Arts
Hosts Stephen Winick and John Fenn interview American Folklife Center staff members about what inspires them about AFC collections while they are working from home during the stay-at-home orders imposed by the covid-19 virus crisis. Alda Allina Migoni speaks about Spanish-language collections from California recorded in 1939 by Sidney Robertson Cowell, including versions of “Cielito Lindo.” Michelle Stefano speaks about blues musicians interviewed as part of the Chicago Ethnic Arts Project survey in 1977. Stephen Winick speaks about recordings of Zora Neale Hurston made in 1939, including one of her singing the song “Uncle Bud.” Maya Lerman speaks about the John Cohen collection and the Blue Ridge Parkway Folklife Project Collection, including the old-time music in the collections and especially interviews with Tommy Jarrell. John Fenn speaks about the Juan B. Rael Collection of Hispano music and culture from New Mexico and Colorado. More information on the songs as well as full audio and videos of some of the performances, photos of some the singers, and links to all the archival sources, can be found at https://blogs.loc.gov/folklife.