Folkways Radio

Radio Haiti

Some say that Haiti has been in perpetual revolution for 200 years. If so, then that revolution has a soundtrack: one that began with the rattle of the Taino caciques; that invokes healing and fighting spirits with the drums and chants of rada and petwo in Vodou; and that continues to express the appetite for freedom through the sly double meanings (betiz) in the songs of Carnival and rara, the cathartic dance rhythms of konpa and the compelling global edge of mizik rasin (roots music). The music of Haiti is a synthesis of Taino, African, and European music created out of often violent encounters, but has come to reflect great pride in their independent nation.

Bluegrass

Bluegrass music is charaterized by its high energy, fast tempo sound and a high-pitched singing style called the "high, lonesome sound." The genre combines American southern string band music, blues, English, Irish, and Scottish traditions, and sacred and country music. Bluegrass music became popular after World War II, but its roots date back to the 1930s. Named after Bill Monroe's legendary band The Blue Grass Boys, its songs often reflect issues important to everyday people. Religion is frequently a prominent theme, and gospel music has influenced the development of the bluegrass sound. The typical bluegrass band includes 5-string banjo, flat-top guitar, fiddle, mandolin, and bass. The instruments are traditionally acoustic with the guitar and bass carrying the downbeat and providing the rhythmic foundation. The Folkways collection contains some of the most influential early American bluegrass recordings and features such giants as Red Allen and Frank Wakefield, Bill Monroe, Doc Watson, the Stanley Brothers, and The Country Gentlemen. Listen here to these influential artists and experience this dynamic American roots tradition.

Music of Indonesia

Indonesia's music is as culturally diverse as its people. Best known abroad are the Javanese and Balinese orchestras generally called gamelans, which consist of gongs and other struck metal instruments. But gamelans are only one aspect of a much larger musical universe in Indonesia. Solo and group singing and solo instrumental music (typically played on the flute, shawm, plucked lute, bowed lute, plucked zither, or xylophone) are found everywhere, as are ensembles of mixed instruments, and ensembles dominated by instruments of a single type—especially flutes, drums, xylophones, zithers, or gongs. The music here is from Smithsonian Folkways Recordings' Music of Indonesia series, a 20-CD set compiled by Indonesian scholar Philip Yampolsky and released from 1991-2000.

"White House Blues": Music of the Political Process

The American political process has been intertwined with music as long as there has been a United States of America. From "Follow Washington," one of many songs written in praise of George Washington, to the popular theme songs used by present-day candidates, every election cycle has had its accompanying soundtrack. Before mass media made it possible for candidates to spread the message across the nation simultaneously, campaign songs, often set to other popular melodies, were used to reach broad populations, especially those that could not read newspapers. Natural accompaniments to political campaign songs are political satire and protest songs, and both categories are represented here by folk singer Joe Glazer and civil rights leader Hollis Watkins. Glazer, Oscar Brand, and Peter Janovsky each recorded albums of presidential campaign songs that, along with the other songs presented here, are part of the catalog of Smithsonian Folkways.

Archive Spotlight: ILAM

Founded in 1954 by Hugh Tracey, the International Library of African Music (ILAM) is the greatest repository of African music in the world. A research institution devoted to the study of music and oral arts in Africa, it preserves thousands of historical recordings dating back to 1929 and supports contemporary fieldwork. Smithsonian Folkways presents over a thousand tracks of music from ILAM, many available digitally for the first time. Most tracks are accompanied by extensive notes and images. Listen here to a sampling of musical treasures from this incredible archive.

Throat Singing

Tuva is a predominately rural region of Russia located northwest of Mongolia. It is home to one of the world's oldest forms of music. In Xöömei, or "throat-singing," a single vocalist simultaneously produces two distinct pitches-a fundamental note and, high above it, a series of articulated harmonies that are sequenced into melodies. The Tuvan herder/hunter lifestyle with its great reliance on the natural world and deeply-felt connection to the landscape is reflected in the Tuvan vocal tradition. With throat-singing Tuvans recreate the sounds of their natural surroundings—animals, mountains, streams, and the harsh winds of the steppe. Examples of this unique and moving vocal tradition are featured here.

Music of Hawai'i

Music has always been an important part of native Hawaiian culture. In early Hawai'i, mele (chant) paid homage to gods and remembered the actions of powerful people with drums and dancing. The small string of islands in the Pacific Ocean has also attracted sailors, explorers, and migrant workers, who all left their marks. Following the arrival of Europeans, Christian hymns and string instruments influenced native music and contributed to the development of new forms. In the mid 20th century, immigrants from Puerto Rico, Spain, Mexico, and Japan brought their own styles of music and singing. Both contemporary and traditional musical styles still thrive in Hawai'i.

Radio Africa

Listen here to the sounds of a continent rich with creativity, power, and enchantment. Radio Africa offers hours of tracks including field recordings from remote villages, voices of political protest, and songs from emerging Afro-pop artists. The music spans the continent, as well as the world, as African immigrants continue the traditions of their homeland in new communities. Radio Africa is a collaboration between Smithsonian Folkways and the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, the premier museum dedicated to the arts of Africa.

Radio Asia

Listen here to the authentic musical traditions of the planet's largest continent. From the nomadic and bardic cultures of the steppes to the classical court traditions of the cities, Radio Asia offers hours of music including field recordings from remote villages and performances by classically trained virtuosos. Radio Asia is collaboration between Smithsonian Folkways and the Smithsonian Freer and Arthur M. Sackler Galleries, home to one of the strongest collections of Asian art in the world.

Radio Latino

Radio Latino draws from the Latino audio holdings of the Folkways Collections-old and new-creating a cultural pastiche of sounds, styles, and cultures that hint at the vast cornucopia of music and cultural expression in the Latino world. It is produced with the Smithsonian Latino Center, which is dedicated to celebrating Latino culture, spirit, and achievement in America. In 2001, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings joined the Smithsonian Latino Center in a collaboration to bring grassroots Latino musicians and music to the fore of Smithsonian programming and American life.