Event Videos
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Film, VideoThe Story of Amelia Dawley's Song David Harrington, incoming Kluge Chair in Modern Culture at the Library of Congress, spoke about the creative process in writing a new composition for the Kronos Quartet and how the Library's archival collections inspired his efforts. He was joined by scholar Nemata Blyden and musician Charlton Singleton.- Contributor: Blyden, Nemata - Harrington, David - Singleton, Charlton - Fenn, John
- Date: 2024-09-24
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Film, VideoConversation with 2024 NEA Heritage Fellows Fabian Debora and Rosie Flores Two 2024 National Heritage Fellows, Chicano muralist Fabian Debora and rockabilly and country musician Rosie Flores, spoke with Allina Migoni of the American Folklife Center about their lives, work and experiences as artists. They also discussed their experiences as artists of Hispanic heritage. The National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts is the highest honor our nation gives for excellence in…- Contributor: Migoni, Allina - Flores, Rosie - Debora, Fabian
- Date: 2024-09-19
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Film, Video2024 NEA National Heritage Fellowship Awards The National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowships are the nation's highest honor in folk and traditional arts. This year -- and every year since 1982 -- the program recognizes recipients' artistic excellence, lifetime achievement and contributions to the nation's traditional arts heritage. Co-sponsored by the American Folklife Center in the Library of Congress. Speakers at this year's awards ceremony included Niclole Saylor,…- Date: 2024-09-18
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Film, VideoConspiracy Theories, Folklore and Belief In this lecture, noted folklorist Andrea Kitta will discuss some definitions of conspiracy theories and how they fit into other belief traditions and narratives with a focus on understanding why people believe in conspiracy theories and how they function. The term "conspiracy theory" has become loaded and often used to dismiss the belief systems of others, especially those of opposing viewpoints. However, all of…- Contributor: Kitta, Andrea
- Date: 2024-09-04
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Film, VideoConversation with Andrea Kitta Following her Benjamin Botkin Lecture on "Conspiracy Theories, Folklore and Belief: Birds Aren't Real, Loch Ness Monsters and Microchips, folklorist Andrea Kitta spoke with Nancy Groce and Steve Winick of the American Folklife Center to find out a little bit more about her training, career and how she became interested studying rumor and conspiracy theories. The conversation also touched on her interest and research…- Contributor: Winick, Stephen - Groce, Nancy - Kitta, Andrea
- Date: 2024-09-04
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Film, VideoWindborne: Old Songs, Bold Harmony Windborne is Lynn Mahoney Rowan, Will Thomas Rowan, Lauren Breunig and Jeremy Carter-Gordon. The four singers grew up immersed in the traditional song and dance communities of New England and discovered a love of world folk music in their teens. All four have traveled extensively in throughout the world with Village Harmony, Northern Harmony and the Renewal Chorus, leading workshops and giving concerts. Over…- Contributor: Windborne - Carter-Gordon, Jeremy - Breunig, Lauren - Rowan, Lynn Mahoney - Rowan, Will Thomas
- Date: 2024-08-29
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Film, VideoConversation with Windborne Lynn Mahoney Rowan, Will Thomas Rowan and Lauren Breunig of Windborne sit down with Stephen Winick of the American Folklife Center. Along with Jeremy Carter-Gordon, Windbourne grew up immersed in the traditional song and dance communities of New England and discovered a love of world folk music in their teens. All four have traveled extensively throughout the world with Village Harmony, Northern Harmony and…- Contributor: Winick, Stephen - Windborne - Breunig, Lauren - Rowan, Lynn Mahoney - Rowan, Will Thomas
- Date: 2024-08-29
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Film, VideoSwanky Kitchen Band Performance by the Swanky Kitchen Band, which is on an essential quest to revive the traditional music of the Cayman Islands. Set amidst the crystal blue waters of the Caribbean Sea, the three tiny islands are home to kitchen dance music, an infectiously danceable fiddle-driven style. The kitchen dance sound, created through a crossroads of European and African influences, might have disappeared save for…- Contributor: Swanky Kitchen Band
- Date: 2024-07-31
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Film, VideoConversation with Swanky Kitchen Band Jon Lohman, director of the Center for Cultural Vibrancy, sits down with members of the Swanky Kitchen Band. The band is on an essential quest to revive the traditional music of the Cayman Islands. Set amidst the crystal blue waters of the Caribbean Sea, the three tiny islands are home to kitchen dance music, an infectiously danceable fiddle-driven style. The kitchen dance sound, created…- Contributor: Rose, Samuel - Lohman, Jon - Johnson, Nicholas - Scott, Paula - Turner, Karen (Kk Alese) - Swanky Kitchen Band
- Date: 2024-07-31
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Film, VideoCarl Fleischhauer: Folklorist and Visual Documentarian One of America's leading and most influential visual documentarians, Carl Fleischhauer's contributions to the theory and practice of his field and to the image collections of the Library of Congress, particularly those of the American Folklife Center, have been substantial. Since joining the Library in the 1970s, his images, his approaches to fieldwork and his involvement in AFC fieldwork survey projects during the 1970s-1990s…- Contributor: Fleischhauer, Carl
- Date: 2024-07-17
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Film, VideoConversation with Carl Fleischhauer Nancy Groce and Guha Shankar of the American Folklife Center sit down for a conversation with Carl Fleischhauer. One of America's leading and most influential visual documentarians, Fleischhauer's contributions to the theory and practice of his field and to the image collections of the Library of Congress, particularly those of the American Folklife Center, have been substantial. Since joining the Library in the 1970s,…- Contributor: Groce, Nancy - Fleischhauer, Carl - Shankar, Guha
- Date: 2024-07-17
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Film, VideoConversation with Rachel Sumner and Traveling Light Stephen Winick sits down with Rachel Sumner, Kat Wallace and Mike Siegel of Traveling Light to discuss their music. This Boston based acoustic trio come bearing new interpretations of traditional folk songs and lend their deeply rooted bluegrass know-how to tightly crafted original songs written by Lennon-Award-winning songwriter Sumner. In addition to their own songs, the group will performed their own take on songs…- Contributor: Sumner, Rachel - Winick, Stephen - Traveling Light - Wallace, Kat - Siegel, Mike
- Date: 2024-06-26
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Film, VideoRachel Sumner and Traveling Light Lennon-Award-winning songwriter Rachel Sumner sits at the helm of the string band Traveling Light (fiddle, guitar, bass). This Boston based acoustic trio come bearing new interpretations of traditional folk songs and lend their deeply rooted bluegrass know-how to tightly crafted original songs written by Sumner. In addition to some of their own songs, the group performed their own take on songs taken from the…- Contributor: Traveling Light - Sumner, Rachel
- Date: 2024-06-26
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Film, VideoSidney Robertson, Folk Music Collecting and FDR's New Deal The authors of two new books -- Sheryl Kaskowitz, "A Chance to Harmonize" and Catherine Hiebert Kerst, "California Gold" -- return to the Library of Congress to discuss the remarkable New Deal folk song collecting career of Sidney Robertson, whose recordings are held in the American Folklife Center.- Contributor: Kaskowitz, Sheryl - Kerst, Catherine Hiebert
- Date: 2024-06-26
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Film, VideoFamily Sing-Along with Natalie Merchant Natalie Merchant performed a special concert as part of the David M. Rubenstein Treasures Gallery Opening Week festivities, specifically designed for families. The concert included music, items from the Library's collections and sing-alongs.- Contributor: Merchant, Natalie
- Date: 2024-06-15
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Film, VideoNatalie Merchant Celebrates the Treasures of a Nation This celebratory concert featuring Natalie Merchant marks the opening of the David M. Rubenstein Treasures Gallery at the Library of Congress. Enjoy a selection of the artist's favorite works as well as a snapshot of some of the Library's greatest treasures.- Contributor: Merchant, Natalie
- Date: 2024-06-13
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Film, VideoWe Are the Archive: Go-Go, Art and Respect Washington, D.C.-based writer, curator and activist Natalie Hopkinson discusses her work amplifying the voices of Black and Indigenous cultures that face erasure throughout the world. Drawing on her oral history and archival projects that span Washington's go-go music, Guyanese painting and poetry, and African photography, she describes how teams of artists, schools, libraries, civil society organizations, governments and museums are building a world where…- Contributor: Hopkinson, Natalie
- Date: 2024-06-12
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Film, VideoIstiwanāt Live Arabic Music Ensemble Istiwanāt Live! Arabic Music Ensemble reinterprets music that was originally performed 100 years ago for a transnational industry of Arab, Arab American and international record labels, and which has recently been released into the public domain. The concert is inspired by the "Archive Challenge," an initiative of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, and draws on archived recordings in Loeb Library…- Contributor: Rasmussen, Anne K. - Agha, Albert - Thomas, Anne Elise - Holton, Jared - Istiwanāt Live
- Date: 2024-06-05
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Film, VideoConversation with Istiwanāt Live Arabic Music Ensemble John Fenn sits down with Anne K. Rasmussen, Jared Holton, Albert Agha and Anne Elise Thomas of Istiwanāt Live! Arabic Music Ensemble. The group reinterprets music that was originally performed 100 years ago for a transnational industry of Arab, Arab American and international record labels, and which has recently been released into the public domain. The concert is inspired by the "Archive Challenge," an…- Contributor: Fenn, John - Rasmussen, Anne K. - Agha, Albert - Thomas, Anne Elise - Holton, Jared - Istiwanāt Live
- Date: 2024-06-05
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Film, VideoConversation with Somapa Thai Dance Company Douglas Peach sits down with Suteera Nagavajara, Vorayot Suksaichon and Anant Narkkong to discuss Somapa Thai Dance Company's musical origins. The group is a distinguished Thai dance and music company based in the Washington DC area, featuring an accomplished Thai orchestra. Many of its artists have been trained with highly recognized dance and music masters, including National Artists and others from Chulalongkorn University and…- Contributor: Narkkong, Anant - Suksaichon, Vorayot - Somapa Thai Dance Company - Nagavajara, Suteera - Peach, Douglas
- Date: 2024-05-23
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Film, VideoSomapa Thai Dance Company The Somapa Thai Dance Company will present traditional Thai music and selected Thai dance numbers. The group will showcase newly and innovatively arranged music numbers that are performed on different occasions and for functions in Thai society, including ceremonial music at Buddhist temples, music originating in the old Siamese royal court, and traditional music derived from regional folk tunes and other cultures in the…- Contributor: Somapa Thai Dance Company
- Date: 2024-05-23
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Film, VideoConversation with Rakish Violinist Maura Shawn Scanlin and guitarist Conor Hearn of Rakish sit down with Stephen Winick of the American Folklife Center. Rakish takes their name from the traditional Irish tune Rakish Paddy, an origin that aptly suits the duo and their shared background in traditional Irish and Scottish music. They draw on the music they grew up with and perform it in a way that…- Contributor: Rakish - Hearn, Conor - Winick, Stephen - Scanlin, Maura Shawn
- Date: 2024-05-15
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Film, VideoFrom Folk to Baroque: Celtic Music Duo Rakish Rakish is the duo of Violinist Maura Shawn Scanlin and guitarist Conor Hearn. They take their name from the traditional Irish tune Rakish Paddy, an origin that aptly suits the duo and their shared background in traditional Irish and Scottish music. They draw on the music they grew up with and perform it in a way that reflects their shared interest in and love…- Contributor: Rakish - Hearn, Conor - Scanlin, Maura Shawn
- Date: 2024-05-15
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Film, VideoInstrument of the State: A Century of Music in Louisiana's Angola Prison Benjamin J. Harbert is an ethnomusicologist and author of the book "Instrument of the State: A Century of Music in Louisiana's Angola Prison." The book and his recent documentary on the same topic, "Follow Me Down," were the subjects of his talk. Angola prison is the largest and one of the most notorious prisons in the United States, built into a slave plantation that…- Contributor: Harbert, Benjamin J.
- Date: 2024-04-17
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Film, VideoConversation with Benjamin J. Harbert Nancy Groce and Jesse Hawkin of the American Folklife Center sit down with Benjamin J. Harbert, ethnomusicologist and author of the book "Instrument of the State: A Century of Music in Louisiana's Angola Prison." The book and his recent documentary on the same topic, "Follow Me Down," were the subjects of his talk. Angola prison is the largest and one of the most notorious…- Contributor: Harbert, Benjamin J.
- Date: 2024-04-17