Sights & SoundsPassing 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 & SoundsBaklava 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 & SoundsCambodian 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 & SoundsMemories 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 & SoundsMaking 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 & SoundsApprenticeship 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 …
Sights & SoundsMagnificent: The Charlie McClendon Story
We have created an online exhibit that includes recent and archival video, audio, and still photography, and extensive interviews with Charlie McClendon, Richard Levin, and others. It also includes an edited film, “Put Me Down Easy: The Charlie McClendon Story.”
Sights & SoundsFolklife Master Artist Ganna Natsag meets the Dalai Lama
Ganna Natsag, a master artist of the Mongolian mask making tradition who lives in Arlington, traveled to India in December to visit the Dalai Lama in a quest for world …
Sights & SoundsApprenticeships Merge: Dale Wise restores Flory Jagoda’s accordion
Flory Jagoda, a master artist of the Sephardic ballad tradition, escaped from Bosnia in 1941. Her only possession was her Hohner Student III accordion. More than seventy years later, Dale …
Sights & SoundsA Conversation With Laura Ortiz
A Mexican Folk Dancer connects to her daughter and heritage through the Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Program By Anna Kariel “The story of Virginians, other than the story of Virginia Indians, …
Sights & SoundsHoustonFest 2014: Jewel of Festival Circuit
The city of Galax came alive in early May for the fourth annual Houstonfest. Born out of a community’s grief over the tragic passing of Houston Caldwell, a gifted banjoist …
Sights & Sounds78th Galax Old Fiddlers Convention recap
The Virginia Folklife Program’s photographer Pat Jarrett joined Jon Lohman at the 78th Galax Old Fiddlers Convention. Here’s a photo recap of the week.
