Smithsonian
True colors of the planets unveiled -- "Beyond: Visions of Our Solar System"
- Title
- True colors of the planets unveiled -- "Beyond: Visions of Our Solar System"
- Date posted
- 16 years ago
- Description
- Jim Zimbelman, planetary geologist in the Center for Earth and Planetary Studies at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, shares his three favorite images from the exhibition, "Beyond: Visions of Our Solar System." On view at the Air and Space Museum through May 2, 2011, the exhibition by artist Michael Benson combines art, science, photography and exploration to unveil the diverse landscapes found on the planets in our Solar System.
- Title
- Coral Whisperer: Smithsonian Scientist Mike Henley
- Date posted
- 16 years ago
- Description
- How do you recreate the ocean in a box? National Zoo Keeper Mike Henley talks about how he cares for the aquatic invertebrates in the Zoo's collection and how the National Zoo is also working to preserve them in their native habitats.
To meet more Smithsonian Scientists:
http://smithsonianscience.org/
- Title
- Ancient Avian Adventurer: Smithsonian Scientist Helen James
- Date posted
- 16 years ago
- Description
- Meet Smithsonian Scientist Helen James, whose job it is to dive into dormant Hawaiian volcanoes to find bird fossils. Her work to identify these species (some new species, some extinct) helps us learn about the past--specifically, how humans might have caused the extinction of these species.
To meet more Smithsonian Scientists:
http://smithsonianscience.org/
- Title
- Feather Forensics: Smithsonian Scientist Carla Dove
- Date posted
- 16 years ago
- Description
- When birds and planes collide: Carla Dove, a forensic ornithologist at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, talks about the work at Smithsonian's Feather Identification Lab and its role in improving aviation safety.
To meet more Smithsonian Scientists:
http://smithsonianscience.org/
- Title
- Gardening Tips at the Smithsonian Butterfly Habitat Garden
- Date posted
- 16 years ago
- Description
- The Smithsonian Butterfly Habitat Garden at the National Museum of Natural History is home to a variety of plants, insects and butterflies. As we move into the fall months, take some time to prepare your butterfly garden for the cool weather. Jonathan Kavalier, Smithsonian Gardens horticulturist, shares some important facts of butterfly gardening and provides viewers with several fall gardening tips.
- Title
- Global Africa: Alfredo Jaar
- Date posted
- 16 years ago
- Description
- Chilean artist Alfredo Jaar considers art's limitations to represent genocide, conflict, epidemics and famine. His artwork addresses the holocaust in Rwanda, toxic pollution in Nigeria, the disparity of the oil economy and extreme poverty in Angola, gold mining in Brazil and issues related to the border between the U.S. and Mexico. A conversation between Jaar and leading film scholar Manthia Diawara (New York University) follows.
(Recorded 09-09-2010)
Supported by Smithsonian Latino Center
- Title
- The Afro-Argentine Legacy of Tango
- Date posted
- 16 years ago
- Description
- The Afro-Argentine Legacy of Tango w Facundo Posadas
- Title
- Smithsonian Gardens - Aristolochia grandiflora (Pelican Flower)
- Date posted
- 16 years ago
- Description
- Smithsonian horticulturalist Janet Draper provides insight into the beautiful but foul-smelling vine known as the Pelican Flower (or Dutchman's Pipe), which can be found in the Mary Livingston Ripley Garden next to the Smithsonian Castle on the National Mall, Washington, D.C.
- Title
- "John the Rabbit" by Elizabeth Mitchell from "Sunny Day"
- Date posted
- 16 years ago
- Description
- Free Song Download from "Sunny Day", the new album by Elizabeth Mitchell:
http://www.folkways.si.edu/albumdetails.aspx?itemid=3289
On October 5th, Elizabeth Mitchell and You Are My Flower will release "Sunny Day", their second Smithsonian Folkways album of "handmade" music of the finest kind, for folks of all ages.
"I used to sing this with my students at the Roosevelt Island Day Nursery every day. Every day! They never got tired of it, especially the part where we would do a little switcheroo and they would sing the lead and I would sing "yes ma'am!" back to them. Now it's Storey's turn!"
— Elizabeth Mitchell, from the liner notes to Sunny Day
A true family affair, Sunny Day features performances with Mitchell's husband and musical partner, Daniel Littleton, their nine-year-old daughter Storey, and Storey's cousins and friends.
Guest performers include:
- Levon Helm
- Dan ...
- Title
- An Evening with Smithsonian Secretary Wayne Clough
- Date posted
- 16 years ago
- Description
- Leading the world's largest museum and research complex comprising 19 museums, nine research centers, the National Zoo, and research activities in more than 90 countries is no small job.
But Wayne Clough, the 12th secretary of the Smithsonian, is more than up to it.
Since becoming secretary in July 2008, he has overseen several major openings at the Smithsonian, including the Sant Ocean Hall and the David H. Koch Hall of Human Origins at the National Museum of Natural History, and the reopening of the National Museum of American History.
Secretary Clough, who holds a doctorate in civil engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and who served for 14 years as president of the Georgia Institute of Technology before coming to the Smithsonian, envisions a new era for the 164-year-old Institution.
In this special evening, he shares his vision for expanding the Smithsonian's relevance globally and helping the nation shape it...
- Title
- Making Palanqueta de Cacahuate Candy at Smithsonian Folklife Festival 2010
- Date posted
- 16 years ago
- Description
- Chef Alfredo Ortega makes the Mexican sweet palanqueta de cacahuate--similar to peanut brittle--at the Smithsonian's Folklife Festival.
- Title
- Korean Calligraphy at Smithsonian Folklife Festival 2010
- Date posted
- 16 years ago
- Description
- Myoung-Won Kwon demonstrates Korean calligraphy at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival
http://www.festival.si.edu/2010/schedule_06_28.aspx
- Title
- Kimekomi Doll Making at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival 2010
- Date posted
- 16 years ago
- Description
- Akiko Keene demonstrates the art of Kimekomi doll making at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival
Festival info: http://www.festival.si.edu/
- Title
- Son de Madera record "La Totolita (The Lttle Tukey)" in the studio
- Date posted
- 16 years ago
- Description
- Son De Madera, from the state of Veracruz, Mexico, perform an exciting, regional music called son jarocho. Here, they record "La totolita (The Little Turkey)" in the studio. Rubi del Carmen Oseguera adds rhythm and depth to the song through traditional zapateado dance.
Learn more at: http://www.folkways.si.edu/albumdetails.aspx?itemid=3224
ABOUT THIS CD:
The improvisatory, string-driven music of Veracruz called son jarocho has enjoyed several decades of major resurgence. This "back-to-the-future" recording allies elder farmer and rancher musicians with the next generation of forward-looking innovators who comprise the group Son de Madera. Son de Mi Tierra ("They are from my land") burgeons with creativity and reverence for both the old and the new as it draws from rural roots to produce fresh interpretations of this popular Mexican regional music. 13 tracks, 52 minutes, 40-page booklet with extensive bilingual notes and photographs.
<...
- Title
- How to play Bolero in Mariachi style with Nati Cano
- Date posted
- 16 years ago
- Description
- Mariachi los Camperos de Nati Cano demonstrate how to play bolero in the mariachi style.
For more about the instructional DVD, The Sounds of Mariachi: Lessons in Mariachi Performance, please visit: http://www.folkways.si.edu/albumdetails.aspx?itemid=3272
ABOUT THIS DVD:
The Sounds of Mariachi: Lessons in Mariachi Performance offers essential lessons in Mexican mariachi performance, given by accomplished, articulate, foremost musicians and educators. American national treasure Nati Cano, honored with the National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage award, takes us to the core of the unique mariachi musical style, just as he has done for thousands of students in hundreds of mariachi school programs across America.
This master class for teachers and students of all levels offers pointers in ensemble playing, fundaments of mariachi trumpet, violin, vihuela, and guitarrón technique, and insights to key musical genres including son, ...
- Title
- Madeleine Albright talks about her pins on exhibit at the Smithsonian Institution
- Date posted
- 16 years ago
- Description
- "Read My Pins: The Madeleine Albright Collection" features more than 200 pins, many of which former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright wore to communicate messages during her diplomatic tenure. The exhibit examines the collection for its historic significance and the expressive power of jewelry and its ability to communicate through a style and language of its own.
On view June 18 -- October 11, 2010
Smithsonian Castle
Washington, D.C.
http://www.si.edu/exhibitions/read-my-pins/
- Title
- Smithsonian geologist puts Eyjafjallajökull eruption in perspective
- Date posted
- 16 years ago
- Description
- Eyjafjallajökull's eruption may be a hassle if you had any transatlantic flights planned this summer. For scientists, however, volcanic eruptions are the only way they can obtain samples from deep within the Earth to learn more about our planet, its formation, and its ongoing evolution. How long will this eruption last? How does it compare to other volcanoes around the world and throughout history? Smithsonian Geologist Liz Cottrell helps put this recent eruption into perspective.
- Title
- Inside the National Zoo's Hormone Lab (Giant Panda Pregnancy Watch)
- Date posted
- 16 years ago
- Description
- When animal care staff at the Smithsonian's National Zoo need to know when to breed their pandas or when to expect a cub they turn to the Endocrine (Hormones) Research Lab at the Zoo's Front Royal, Va. facility. This lab--one of the largest in the world--is dedicated to enhancing the reproduction and well-being of animals living in zoos and in the wild. Lab technician Sarah Putman explains one of the most frequent questions asked about the pandas: Why is there no panda pregnancy test?
- Title
- Pablo Aslan: Tango Grill
- Date posted
- 16 years ago
- Description
- Tango Grill
- Title
- Connected Cultures: Religious Traditions of the Middle East
- Date posted
- 16 years ago
- Description
- A discussion of the confluences of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
- Title
- John Jackson performs "Steamboat Whistle"
- Date posted
- 16 years ago
- Description
- For more information for the album, please visit:
http://www.folkways.si.edu/albumdetails.aspx?itemid=3249
John Jackson is featured on Classic Appalachian Blues from Smithsonian Folkways, a new album drawn from the archives of Smithsonian Folkways and the Smithsonian Folklife Festival.
The blues has been a major influence on American and Western popular music, inspiring ragtime, jazz, bluegrass, rhythm and blues, rock and roll, hip-hop, and country music. Blues legend John Jackson performs "Steamboat Whistle" at a tribute concert to the Anthology of American Folk Music.
The content and comments posted here are subject to the Smithsonian Institution copyright and privacy policy (www.si.edu/copyright/). Smithsonian reserves the right in its sole discretion to remove any content at any time.
- Title
- Preparing the gowns for the First Ladies Exhibition (Michelle Obama inaugural gown donation)
- Date posted
- 16 years ago
- Description
- First Lady Michelle Obama's inaugural gown is the centerpiece of the newly expanded exhibition. Take a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the National Museum of American History's First Ladies exhibition, featuring Michelle Obama's inaugural gown designed by Jason Wu. The video presents interviews with First Ladies curator Lisa Kathleen Graddy and museum costume conservation Sunae Park Evans.
**CORRECTION: Angelica Singleton was President van Buren's daughter-in-law; Harriet Lane was President Buchanan's niece whom he adopted when she was orphaned**
- Title
- Preparing the gowns for the First Ladies Exhibition
- Date posted
- 16 years ago
- Description
- First Lady Michelle Obama's Inaugural Gown is the centerpiece of the newly expanded exhibition. Take a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the National Museum of American History's First Ladies exhibition, featuring Michelle Obama's inaugural gown designed by Jason Wu. The video presents interviews with First Ladies curator Lisa Kathleen Graddy and museum costume conservation Sunae Park Evans.
- Title
- All-American Music: Behind the Scenes with Porgy and Bess
- Date posted
- 16 years ago
- Description
- The Washington National Opera (WNO) and the museum discuss the upcoming production of Porgy and Bess at the Kennedy Center, including its complex artistic and historical legacy. The program includes a panel discussion, multimedia presentation, and vocal performances by cast members. Participants include Dwight Blocker Bowers, curator of American Entertainment History; Fath Davis Ruffins, curator of African American History and Culture; John Mauceri, conductor; Rita Tikador, WNO assistant artistic director; Morenike Fadayoni, WNO actress (Bess); Eric Owens, WNO actor (Porgy); and Jermaine Smith, WNO actor (Sporting Life).
Presented February 25, 2010.
- Title
- Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Woolworth Lunch Counter Student Sit-In
- Date posted
- 16 years ago
- Description
- The three surviving members of the Greensboro Four, Jibreel Khazan (formerly Ezell Blair, Jr.), Franklin McCain, and Joseph McNeil participated in an oral history about their bold action that ignited student involvement in the Civil Rights Movement when they staged a sit-in at the Woolworth lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina on February 1, 1960. The four men were only freshmen at North Carolina A&T University when they began the movement that would lead to the desegregation of that particular lunch counter and sparked a student movement that spread across the nation. This was an opportunity for students around the same age as the Greensboro Four at the time of their protest to learn about student activism and civic engagement first-hand. This special youth town hall featured an oral history conducted by Christopher W. Wilson, Director of the Program in African American Culture at the National Museum of American History, along with a question and answer session. It also includ...
- Title
- Tales From the Longhouse - Native American Winter Storytelling Festival
- Date posted
- 16 years ago
- Description
- Perry Ground (Turtle Clan, Onondaga) shares tales from the Longhouse during the Winter Storytelling Festival, "Sharing Our Stories", at the National Museum of the American Indian on January 18, 2010.
- Title
- Ella Jenkins' Workshop
- Date posted
- 17 years ago
- Description
- For more information on Ella Jenkins, please visit:
http://www.folkways.si.edu/explore_folkways/ella_jenkins.aspx
Smithsonian Folkways recording artist Ella Jenkins, demonstrates how to teach rhythm by using the limberjack dancer in a 2009 workshop at the Old Town School of Folk Music.
"You'll sing a song and I'll sing a song, and we'll sing a song together." That is what Ella Jenkins has done for more than 50 years in preschools, festivals, auditoriums, early childhood conferences, and concerts around the world. Ella was the first "folk" performer to teach fun, interactive music in schools and preschools, incorporating world cultures, the joy of music, and the basic skills every child needs. Literally thousands of musicians who now perform for children are indebted to Ella Jenkins for laying that groundwork. She has reached even more families through television appearances on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, Sesame Street, and Barney.
<...
- Title
- Contemporary Art Conservation at Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Museum
- Date posted
- 17 years ago
- Description
- Latex, chocolate, soap, and video game software are just a few of the non-traditional materials that have inspired contemporary artists. While they embrace the modern, synthetic and technologically advanced world in which we live, some of materials present significant conservation problems for museum conservators. Gwynne Ryan, a conservator at the Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden discusses the challenges museums face with this issue: Should we keep art locked away to make it last? Or let it be experienced as it was intended while accelerating its natural degradation?
For more information about the Hirshhorn's conservation program, visit: http://hirshhorn.si.edu/educate/page.asp?key=205&subkey=75
- Title
- Son De Madera Perform at the 2009 Smithsonian Folklife Festival
- Date posted
- 17 years ago
- Description
- http://www.folkways.si.edu/albumdetai...
Son de Madera, of Veracruz, Mexico, form part of the jaranero movement. Their performance at the 2009 Festival blends dance with song.
Their most recent album, "Son de Mi Tierra", was released in 2009 by Smithsonian Folkways and was recently named a finalist for the 2009 Independent Music Awards as the "Best Latin Album".
Founded in 1992, Son de Madera forms part of the current jaranero movement. Its main goal is to diffuse son jarocho based on the research of traditional forms, the incorporation of new sounds, and the revival of community gatherings of music-making and dance called fandangos. Their recordings have been used in film soundtracks, television documentaries, and theater. * Ramón Gutiérrez Hernández, guitarra de son * Natalia Arroyo, violin * Rubí del Carmen Oseguera, tarima * Juan Pérez, bass * Rubén Vázquez Domínguez, arpa jarocha * José Tereso Vega Hernández, jarana
- Title
- Giving Voice: The Power of Words in African American Culture
- Date posted
- 17 years ago
- Description
- In the Summer of 2009, the Smithsonian hosted the 43rd annual Folklife Festival on the National Mall in Washington DC. One of the programs was Giving Voice: The Power of Words in African American Culture, which included a selection of performances by Black poets, storytellers, actors, comedians, and radio personalities that presented the traditions of contemporary African American Culture that have been spread throughout the community through oral traditions and verbal arts. Participants included childrens singer/songwriter Ella Jenkins, veteran actress Phyllis Yvonne Stickney, and poet Thomas Sayers Ellis. This video goes behind the scenes with program curator James A. Robinson as he reflects on the Festivals program.
The content and comments posted here are subject to the Smithsonian Institution copyright and privacy policy (www.si.edu/copyright/). Smithsonian reserves the right in its sole discretion to remove any content at any time.
- Title
- La India Canela at the 2009 Festival
- Date posted
- 17 years ago
- Description
- Lidia María Hernández López, "La India Canela," is a celebrated accordion player from the Dominican Republic. She has recorded several albums and won two Casandras. (The Casandra is the Dominican Republic's highest prize in the arts.) However, she says, "the best prize that one can win is the sentiment of the public, the people who appreciate and admire you."
La India is also happy that, in turn, she has influenced a younger generation of female accordionists: "It has been a great satisfaction for me that some of the young women have come up to me and said that they have seen in me an example to follow."
Here she demonstrates her dynamic ability during recording sessions for Smithsonian Folkways in Santiago, Dominican Republic, in 2007. In this video she is performing at the 2009 Festival.
The content and comments posted here are subject to the Smithsonian Institution copyright and privacy policy (www.si.edu/copyright/). Smithsonian res...
- Title
- Tengir-Too: Mountain Music of Kyrgyzstan
- Date posted
- 17 years ago
- Description
- The Tengir-Too is a new ensemble that plays old music. The group takes its name from the mountain range that towers over the high alpine passes linking Kyrgyzstan and China, and is better known by its Chinese name, Tien Shan: "Celestial Mountains." Produced in collaboration with the Aga Khan Music Initiative , a program of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture.
The content and comments posted here are subject to the Smithsonian Institution copyright and privacy policy (www.si.edu/copyright/). Smithsonian reserves the right in its sole discretion to remove any content at any time.
- Title
- Bahamian Junkanoo Parade
- Date posted
- 17 years ago
- Description
- Junkanoo is a Bahamian street parade featuring colorful and elaborate costumes and floats. Performed every Boxing Day (December 26) and New Year's Day, Junkanoo is a masquerade tradition that draws on The Bahamas' West African ancestral roots and is a public celebration of Bahamian identity and artistic expression. These scenes were filmed during the opening procession at the 1994 Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C. Master Bahamian drum maker John Chipman explains the role of drums in Junkanoo and drum-making techniques used in The Bahamas.
The content and comments posted here are subject to the Smithsonian Institution copyright and privacy policy (www.si.edu/copyright/). Smithsonian reserves the right in its sole discretion to remove any content at any time.
- Title
- Little Bird, Little Bird Music Video Performed by Elizabeth Mitchell
- Date posted
- 17 years ago
- Description
- http://www.folkways.si.edu
For more information on Elizabeth Mitchell and to get her recordings, please visit folkways.si.edu.
"Little Bird, Little Bird" Music Video Performed by Elizabeth Mitchell
"Little Bird, Little Bird" is from Elizabeth Mitchell's most recent album "You Are My Little Bird" released in 2006.
She will release her fourth children's album, "Sunny Day", on October 5th, 2010 on Smithsonian Folkways. For a sneak peek, including a free download and new video, visit:
http://www.folkways.si.edu/explore_folkways/sunny_day.aspx
www.youaremyflower.org
www.folkways.si.edu
The content and comments posted here are subject to the Smithsonian Institution copyright and privacy policy (www.si.edu/copyright/). Smithsonian reserves the right in its sole discretion to remove any content at any time.
- Title
- Seminole Stomp Dancers
- Date posted
- 17 years ago
- Description
- Florida
- Title
- Linda Nochlin Consider the Difference: American Women Artists
- Date posted
- 17 years ago
- Description
- Linda Nochlin, the Lila Acheson Wallace Professor of Modern Art at the New York University Institute of Fine Arts, pioneered the study of women and art with her groundbreaking 1971 essay, "Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?" Considered the foremost scholar of feminist art history, she has authored numerous publications, including Women, Art, and Power and Other Essays (1988) and Representing Women (1999). She was also the co-curator of the landmark exhibition Women Artists: 1550—1950, held at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in 1976. A former professor of art history at Yale University and Vassar College, Nochlin is also known for her work on Gustave Courbet. She has received fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities and is currently a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
- Title
- Viewing the Universe w Infrared Eyes: The Spitzer Space Telescope
- Date posted
- 17 years ago
- Description
- Dr. Giovanni Fazio, from the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory discusses the Spitzer Space Telescope. Launched on 25 August 2003, the telescope is producing an exciting new view of the Universe seen in infrared light. Spitzer is the fourth and final space telescope in NASA's Great Observatory series. It consists of an 85-cm telescope and three highly sensitive instruments capable of observing infrared light that allows astronomers to view regions of space invisible to optical telescopes. Spitzer's scientific results include the study of the formation and evolution of galaxies in the early Universe, understanding energy sources in ultraluminous galaxies, the study of star formation and evolution, observations of exoplanets and their atmospheres, and determining the structure and evolution of planetary disks around nearby stars. After a brief description of the Spitzer mission, results from Spitzer's extragalactic and galactic observational programs will be presented, showing many of...
- Title
- Studying Birds and West Nile Virus on the National Mall
- Date posted
- 17 years ago
- Description
- Smithsonian scientists are studying the effects of West Nile Virus on migratory birds and what that means for humans. Dr. Peter Marra of the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center at the National Zoo discusses the work he's doing on the National Mall and what the robin population has to do with your chances of being infected with the virus.
Migratory Bird Center Web site: http://nationalzoo.si.edu/ConservationAndScience/MigratoryBirds/default.cfm
- Title
- Feeding the Animals at the Smithsonian's National Zoo
- Date posted
- 17 years ago
- Description
- Mike Maslanka, head nutritionist at the Smithsonian's National Zoo, talks about what it takes to feed 2000 animals from 400 different species 365 days a year. Each one receives a diet specially designed by National Zoo nutritionists that not only meets their nutrient needs but also encourages them to employ their natural feeding behaviors.
The Zoo's commissary is one of the world's largest zoo commissaries and is about half an acre in size.
In all, 13 people make up the Zoos nutrition team. Two members of the team are certified nutritionists. Of all 220 zoo members of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, only 11 have nutritionists, and the National Zoo has two! But thats not the only thing that sets the Zoo apart. The National Zoo is also the only zoo that makes all of its own hay, which is grown at CRC.
Read more: http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/AnimalIndex/AnimalNews/nutrition.cfm
- Title
- Mike Seeger talks about his childhood and his early days in music.
- Date posted
- 17 years ago
- Description
- Please visit www.folkways.si.edu for an appreciation of Mike Seeger (1933-2009).
http://folkways.si.edu/explore_folkways/mike_seeger.aspx
Please share your thoughts, memories, and stories at the Smithsonian Folkways Facebook page or email them to SmithsonianFolkways@SI.EDU
http://www.facebook.com/smithsonianfolkwaysrecordings
For over fifty years, Mike Seeger has been a musician, documenter, and tireless advocate of American folk and traditional music. As a musician he recorded as a solo artist and member of folk revival ensemble the New Lost City Ramblers. As a collector he has captured and produced sounds by iconic artists such as Elizabeth Cotten and Dock Boggs. And finally, as a historian and preservationist of the music he calls "old time," Mike Seeger gives us the stories behind the music that is such an essential part of American culture. Here he performs and gives the history of "Walking Boss," a tune Thomas Clarence A...
- Title
- Mark van Tongeren, an ethnomusicologist, gives a throat-singing lesson
- Date posted
- 17 years ago
- Description
- ... From the 2002 Smithsonian Folklife Festival. For those who think the human voice can produce only one note at a time, the resonant harmonies of throat-singing are surprising. In throat-singing, a singer can produce two or more notes simultaneously through a specialized vocalization technique taking advantage of the throats resonance characteristics. Singers use a form of circular breathing which allows them to sustain multiple notes for long periods of time. Young Tuvan singers are trained from childhood through a sort of apprentice system to use the folds of the throat as reverberation chambers. Mark van Tongeren, an ethnomusicologist specializing in khöömei throat-singing, teaches the technique. To hear more throat-singing check out the album "Tuva: Voices from the Center of Asia" at http://www.folkways.si.edu/albumdetails.aspx?itemid=2058 To learn more about Smithsonian Folkways visit http://www.folkways.si.edu To find out more about the Smithsonian Folklife Festival visit htt...
- Title
- Mike Seeger performs "Walking Boss" in the Smithsonian Folkways Studio
- Date posted
- 17 years ago
- Description
- Please visit www.folkways.si.edu for an appreciation of Mike Seeger (1933-2009).
http://folkways.si.edu/explore_folkways/mike_seeger.aspx
Please share your thoughts, memories, and stories at the Smithsonian Folkways Facebook page or email them to SmithsonianFolkways@SI.EDU
http://www.facebook.com/smithsonianfolkwaysrecordings
For over fifty years, Mike Seeger has been a musician, documenter, and tireless advocate of American folk and traditional music. As a musician he recorded as a solo artist and member of folk revival ensemble the New Lost City Ramblers. As a collector he has captured and produced sounds by iconic artists such as Elizabeth Cotten and Dock Boggs. And finally, as a historian and preservationist of the music he calls "old time," Mike Seeger gives us the stories behind the music that is such an essential part of American culture. Here he performs and gives the history of "Walking Boss," a tune Thomas Clarence A...
- Title
- First Lady Michelle Obama Celebrates National Design Awards
- Date posted
- 17 years ago
- Description
- The First Lady hosts a ceremony at the White House for the winners and finalists of the 2009 National Design Awards, part of the Smithsonians Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum. She praises the recipients for their innovative ideas, and for serving as inspiration for future generations of designers. July 24, 2009. See all of the Winners' presentations here: http://tr.im/NDAYTObama
- Title
- Three members of "Son de Madera" talk about improvisation in Son Jarocho
- Date posted
- 17 years ago
- Description
- The improvisatory, string-driven music of Veracruz called son jarocho has enjoyed several decades of major resurgence. This "back-to-the-future" recording allies elder farmer and rancher musicians with the next generation of forward-looking innovators who comprise the group Son de Madera. Son de Mi Tierra ("They are from my land") burgeons with creativity and reverence for both the old and the new as it draws from rural roots to produce fresh interpretations of this popular Mexican regional music. 13 tracks, 52 minutes, 40-page booklet with extensive bilingual notes and photographs. For more information about this album: http://www.folkways.si.edu/albumdetails.aspx?itemid=3224
The content and comments posted here are subject to the Smithsonian Institution copyright and privacy policy (www.si.edu/copyright/). Smithsonian reserves the right in its sole discretion to remove any content at any time.
- Title
- Ella Jenkins - cELLAbration Live!
- Date posted
- 17 years ago
- Description
- Ella Jenkins, "The First Lady of Children's Music," has made dozens of recordings and earned many awards in her 50-year career, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy. This DVD features a live concert tribute to Ella by some of today's finest folk music and children's performers. 60 minutes, interviews with the artists, photo gallery.
To purchase or find out more about this DVD visit: http://www.folkways.si.edu/albumdetails.aspx?itemid=3200 and for more information about Smithsonian Folkways , the non-profit record label of the national museum, click here: http://www.folkways.si.edu/index.aspx ©2008 Smithsonian Institution
The content and comments posted here are subject to the Smithsonian Institution copyright and privacy policy (www.si.edu/copyright/). Smithsonian reserves the right in its sole discretion to remove any content at any time.
- Title
- Las Américas musicians, Marcelo Rojas and Miguel Prado, play and talk about their music
- Date posted
- 17 years ago
- Description
- Representing two very different harp styles, Marcelo Rojas of Paraguay and Miguel Prado of Mexico fuse their talents to perform this unique duet. This is the first time they've ever played together. They play two peices here, Son de la negra (Mexico) and El pajaro chogui (Paraguay).
Rojas and Prado are featured perfomers at the 2009 Smithsonian Folklife Festival, as part of the Las Américas program, on the National Mall in Washington DC.
Ceck out more from Marcelo Rojas on the Smithsonian Folkways Recording "Harps of Paraguay", http://www.folkways.si.edu/albumdetails.aspx?itemid=3225and find more from Miguel Prado on the Smithsonian Folkways Album "Tierra Caliente!", by the group Arpex, http://www.folkways.si.edu/albumdetails.aspx?itemid=3129
Smithsonian Folklife Festival: http://festival.si.edu/
Smithsonian Folkways: http://folkways.si.edu/
The content and comments posted here are subject to the Smithsonian Institution copyright and...
- Title
- Uneasy Partners: Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, LBJ and Martin Luther King Jr.
- Date posted
- 17 years ago
- Description
- Juan Williams of National Public Radio moderated a discussion of the relationships between Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Lyndon Baines Johnson and the most influential African American leaders of their day, Frederick Douglass and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. To commemorate the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln's birth, the National Museum of American History presented an engaging public dialog series to accompany its exhibition, "Abraham Lincoln: An Extraordinary Life."
John Stauffer of Harvard University and author of Giants: The Parallel Lives of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln, and Nick Kotz author of Judgment Days: Lyndon Baines Johnson, Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Laws That Changed America discussed the relationships between these two presidents and two legendary Civil Rights leaders.
This program was made possible by a National Endowment for the Humanities grant through the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History and its traveling exhibiti...
- Title
- Beyond the Obituaries: Success Stories in Ocean Conservation
- Date posted
- 17 years ago
- Description
- Sometimes the threats faced by our ocean planet seem overwhelming. Amid headlines about pollution, climate change, overfishing, and other daunting problems, it’s easy to forget that there is good news, too. Everyday, scientists and citizens the world over are working to protect marine wildlife, safeguard the resources we rely on, and restore the ocean's natural balance.sea turtle Green sea turtles are among the ocean animals that have recently experienced population rebounds in some regions, due in part to strong conservation efforts. Image courtesy: Roy Niswanger/Marine PhotobankTo hear a variety of these inspiring stories from around the globe, join Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and the International Marine Conservation Congress on Wednesday, May 20th for "Beyond the Obituaries: Success Stories in Ocean Conservation." From sea turtle populations rebounding in the Caribbean to water quality improvements in the Black Sea, find out what can happen when citizens...
- Title
- Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project Announced
- Date posted
- 17 years ago
- Description
- Eight Institutions Tell the World Why Amphibians Matter: Amphibians are facing a crisis of unprecedented proportion. A systematic global assessment of all 5,743 known amphibian species has found that one-third are in danger of being wiped out at an alarming rate across the globe by the pathogen. Particularly alarming to conservationists is that 122 species are believed to have already gone extinct in the last three decades, compared to just five bird species and no mammals during the same time period. This unparalleled rate of species loss deserves an immediate and comprehensive global response.
Eight zoos/institutions have banded together to form The Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project and will announce their partnership, their plans to combat the spread of chytrid in Panama and provide staggering information on why amphibians matter.
INSTITUTIONS INVOLVED: The Smithsonians National Zoo, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Zoo New England, Defenders of Wildlife,...
- Title
- NASA Orion Crew Vehicle Visits the Smithsonian During Test Regimen
- Date posted
- 17 years ago
- Description
- After undergoing recovery tests and modifications at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division in Bethesda, Md., the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle, part of the Constellation Program, spent a day on display in front of the National Air and Space Museum on the Mall.
Wanna bet this will be part of the Smithsonian Collection in 20 years?
Follow us on Twitter -
http://twitter.com/Smithsonian
http://twitter.com/AirandSpace
http://twitter.com/NASA
More on the Constellation Program:
http://sn.im/exzin
