittes Quartet, held at the Library of Congress in September 2023. The interview and oral history interview are now available for online viewing.
Posted in: Hispanic American History, Homegrown Concert Series, Homegrown Plus, Native American History