Smithsonian Folkways
Smithsonian |
67 videos |
Updated 10 years ago
This playlist demonstrates the breadth and diversity of Smithsonian Folkways (www.folkways.si.edu), the non-profit record label of the Smithsonian Institution. Smithsonian Folkways is dedicated to supporting cultural diversity and increased understanding among peoples through the documentation, preservation, and dissemination of sound.
Folkways Records & Service Co. was incorporated in 1948 in New York City by Moses Asch (1905-1986) and under Asch's enthusiastic and dedicated direction, Folkways sought to record and document the entire world of sound. Following Asch's death, in 1987 the Smithsonian Institution Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage (www.folklife.si.edu) in Washington D.C. acquired Folkways Recordings and the label's business papers and files to ensure that the sounds and genius of its artists would continue to be available to future generations.
As a condition of the acquisition, the Smithsonian agreed that virtually all of the firm's 2,168 titles would remain "in print" forever--a condition that Smithsonian Folkways continues to honor through its custom order service. Smithsonian Folkways continues to release new recordings (about 400 since 1988) and add other record labels to the collection. These videos feature recording artists in performance, in the studio, and at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival (www.festival.si.edu) held yearly on the National Mall in Washington DC.
This playlist is just a glimpse at what Smithsonian Folkways has to offer. For more videos please visit the Smithsonian Folkways YouTube Channel: youtube.com/user/SmithsonianFolkways
To learn more about Smithsonian Folkways or purchase recordings (CD or download format), please visit: www.folkways.si.edu
