Music

Maxwell Kofi Donkor

Maxwell Kofi Donkor

Maxwell Kofi Donkor is an internationally recognized artist and master cultural educator who is most known for his performances and teaching of African Drumming and Dance, through the Sankofa African Drum and Dance Ensemble.  For many decades, he has focused on...

An Interview with Luthier Stephen Iachetta

An Interview with Luthier Stephen Iachetta

Last month Staff Folklorist Anne Rappaport Berliner Interviewed  Luthier Stephen Iachetta of Shaker Violin Repair. Check out an excerpt of their interview! ARB: How did you get into playing and making?  SI: In third grade I started playing, at the age of 7. A...

Artist Spotlight: Zorkie Nelson

Artist Spotlight: Zorkie Nelson

                               ZORKIE NELSON is a master percussionist, traditional flute player and vocalist specializing in the Ga cultural tradition. Born into a family of musicians in the West African city of Accra, Ghana, Zorkie has studied music since the age of...

Artist Spotlight: Tashi Sharzur

Artist Spotlight: Tashi Sharzur

Tashi Sharzur AKA Techung Techung began his study of Tibetan performing arts at the age of nine at the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts in India. After moving to the US, he co-founded the San Francisco-based Chaksampa Tibetan Dance & Opera Company in 1989,...

Taylor Swift Asks us to Reflect on the meaning of “folklore”

Taylor Swift Asks us to Reflect on the meaning of “folklore”

The July 23, 2020 release of Taylor Swift’s new album, Folklore, begs the question, “What is folklore?”.  Refinery 29, the media and entertainment company dedicated to women’s perspectives, asks, “what does folklore mean anyway?”  Natalie Morin, writing for Refinery...

May 2020: 20 Folk Artists/20 Days

May 2020: 20 Folk Artists/20 Days

On May 1, 2020, New York Folklore and folklore programs across New York State will launch a collaboration to present traditional arts and culture from throughout New York State. Each weekday in May, from 4:00 -4:30 p.m., traditional arts activities will be presented...

2019 Folk and Traditional Arts Touring Performances

2019 Folk and Traditional Arts Touring Performances

Many talented folk music groups are touring New York State in 2019. Below, find a sampling of upcoming performances, and get your tickets before they're gone!   Picker’s Paradise: From Balkans to Bluegrass | featuring Tamburaški Sastav Ponoć (Pittsburgh, PA) and...