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Pete Seeger: The Complete Bowdoin College Concert, 1960 - Behind the Scenes Mini-Documentary Duration 7:09 Targeted by the infamous House Un-American Activities Committee, blacklisted, and...
“Estoy aqui (I Am Here)” by Quetzal from Imaginaries Duration 5:23 East Los Angeles natives Quetzal combine traditional music with rock, salsa, R&B and more to create music that is both artful and message-driven...
“Imaginaries” by Quetzal from Imaginaries Duration 3:18 Songwriter and lead singer Martha Gonzáles calls Quetzal an “East LA Chican @ rock group,” summing up its roots in the complex cultural currents of barrio life...
"Todo Lo Que Tengo (All That I Have)" by Quetzal from Imaginaries Duration 4:40 East Los Angeles band Quetzal combines rock, traditional son jarocho, salsa, R&B, and more to express political, social, and ...
Chip Taylor Discusses Golden Kids Rules at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival Duration 4:12 Renowned singer/songwriter Chip Taylor discusses his Smithsonian Folkways album Golden Kids Rules, written and recorded with ...
Elizabeth Mitchell and Suni Paz Perform at Rinzler Memorial Concert Duration 2:49 The life of Kate Rinzler was celebrated on July 9 with lively performances by two Smithsonian Folkways recording artists, Elizabeth Mitchell ...
Three Accordionists Duration 1:49 Three accordionists (Joel Guzman, Ed Poullard, and David Farias), skilled in a range of taditions including Conjunto and Cajun, jam together on the Texas Talk Stage.
Los Texmaniacs and Augie Meyers, “All About Avocados” Duration 2:47 Los Texmaniacs and Augie Meyers perform “All About Avocados,” at the 2008 Smithsonian Folklife Festival.
“We Love You Ella!” Duration 2:07 At a recent education conference, fans discussed Ella Jenkin's continuing legacy as an influential musician and educator.
Tom Wisner Duration 5:40 Tom Wisner told this story about the music he created while living and working on the Chesapeake Bay. He also related some unusual advice he received from the founder of Folkways Records, Moses Asch.
Tom Wisner Duration 8:09 Tom Wisner was an environmental educator and musician steeped in the lore of the Chesapeake Bay and region. He recorded two successful albums for Folkways Records.
Sunny Day Duration 2:24 Music video for the song "Sunny Day" Elizabeth Mitchell’s 2010 album of the same name. It's the story of a magic harmonica and a girl dreaming of the first day of spring.
Oh, John the Rabbit Duration 2:03 Music video from Elizabeth Mitchell's 2010 album Sunny Day.
Little Bird, Little Bird Duration 2:57 Music video from Elizabeth Mitchell's album You Are My Little Bird released in 2006.
Sarah Lee Guthrie Duration 3:28 Sarah Lee Guthrie talks about the inspiration for her new children's album Go Waggaloo.
Los Texmaniacs Duration 4:48 Los Texmaniacs perform an acoustic version of "Marina," which they substitute the guitarrón for the electric bass.
Call & Response Duration 2:57 Ella Jenkins performs at the 2009 Smithsonian Folklife Festival.
Limberjack Dancer Workshop Duration 1:16 Ella Jenkins demonstrates how to teach rhythm by using the limberjack dancer in a 2009 workshop at the Old Town School of Folk Music.
Ella Jenkins in conversation Duration 1:35 Ella's playful and captivating songs help children appreciate themselves and understand others. In 2003 she sat down for an interview with Michael Asch (Moses's son) to reflect on her career.
I Know a City Called Okeechobee Duration 2:29 Ella Jenkins sings her song "I Know a City Called Okeechobee" before a sold out crowd at the Music Center at Strathmore in 2006.
Pete Seeger Duration 8:41 Clips from the Smithsonian Folkways Concert in honor of Ella Jenkins at the Music Center at Strathmore, 2005.
English Is Crazy Duration 3:21 Now regarded as the dean of 20th-century folk singers, Pete Seeger started recording for Folkways founder Moses Asch in 1943. Here he performs Josh White Jr.'s song "English Is Crazy" in 2005.
Political Songs Duration 2:44 Pete Seeger is one of the USA's foremost protest singers, having lent his voice and energy to causes he believes in for more than sixty years. Here, Pete discusses the vital role of songs in political movements.
National Anthem Duration 5:32 Pete Seeger recites a poem on the American Flag and gives the history of the National Anthem of the United States at Smithsonian Folkways’ Ralph Rinzler memorial in New Market, Tennessee in 1995.
Walking Boss Duration 3:15 Mike Seeger was a musician, documenter, and tireless advocate of American folk and traditional music. Here he performs and gives the history of "Walking Boss."
Mike Seeger Interview Duration 2:56 Mike Seeger talks about his childhood and early days in music.
Early Southern Guitar Sounds Duration 6:28 Mike Seeger discusses his album, Early Southern Guitar Sounds.
Michael Doucet Duration 4:24 Michael Doucet is a fiddler, composer, and bandleader. Here he performs with David Doucet and Mitchell Reed. Recorded live at the 2007 Smithsonian Folklife Festival.
Tony Trischka Duration 2:45 Banjo great Tony Trischka discusses his early introduction to the instrument. Through Trischka, the instrument found its way into many different musical forms from jazz to rock to classical.
Bess Lomax Hawes Duration 3:21 Bess Lomax Hawes discusses the 13th Annual Ralph Rinzler Memorial Concert held in her honor in 2007. The concert honored Hawes, founder of the National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowships.
Bernice Johnson Reagon Duration 2:39 Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon, singer, activist, and historian, organized multi-racial performances in the segregated American South of the 1960s.
God Said He Would Move/On the Right Road Now Duration 4:11 Formed in 1981 under the leadership of Frank Paschall Sr., the Paschall Brothers perform classic Tidewater repertoire along with original compositions.
I'll Be Satisfied Duration 3:24 The Paschall Brothers rehearse "I'll Be Satisfied" and discuss their father's legacy at their Newport, Virginian home.
Joe Glazer Duration 6:30 Joe Glazer, often called "Labor's Troubadour," was one of America's noted historians of labor song. Here he discusses the role of music in the American Labor Movement.
We Are Soldiers in the Army Duration 3:46 The Freedom Singers are an a cappella quartet which features legendary civil rights activists and singers: Rutha Harris, Charles Neblett, Bettie Mae Fikes, and Cordell Reagon.
Steamboat Whistle Duration 2:50 John Jackson performs the blues, which became a prominent American musical form at the turn of the 20th century.
The Piedmont Blues Duration 4:56 Piedmont blues musicians John Cephas and Phil Wiggins discuss the origins of the East Coast Piedmont blues and showcase their style.
Little Birdie Duration 3:54 This 2003 performance by Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys demonstrates the instrumental solos and breakneck speed that characterize bluegrass music.
West Virginia, My Home Duration 4:55 Hazel Dickens became an accomplished bluegrass performer at a time when the genre was dominated by men. In this performance, Dickens pays homage to her home state.
Deep River Blues Duration 4:48 Doc Watson has been astonishing and delighting audiences for more than forty years, playing his flat top guitar with technical virtuosity and impeccable tone and timing. Watch Doc teach and play "Deep River Blues."
Cajun Waltz Duration 2:41 Filmed in 1976, Dewey Balfa and the Balfa Brothers perform a Cajun waltz. Listen as Balfa translates the lyrics of love and longing.
Dewey Balfa Duration 2:47 Dewey Balfa, a musician responsible for the reinvigoration of Cajun music in the 1960s, plays a Cajun fiddle tune and speaks to the importance of regional culture.
Freight Train Duration 2:23 Elizabeth "Libba" Cotten built her musical legacy on a firm foundation of late 19th- and early 20th-century. Watch this unique style in a performance of "Freight Train," her best-known song.
Remembering Hazel Dickens Duration 4:04 On April 22, our dear friend Hazel Dickens passed away. Hazel was one of the most important bluegrass singers of the last fifty years and the writer of very poignant songs drawn from her personal experience.
