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A man playing a guitar and singing to a close crowd of a dozen or so men and women

Folklife at the International Level: The Roots of ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage’ Part IV, the 1989 Recommendation

Posted by: Michelle Stefano

In the last post, we made our way to UNESCO’s 1989 Recommendation on the Safeguarding of Traditional Culture and Folklore, tracing some key changes in precursor definitions for what is now called ‘intangible cultural heritage’ (ICH). I will return to the ICH concept’s development, but let’s make a pit stop to look more closely at …

A man playing a guitar and singing to a close crowd of a dozen or so men and women

Alistair Cooke: Radio and TV Icon, Hidden Folklorist

Posted by: Stephen Winick

This article about the broadcaster, journalist, and writer Alistair Cooke is part of a series called "Hidden Folklorists," which examines the folklore work of surprising people, including people better known for other pursuits. It mainly details his work on the 12-part 1938 BBC radio series "I Hear America Singing," which was the first time Library of Congress field recordings were used on the radio. It also discusses Cooke's involvement in the Library's recordings of Jelly Roll Morton, and presents the first recordings of his voice, made for the purposes of a dialect study in 1934.

A man sits in a chair with a small banjo

Brooklyn Folk Festival Turns 10: Q&A with Eli Smith

Posted by: John Fenn

A little over a decade ago, Brooklyn-based musician and promoter, Eli Smith, merged his passion for folk music with the inspiration he got from the community of artists calling New York City home and created the Brooklyn Folk Festival. Along the ten-year journey of the Festival, Eli has engaged the American Folklife Center in numerous …

A man playing a guitar and singing to a close crowd of a dozen or so men and women

Puppets: A Story of Magical Actors

Posted by: Stephanie Hall

Come and see Professor Horn’s Punch & Judy Show on May 2! There will be two shows, a children’s show from 10:30-11:00 am (co-sponsored with the Young Readers’s Center) and a talk and show for adults from noon to 1:00.  Have you ever played with dolls or action figures, making them move and talk? How about wearing a …

A man playing a guitar and singing to a close crowd of a dozen or so men and women

Collection Spotlight: Children’s Songs from the Virgin Islands

Posted by: Stephanie Hall

Between 1976 and 1978 Karen S. Ellis recorded the playground songs of elementary school students on St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. She was teaching at the Ricardo Richards School and many of the children she recorded were her students. This work culminated in a book and recording, Domino, a resource for children and teachers, published …

A man playing a guitar and singing to a close crowd of a dozen or so men and women

Reel Folk: Interview with Filmmaker Amy Nicholson

Posted by: Michelle Stefano

As the upcoming AFC film and discussion event, Reel Folk: Cultural Explorations on Film, nears, I interviewed filmmaker Amy Nicholson to whet the appetites of fellow ethnographic film enthusiasts out there! Amy’s 2005 film, Muskrat Lovely, will screen on September 30 2017, the second day of the Reel Folk event. View the full schedule here. What …

A man playing a guitar and singing to a close crowd of a dozen or so men and women

Urban Folklife, Urban Artistry: breaking down the complexities of urban dance with Junious Brickhouse

Posted by: Stephen Winick

The following is a guest post from AFC folklife specialist Michelle Stefano. On February 22 at noon, the Library of Congress will host the talented dancers of Urban Artistry, Inc. in the Coolidge Auditorium as part of the Homegrown Concert Series of the American Folklife Center. Audience members are in for a treat: three rounds …