Folkways Records
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (May 2015) |
Folkways Records | |
---|---|
Parent company | Smithsonian Institution |
Founded | 1948 |
Founder | Moses Asch Marian Distler |
Defunct | 1987 |
Status | Defunct |
Genre | Folk, Traditional bluegrass, world music |
Country of origin | U.S. |
Location | Washington, D.C., United States |
Official website | www |
Folkways Records was a record label founded by Moses Asch that documented folk, world, and children's music. It was acquired by the Smithsonian Institution in 1987 and is now part of Smithsonian Folkways.
History
The Folkways Records & Service Co., and its music publishing subsidiary Folkways Music Publishers, Inc., were founded by
Folkways influenced a generation of
Smithsonian
The Smithsonian Institution Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage in Washington, D.C. acquired Asch's Folkways recordings and business files after his death in 1986. This acquisition was initiated by
A complete set of the Folkways recordings was also donated to the University of Alberta where Michael Asch, Moses Asch's son, was an anthropology professor. FolkwaysAlive, a joint initiative between the university and the Smithsonian founded in 2004 by Regula Qureshi and Michael Frishkopf, with support from VP Research Gary Kachanoski, is involved in digitization and archiving of the collection as well as maintaining a research center and sponsoring student research scholarships and an annual concert series.[5][6]
Since acquiring Folkways, the Smithsonian has expanded Asch's collection by adding several other record labels, including Cook, Monitor, Fast Folk, Dyer-Bennet, and Paredon Records. They have released over 300 new recordings.
Smithsonian Folkways states that their mission "is the legacy of Moses Asch, who founded Folkways Records in 1948 to document 'people's music.'" They "are dedicated to supporting cultural diversity and increased understanding among peoples through the documentation, preservation, and dissemination of sound", and that "musical and cultural diversity contributes to the vitality and quality of life throughout the world." By making these recordings available, they intend to "strengthen people's engagement with their own cultural heritage and to enhance their awareness and appreciation of the cultural heritage of others."[7]
Smithsonian Folkways has produced or co-produced a number of radio series based on Folkways collections. "The Folkways Collection" and "Sounds to Grow On" are co-produced with CKUA radio; "Tapestry of the Times" was co-produced by WYPR radio; and "Sound Sessions" was produced by the Smithsonian and broadcast on WAMU radio. "Sounds to Grow On" is hosted by Michael Asch, Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at the University of Alberta and the son of Moses Asch.
Selected releases
- María Sabina. Mushroom Ceremony of the Mazatec Indians of Mexico (1957). [FR 8975].
- Produced and recorded by R. Gordon Wasson and Valentina Pavlovna Wasson.
- Shirley Collins. False True Lovers (1959). [FG 3564].
- Produced by Alan Lomax.
- Woody Guthrie. Dust Bowl Ballads (1964). [FH 5212]. (Originally released on Victor Records as a 3 x Shellac 10” set [P 27] in 1940)
- Produced and recorded by Robert P. Weatherald.
- Elizabeth Cotten. Folksongs And Instrumentals With Guitar (1958). [FG 3526].
- Produced and recorded by Mike Seeger.
- Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger. Two Way Trip(1959). [FW 8755].
- Produced by Peggy Seeger.
- Michael Hurley. First Songs (1964) [FG 3581].
- Produced and recorded by Frederic Ramsey.
- Haussein Shiekh and Radio Mogadisco Swahili Singers. Baijun Ballads: Somali Songs in Swahili(1971) [FW08504].
- Recorded by Chet Williams and Hassan Hussein.
See also
References
- ^ ISBN 1-85227-745-9.
- ^ Scherman, Tony (August 1987). "This Man Captured the True Sounds of a Whole World". Smithsonian: 118–119.
- ^ Variety (1951). Variety (January 1951). Media History Digital Library. New York, NY: Variety Publishing Company.
- ^ "Verve/Folkways: Marriage of Folk and Pop", Billboard magazine, p. 12, January 21, 1967
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2017-02-05. Retrieved 2019-12-18.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Sounds to Grow On: A Radio and Podcast Series Hosted by Michael Asch from the CKUA Radio Network". Folkways.si.edu.
- ^ "Smithsonian Folkways website". Folklife.si.edu. Archived from the original on 2007-12-11. Retrieved 2007-12-07.