Sights & SoundsGankhuyag Natsag and Zanabazar Gankhuyag
Tsam is an ancient Buddhist ritual performed by skilled dancers wearing elaborately ornamented costumes and masks. Tsam was first introduced in Mongolia at the beginning of the eighth century when …
Sights & SoundsNader Majd and Ali Reza Analouei
Dr. Nader Majd, of Arlington, Virginia, was born in Sari, Iran, and began studying and playing the santur, or Persian hammered dulcimer, and violin at the age of six. He …
Sights & SoundsAli Reza Analouei and Behnaz Bibizadeh
Dr. Ali Reza Analouei, born in Esfahan, Iran, has made it his life’s work to apply the mystical traditions of Sufism and Irfan to the music he plays and teaches. …
Sights & SoundsKathy Coleman and Callie McCarty
When the American Folklore Society was established in 1901, a critical part of its stated mission was to document the “oral literature” of the southern Appalachian Mountains, as this region …
Sights & SoundsMoges Seyoum and Bililign Mandefro
The Ethiopian Orthodox Church is the oldest of all Eastern Christianities. A defining characteristic of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church is the elaborate singing or chanting which takes place often for …
Sights & SoundsLaura Ortiz and Ariel Hobza-Ortiz
Mexicans comprise one of the fastest-growing immigrant populations in Virginia. This emerging cultural community has already contributed a plethora of traditional folkways to the diverse tapestry of Virginia Folklife, including …
Sights & SoundsOfosuwa Abiola-Tamba and Monica James
While there is now a greater understanding and appreciation of the African origins of much of Virginia’s expressive culture, these roots were long ignored, misunderstood, or held in diminished regard …
Sights & SoundsBroto Roy and Sunil Chugh
Broto Roy is a master of the 5,000-year-old tradition of tabla drumming of India. The tabla is composed of two drums, one made of wood and the other of metal. …
Sights & SoundsAsha Vattikuti and Janhavi Kirtane
Kathak dance is an ancient story-telling dance form, originally performed by bards to narrate the stories of gods and goddesses in the temples of Northern India. Asha Vattikuti has spent …
