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African Diaspora

Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage

Object Details

Introduction
1975 was the second year of the Festival's African Diaspora program, which emphasized the strengths of black American cultural traditions. The organizing principle was to document those aspects of culture that link black Americans to Africa, via the Caribbean Islands and Latin America. Artists and craftspeople were invited to the 1975 Festival from the African nation of Ghana and the Caribbean nations of Jamaica and Haiti, and from across the United States. Musicians, dancers, cooks, woodcarvers, hairdressers, basket weavers and fishnet makers from three continents represented urban and rural, secular and sacred, home and community activities of black people of the Diaspora. Presentations represented basic societal activities: worship, family, and trade. Worship activities took place on an altar setting that was a prototype of a rural U.S. church. Trade activities took place in a typical Caribbean marketplace. An African house, the traditional center of family activities, was the setting for small group presentations allowing for interchange between participants and Festival visitors. Craft presentations demonstrated a link between traditions in the U.S., the Caribbean and Africa. Hair preparations have carried over without change from Africa. Cornrowing or hairbraiding and hair threading, part of a rich revival sweeping black American communities, were demonstrated by a black American and a Ghanaian hairdresser. Basket weavers from Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, working with sea grass and split palmetto in woven coils, sat beside craftspeople from Ghana and Jamaica as they used comparable materials and techniques to produce similar baskets. In the garden behind the African house, foodstuffs common to the black community such as okra, turnips, and root vegetables were grown. In the food demonstration area many of these foodstuffs were used in versions of recipes prepared by cooks from Chicago, Accra, and Kingston. Similarly, musical performances sought to emphasize the family relations among cultural experiences linked by common origins, demonstrating the continuum of vocal and instrumental styles across communities separated by oceans and centuries. The African Diaspora program was led by Rosie Lee Horn (Program Coordinator, later Rosie Lee H. Hooks) and Bernice Johnson Reagon (Folklore Specialist). It was organized with guidance from the African Diaspora Advisory Group, whose members included Roy Bryce-Laporte, James Early, Leonard Goines, Pearl Williams Jones, Worth Long, Fela Sowande, A. B. Spellman, Ron Smith, Carol Maillard, and Jane Sapp.
Participants
United States Juliet Amoah, Ghanaian cook Elizabeth and Beatrice Coakley, basket weavers Ardoin Brothers, Cajun musicians -- Ardoin Brothers, Cajun musiciansAlphonse Ardoin, 1915-2007, accordionist, singer, Eunice, LouisianaLaurence Ardoin, 1946-, drummer, Kinder, LouisianaMorris Ardoin, 1935-, guitarist, Eunice, LouisianaRussell Ardoin, 1957-, bassist, Eunice, LouisianaCanray Fontenot, 1922-1995, fiddler, singer, Welsh, Louisiana BibleWay Church World Wide Congregation, gospel singers D.C. Black Repertory Vocal Workshop Sonny Diggs, arabber (fruit vendor) Rev. William E. Faulkner, storyteller George Ferrell, Jr., metal sculptor, woodcarver George Ferrell, Sr., woodcarver Charles Freeney, cook Anna Fuller, hair braider Linda Goss, storyteller William Hines, street singer Walter Kelly, arabber (fruit vendor) Flora Molton, 1908-1990, street singer Rufus Pinckney, fishnet maker Rev. Leon Pinson, 1919-1998, gospel singer, guitarist Rising Star Fife and Drum Band: -- Rising Star Fife and Drum Band:Napoleon Strickland, 1919-2001, fife playerBernice Turner, drummerOtha Turner, drummerG. D. Young, drummer Charles Sayles, 1948-, street singer, blues harpist Sweet Honey in the Rock, a cappella female vocal group -- Sweet Honey in the Rock, a cappella female vocal groupEvelyn Harris, singerPat Johnson, singerCarol Lynn Maillard, 1941-, singerBernice Johnson Reagon, 1942-, singerLouise Robinson, singer Randy Weston, 1926-, jazz pianist Wiregrass Sacred Harp Singers, Black American sacred harp musicians Freelows Express, Black American dancers -- Freelows Express, Black American dancersTheodric ErskineLester BrooksMorris HardyJoseph LewisMichael McKinstryHulie Reynolds Big Walter Horton and his Blues Band, Chicago urban blues band -- Big Walter Horton and his Blues Band, Chicago urban blues bandWalter Horton, 1921-1981, harmonica playerS. P. Levy, drummerRichard Molina, bass playerBo Tunestam, guitarist St. Helena's Island Community Center Singers, Black American traditional sacred musicians -- St. Helena's Island Community Center Singers, Black American traditional sacred musiciansHarold LawrenceEzekial CohenRoberta SimmonsHenry SimmonsCarol BowlesJoe BosticElsie HamiltonCaroline Bowles Johnny Shines, 1915-1992, blues guitarist Jamaica Kumina Group -- Kumina GroupElizabeth AlexanderBeatrice BonnerDonald CartyMaureen EllisClifford FlemmingsRoy FrancisBertram Kelly, 1921-Clinton Kennedy, 1931-Imogene Kennedy, 1928- Maroons -- MaroonsGeorge SterlingMarie HarrisCharles Aarons, 1929-Josephine DaCosta Mento Band -- Mento BandTheodore Miller, violinistGerald Miller, thumb pianoJocelyn Power, drummerAdam Roach, banjo player, guitaristJoseph Salmon, drummer, cow horn player Craftspeople Claudia Nelson, basket weaver Una Griffith, cook Celeste Robinson, cook Zachaeus Powell, woodcarver Peggy Warmington, chaperone Ghana Wulomei -- WulomeiNii Ashitey, leader, drummer, flutistNii Adu, bass drummerNii Acquah, assistant leader, guitaristNii Yarboi, conga drummerNii Annoh, marakash playerNii Namale, dancerNii Nortey, singerNii LacLai, singerNaa Adei, dancer, vocalistNaa Amanua, lead vocalist Kwaa Mensah and Group -- Kwaa Mensah and GroupKwaa Mensah, leader, vocalist, guitaristKwaku Moses, roso roso player, singerKwaku Abebrese, clappers, singerKodro Andam, conga drummerKwaku Benyin, donno (hour-glass) drummerAbronpa K., drummer Salisu Mahama and Group -- Salisu Mahama and GroupSalisu Mahama, leader, gonje player, singerM. D. Sulley, dancer, interpreterAsumanu Iddrisu, gonje playerIddrisu Salisu, rattle playerAmadu Iddrisu, rattle playerSalifu Alhassan, dancer Saka Acquaye, cultural representative Haiti Yvonne Dorlette, dancer Marie Helene Gerbier, dancer Jean Edner Guerrier, dancer Helene Jeanis, dancer Andre Jeanty, dancer Fritz Jolicoeur, dancer Aline Jules, dancer Herve Maxi, dancer Anne Alourdes Murat, dancer Jean Alphonse, drummer Edner Cherisme, drummer Andre Duplan, drummer Julien Nemorin, drummer Altemat Ulysse, drummer Marie Bastianie LaGuerre, singer Marie Ernicia LaGuerre, singer Antalcidas Murat, singer Claudette Pierre-Louis, singer Ensemble Meringue -- Ensemble MeringueDieujuste Dorlette, contrabassEddy Dorlette, saxophoneLehem Biral Felican, saxophoneAdonys Joseph, trompetteRoland C. Montreuil, accordion Dr. Michael Lamartiniere Honorat, cultural representative Andre Narcisse, group leader
Collection Creator
Smithsonian Institution. Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
See more items in
Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1975 Festival of American Folklife
Archival Repository
Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections
Identifier
CFCH.SFF.1975, Series 2
Type
Archival materials
Collection Citation
Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1975 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-1503511974073-1503511974108-1
Metadata Usage
CC0
GUID
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/bk5d2636c1c-3f86-4f63-bff3-ff3a677ccdb0

Related Content

  • Online Finding AidSmithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1975 Festival of American Folklife

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