High banter is a key ingredient of folk culture andfamily folklore. It’s also the essence of the poetry duels… Both on street corners and stages, poets riff off each other in rhyme, participating in traditions ranging from extempo in Trinidad, in Portugal, contrasti in Italy, freestyle rap in the US, and repentistas in Brazil. The banter between couples and others is also reminiscent of what happens when jazz musicians riff off one another.
New York State
Artist Spotlight
Joe Crookston defines himself as “an artist,
writer, singer, guitar picker, painter, claw
hammer banjo player, fiddler, eco-village
member, and believer in all things possible.”
In Her Own Words
These stories were told by Alice Testrake at her home in Ripley, NY, in the winter of 2013–2014. Family members were sometimes present. Her memories were collected and illustrated by Art Facilitator Valerie Walawender, MA, as part of Hospice of Chautauqua County’s Art Enrichment Program.
Remembering Yacub Addy
Yacub Addy, Ghanaian drum master from Latham, New York. A master of traditional music of the Ga ethnic group, a creator of new works rooted in tradition, and a committed educator, Yacub Addy is part of the renowned Addy family of drummers, singers, and dancers from Avenor, Accra, Ghana.
Remembering My Grandfather’s Left-Wing Bungalow Colony in Dutchess County
There’s a common perception that all of the old-time Jewish bungalow colonies in New York State were in the Catskills. Maybe the majority were, but not all. Off NY State Route 9D, in Dutchess County, at the foot of a mountain, lies a large parcel of land with several modern houses on it. If you went back 50 years, during the era of my childhood, however, you would have found one medium-sized house and a group of wooden bungalows, painted white with red roofs; a swimming pool; two see-saws and a jungle gym for kids; and a social hall (called the “casino”).night, and waiting cars and trucks quickly collected the barrels and boxes of imported liquor. The bungalow colony was where my
Belarusian-born maternal grandfather,
Harry Rothstein, and his friends held
forth every summer.
Rafael Hernández and the Puerto Rican Legacy of the 369th Regiment’s Harlem Hellfighters
Hermanos y Amigos de Guatemala
A Song for Pete Seeger
America’s Last True Folk Hero
Irv and Fran Shapiro Folk Music Library
“Dead Man’s Liver”—A Jump Tale
ALN8BL8MO: A Native Voice
Steppers with Class
New York Heritage: A Digital Archive
A Description of New York Heritage, an online resource providing access to digitized primary sources, including folklore materials.