Flory JagodaSights & Sounds

The Life of Flory Jagoda: the keeper of the flame

Born in 1923 in Sarajevo, Bosnia, Flory Jagoda learned songs from her grandmother, or “Nona” as she calls her, who knew the musical traditions passed down through their Sephardic Jewish …

Sights & Sounds

Real Folk: Passing on Trades and Traditions of the Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Program

Watch the 5-episode virtual tour: Since 2002, the Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Program at Virginia Humanities has brought together more than 150 experienced master artists and eager apprentices, ensuring various art …

Sights & Sounds

The Old Jimmy Sutton

A masterful songster recorded by two folklorists, fifty years apart. When the late folklorist Alan Lomax set out on his now infamous “Southern Journey” in 1959, he stopped in Chilhowie, …

Sights & Sounds

Master Artist Spotlight: Mark Cline

Mark Cline is a master artist in the 2019-2020 class of apprenticeship teams in the art of roadside attractions and fiberglass sculpture. In this feature Richmond-writer Don Harrison takes an …

Sights & Sounds

The Sweetness of Virginia’s “Little Switzerland”

Maple Syrup in Highland County   Highland County, Virginia may be one of the least populated counties East of the Mississippi, but its heart is big, the mountain views are …

Sights & Sounds

Mongolian Contortion: The Art of Bending

Many of the traditions on display at the Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Showcase date back centuries in Virginia, but others are deeply established art forms that are new to this country, …

Sights & Sounds

Passing on Quechua culture in Virginia

By Violeta Palchik As I chat with Julia Garcia, or Mama Julia as she is known, she lays out the intricate web making up the spiritual culture of indigenous Bolivian …

Sights & Sounds

Baklava as Art

By Theresa Kubasak “I love making baklava… It’s art!” Sondus Moussa sets up her wooden board, positions a warm pan of clarified butter and sniffs a mixture of ground nuts, …

Sights & Sounds

Cambodian New Year 2017

Amidst boys wearing gold bandoliers chasing each other through the lower level of the Big Temple, Sochietah Ung is the eye of the storm. His hands move quickly with gold thread to put the finishing touches on a dancer’s gold and indigo costume. Satisfied with his work on the dancer’s skirt, he lifts the small girl onto a chair to affix gold jewelry around her waist and ankles.

Sights & Sounds

Memories of Hanukkah: Flory Jagoda’s “Ocho Kandelikas”

As the holidays enter full swing, Christmas songs—ranging from the insipid to the sublime—become a seemingly ubiquitous presence in our lives. Largely buried in a sonic avalanche of sleigh bells, …

Sights & Sounds

Making Barbacoa with Luz Lopez

By Violeta Palchik In the town of Morocoy, where Luz Lopez was raised, there is a large plaza where people go to relax at the end of the day. Several …

Sights & Sounds

Apprenticeship Spotlight: Sherman Holmes and Whitney Nelson

By Jon Lohman, Virginia State Folklorist One of my fondest memories of the 2014 Folklife Apprenticeship Showcase was the sight of members of participating master artists the Holmes Brothers sitting …

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