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Old Ways in the New World

Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage

Object Details

Introduction
America is a nation of immigrants who brought with them music and dance, crafts and skills from their communities in the Old World. Although little in the way of material possessions may have been carried to their new homes by the immigrants, they carried in their minds and hearts other treasures: stories, ballads, dances, crafts and culinary customs. Some of these expressions have survived intact: in others, the new environment wrought changes in style, content or meaning. In the Old Ways in the New World area of the Festival each presentation was a celebration of shared ways as craftspeople, musicians and dancers from abroad and their American counterparts came together to carry on traditions particularly strong on festive occasions. Old Ways was concerned with the presentation of elements of group identity. Here the point of focus was the cultural baggage that newcomers - early and late, forced and willing - brought to North America and creatively used in maintaining their unique sense of community. These traditions serve to reinforce, reassure and stabilize people struggling to survive in an unaccustomed environment. The 1974 Festival feature three programs: Scandinavians and Scandinavian Americans, Tunisians and Tunisian Canadians, and Greeks and Greek Americans. The Scandinavian fiddle tradition was the foundation on which the Scandinavian presentation was based. A traditional fiddlers' procession was one of the highlights of the area daily (July 3-7). The fiddle is played as a solo instrument, in concert with other fiddles or other instruments, and as the accompaniment for folk and old time dancing. Norwegian folksongs and singing games and Swedish immigrant songs. All music and dancing events took place on the Scandinavian stage or in the informal stage in the kaffestova, the Norwegian coffee shop. Finnish, as well as Swedish and Norwegian cooking were demonstrated. Festival visitors could join Tunisians from the Old and New Worlds in celebrating folk traditions that afford them a common cultural identity. Participants in the Tunisian presentation included thirty musicians and dancers, as well as craftspeople from Tunis and the SahiI, and twenty emigrants from these regions who now live in Montreal, Quebec. The program featured a variety of musical traditions, some associated with specific social activities and some associated with specific regions of Tunisia. Tunisian food added to the festivities. In the Tunisian crafts tent, artisans gave continuous demonstrations of four traditional crafts that thrive in Tunisia: carpet weaving, musical instrument making, metal smithery, and embroidery on heavy canvas. Musicians, dancers and singers from two culturally distinct Greek communities, the Pontic and the Karpathian, met their American counterparts on the Mall during the second week of the Old Ways in the New World program. Pontic traditions were represented by performers from Northern Greece and the greater New York area. Karpathians from Baltimore, New York City and Vancouver presented their traditions along with relatives and friends from the islands of Karpathos and Rhodes and the port of Athens. The kafeneion, or cafe, is the center of all social activity in the Greek community. Thematic workshops were held at the kafeneion; topics for discussion and demonstration included comparative musical forms, music, song and dance traditions as related to the life cycle, backgammon instruction as well as song and dance workshops. A special feature of this program was the glendi, the community celebration of feasting, music-making and dancing observed at all festive occasions. The Old Ways in the New World program was coordinated by Shirley Cherkasky, assisted by Carla Borden and Suzanne Cox. An advisory group included Conrad Arensberg, Svatava Pirkova Jakobson, Alan Lomax, and David McAIIester. Major sponsors included the American Revolution Bicentennial Administration, the Governments of Finland, Sweden, and Freece, and - for the Tunisian program - Mr. Habib Bourguiba, Jr., President of the Association des banques, and Mr. Abdellatif Khemakhem, President of the Institut national de productivité. The program continued in 1975 and during the Bicentennial Festival in 1976.
Fieldworkers
Tunisian Area Carole Cornell, Field Research and Presentation Specialist; Sami Hanna, Consultant on Arabic Cultures Scandinavian Area Gordon Tracie, Field Research and Presentation Specialist; Kevin Hoeschen, Field Researcher; Heddy-mai Tall, Field Researcher Greek Area Ethel Raim, Martin Koenig, Field Research and Program Directors for Balkan and Eastern European Cultures
Participants
Finnish Raita Hilja Karpo, 1941-, singer, Klaukkala, Finland Timo Koski, 1929-, accordionist, clarinetist, Leppävaara, Finland Urho Myllymäki, 1917-, accordionist, fiddler Tuuri Niskanen, 1899-, fiddler, Laukhala, Finland Orvokki Liisi Ramsi, 1915-, fiddler, Suomenniemi, Finland Hannu Syrjälahti, 1950-, kantele player, Otaniemi, Finland Norwegian Edvin Flåm, 1945-, dancer, accordionist, Sogn, Norway Randi Før, 1948-, dancer, Valdres, Norway Sverre Gjevre, 1947-, accordionist, Lysaker, Norway Harald Gullikstad, 1939-, fiddler, Oslo, Norway Ingrid Gullikstad, 1943-, dancer, Oslo, Norway Torstein Engebret Hanserud, 1945-, dancer, Hallingdal, Norway Olav Nyhus, fiddler, Oslo, Norway Liv Nyhus, 1940-, dancer, Oslo, Norway Sven Nyhus, 1932, hardanger fiddler, Oslo, Norway Ola Øraker, 1948-, dancer, Oslo, Norway Ingar Ranheim, 1953-, halling dancer, Valdres, Norway Jan Arne Sebuødegård, 1950-, hardanger fiddler, Valdres, Norway Arne Sølvberg, 1950-, hardanger fiddler, Sogn, Norway Liv Stedje, 1947-, dancer, interpreter, Sogn, Norway Inger Viken, 1958-, dancer, -- langeleik -- player, Valdres, Norway Swedish Jonas Borgmastars, fiddler, Esse, Finland Lars Hjerpe, fiddler, Forsby, Finland Karl-Ivar Hildeman, 1919-, folk ballad scholar, Bromma, Sweden Per Anders Jakobsson, 1955-, fiddler, Dalarna, Sweden Johan Larsson, 1902-, dance teacher Knut Erik Moraeus, 1920-, fiddler Lars Olov Moraeus, 1955-, fiddler, Orsa, Sweden Per Erik Moraeus, 1950-, fiddler, Orsa, Sweden Kungs Anders Levi Nilsson, fiddler Walter Ramsby, 1921-, clarinet, horn player, Korskrogen, Sweden Anders Sparf, 1915-, fiddler Björn Ståbi, fiddler Anna Viveca Sundström, 1949-, dancer Finnish Americans Edward Auvinen, 1927-1995, dancer, Ironwood, Michigan Helvie Auvinen, 1934-, dancer, Ironwood, Michigan Edith Hedvig Hakamaa, 1921-1998, dancer, Ironwood, Michigan Eino Armas Hakamaa, 1911-1997, dancer, Ironwood, Michigan Pearl F. Jarvi, 1928-, dancer, Ironwood, Michigan Veikko M. Jarvi, 1913-2000, dancer, Ironwood, Michigan Elsie Ilona Nevala, 1926-, accordionist, Ironwood, Michigan Sylvia Emmi Niemi, 1919-2000, dancer, Ironwood, Michigan Beatrice Ojakangas, cook, Duluth, Minnesota Teuvo Johannes Rajala, 1932-2004, dancer, Ironwood, Michigan Norwegian Americans Leonard Finseth, 1911-1991, fiddler Arnold Hanson, 1918-1996, harmonica player, Spring Grove, Minnesota Robert Kaufman, rosemaler, Reston, Virginia Asbjørn Nordheim, 1936-, dancer, Seattle, Washington Hazel Omodt, 1913-1985, piano accompanist Anund Roheim, 1913-1999, hardanger fiddler Carol Ann Sersland, 1956-, dancer Harold K. Sersland, 1897-1992, dancer William Sherburne, 1903-1991, fiddler Audun Toven, 1936-, dancer, singer, Takoma, Washington Swedish Americans Paul S. Dahlin, 1954-, fiddler Bruce D. Johnson, 1946-, fiddler Edwin W. Johnson, 1905-1984, fiddler, fiddle maker Olga E. Nilsen, 1896-1985, singer Paul Simonson, 1903-1992, accordionist, fiddle, Roberts, Wisconsin Greek Karpathian Vassilios Halkias, bagpipe player, Karpathos, Greece Michael Gioutlos, lyra player George Kanakis, singer, Karpathos, Greece Antonios Katiniaris, lyra player Manolis Kritikos, dancer, Karpathos, Greece Alke Kyriakidou Nestoros, folklorist Maria Nicolaidis, singer, dancer, Rhodes, Greece Ioannis Pavlidis, 1932-, lyra player Kosmas Pavlidis, lyra player George Prearis, laouta player, Karpathos, Greece Vassilios Sofillas, singer, Karpathos, Greece Antonios Zografidis, bagpipe player, Karpathos, Greece Pontic Demetrios Amirides, dancer, Thessaloniki, Greece Hristos Aramatanides, dancer, Kozari, Greece Grigorios Arzoglou, group liaison, Thessaloniki, Greece Kostas Assimakopoulos, dancer, Thessaloniki, Greece Victor Assimakopoulos, dancer Apostolos Athanasiades, lyra player Panagiotis Haitides, lyra player, Kozani, Greece Hristoros Hristoforides, -- zurna -- player, Kozani, Greece Athena Kalliga, liaison, interpreter, Athens, Greece Ioannis Kalpatsinides, bagpipe player, Serrai, Greece Efstathios Karamanlides, lyra player, Kozani, Greece Georgeous Koujoumdjides, lyra player Kostikas Kostandinides, lyra player, Thessaloniki, Greece Kostas Kyriazes, lyra player, Thessaloniki, Greece Antonios Panzerides, singer Georgous Papadopoulos, -- daoul -- player, Kozani, Greece Kostas Papadopoulos, accordion player, Kozani, Greece Lazaros Papadopoulos, clarinet player, Kozani, Greece Theodoros Pugarides, singer, dancer Greek Americans Pontic Alexis Afentoulides, dancer, Dobbs Ferry, New York Nicolaos Afentoulides, dancer, Dobbs Ferry, New York Vassilios Afentoulides, 1928-2012, dancer, Dobbs Ferry, New York Todoros Amanatides, dancer, Astoria, New York Elias Kementzides, 1926-2006, lyra player, Norwalk, Connecticut Berthanna Kyreakedes, 1909-2001, dancer, singer John Kyreakedes, 1902-1993, dancer, singer Andy Mendekides, dancer, Dobbs Ferry, New York Manolis Papadopoulos, 1928-1991, lyra player, Astoria, New York Eleni Toromanides, 1928-2010, cook, dancer, Dobbs Ferry, New York Harry Toromanides, dancer, Dobbs Ferry, New York Sophie Toromanides, dancer, cook, Dobbs Ferry, New York Tommy Toromanides, dancer, Dobbs Ferry, New York Ioannis Tsilifides, dancer, Norwalk, Connecticut Karpathian Olympian Brothers of America, Inc., Baltimore, Maryland Tunisia Mehrez Achour, -- ma'luf -- musician Youssef Ayadi, -- qarqannah -- dancer Mohamed Barbirou, 1930-, -- sulamiyyah Hedi Bellasfar, instrument maker Abdel-Aziz Ben Mahmoud, 1922-, -- sulamiyyah Abderrahman Ben Mahmoud, 1926-, -- sulamiyyah Badreddine Ben Mahmoud, 1935-, -- sulamiyyah Soliman Ben Mahmoud, 1939-, -- sulamiyyah Jelal Ben Smida, escort, interpreter Salem Boudhina, narrative singer Habib Boujemil, -- qarqannah -- dancer Zohra Boukil, embroiderer Abdelwahab Chaal, 1933-, -- sulamiyyah Ahmed Chehini, 1929-, -- sulamiyyah Malika Dabloune, dancer Khedija Dhaoui, dancer Abdelnajid Ben Salah Djelassi, metalsmith Hamadi Gharbi, -- qarqannah -- dancer Khemais Hanafi, -- ma'luf -- musician Mohamed Taieb Handous, 1927-, -- sulamiyyah Hedi Ben Hattab Jouini, -- ma'luf -- musician Hayet Labidi, dancer Jamila Ben Amor Majeri, carpet maker Khira Manai, dancer Abdellaziz Ben Mansour, -- sulamiyyah Jaloul Osman, -- ma'luf -- musician Mokhtar Slama, -- ma'luf -- musician Habib Trabelsi, -- qarqannah -- dancer Fethi Zeghounda, -- ma'luf -- musician Ferida Zdiri, dancer Tunisian Canadians Monji Amara, 1937-, singer, Montreal, Quebec Chedli Bejaoui, 1939-, singer, Longueuil, Quebec Abdallah Bel Hadj, 1944-, cook, Ville Lemoyne, Quebec Aly Boujallabia, 1944-, singer, Longueuil, Quebec Abdelaziz Chaieb, 1943-, singer, Montreal, Quebec Habib Chouaya, 1942-, cook, Montreal, Quebec Samira Chouaya, dancer, cook, Montreal, Quebec Mohamed Daussi, bagpipe player Mohamed Flis, 1939-, singer, Toronto, Ontario Mrs. Mohamed Flis, dancer, Toronto, Ontario Mustapha Hammas, 1944-, -- darbukah -- player, Montreal, Quebec Hedi Hanrouni, -- darbukah -- player, Chambly, Quebec Hedi Louati, 1944-, singer, Downsview, Ontario Janette Louati, 1954-, dancer, Downsview, Ontario Salah Rahouma, 1939-, -- ma'luf -- musician, Montreal, Quebec Moncef Saber, 1945-, singer, Montreal, Quebec Hamadi M. Seghair, 1936-, interpreter, Montreal, Quebec Lisia Taiachi, dancer, cook, Ville Lemoyne, Quebec Moktar Taiachi, 1937-, cook, Ville Lemoyne, Quebec
Collection Creator
Smithsonian Institution. Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
See more items in
Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1974 Festival of American Folklife
Archival Repository
Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections
Identifier
CFCH.SFF.1974, Series 7
Type
Archival materials
Collection Citation
Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1974 Festival of American Folklife, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
Collection Rights
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Collection Restrictions
Access to the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections is by appointment only. Visit our website for more information on scheduling a visit or making a digitization request. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies.
Related link
Record ID
ebl-1503510202147-1503510202215-2
Metadata Usage
CC0
GUID
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/bk53c6930e8-300d-43e4-b67c-a3b3360e61a2

Related Content

  • Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1974 Festival of American Folklife

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