Smithsonian Folkways Recordings

Smithsonian Folkways Recordings is the non-profit record label of the Smithsonian Institution, the national museum of the USA.

Moses Asch (1905-1986) and Marian Distler (1919-1964) founded Folkways Records & Service Co in 1948 in New York City, in an attempt to record and document the entire world of sound. The Smithsonian Institution's Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage acquired Folkways from the Asch estate in 1987, continuing the tradition of documenting music, spoken word, instruction and sounds from around the world. In this way the institution supports traditional artists' work and commits to education, cultural diversity and increased understanding between peoples by producing, documenting, preserving and disseminating sound.

More information: folkways.si.edu

 

A selection of articles about Smithsonian Folkways Recordings

CD Spotlight. Shooting and Madness - Geoff Pearce listens to a powerful opera about the Vietnam War. 'This disk will shock you like very few other recordings ...'