Smithsonian Folkways Recordings Press Page

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Laurie Anderson, Tenzin Choegyal, Jesse Paris Smith - "Lotus Born, No Need to Fear" [Official Audio]

Our Native Daughters on Their Roots and the African American Banjo Tradition (Behind The Scenes)

Our Native Daughters - "Polly Ann’s Hammer" & "You're Not Alone" [Behind The Scenes Documentary]

Our Native Daughters - "I Knew I Could Fly" [Behind The Scenes Documentary]

Our Native Daughters - "Mama's Cryin' Long" [Behind The Scenes Documentary]

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Playing for the Man at the Door: Field Recordings from the Collection of Mack McCormick, 1958 – 1971

Release date: 8.4.23

Press Releases View All

June 10, 2025

Smithsonian Folkways Announces ‘Clifton Chenier: King of Louisiana Blues and Zydeco,’ First-Ever Box Set Devoted to the Legendary Zydeco Originator

April 25, 2025

Smithsonian Folkways Acquires Young People’s Records Catalog

January 30, 2025

Smithsonian Folkways Launches 'Music Pathways'

January 22, 2025

Sons of Membertou Announce 30th Anniversary Reissue and First-Ever Digital Release of Wapna'kik: The People of the Dawn

Biography View

About Smithsonian Folkways:

Smithsonian Folkways Recordings is the nonprofit record label of the Smithsonian Institution, the national museum of the United States. As part of the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, we are dedicated to supporting cultural diversity and increased understanding among people through the documentation, preservation, and dissemination of sound.

Our mission is the legacy of Moses Asch, who founded Folkways Records in 1948 to document "people's music," spoken word, instruction, and sounds from around the world. Smithsonian Folkways has continued to expand on Asch's legacy, adding several other record labels to the collections, such as Cook, Monitor, and the UNESCO Collection of Traditional Music, and releasing over 400 new recordings that document and celebrate the sounds of the world around us. With the acquisition of Arhoolie Records, the collection consists of more than 3,500 albums and 50,000 tracks along with videos, playlists, podcasts, lesson plans for teachers, and Smithsonian Folkways Magazine.

NOTE: Smithsonian Folkways Recordings retail distribution in the US is through ADA (Alternative Distribution Alliance) at 800.239.3232. Smithsonian Folkways Recordings releases are available through record and book outlets. Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, as well as Folkways Records, A.R.C.E., Arhoolie, Banjo Builders, Blue Ridge Institute, Cook, Collector, Dyer-Bennet, Fast Folk, I.L.A.M., The Mickey Hart Collection, Monitor, M.O.R.E., Paredon, and UNESCO are available via mail order at 888.FOLKWAYS or 800.410.9815. Visit the Smithsonian Folkways Recordings website at www.folkways.si.edu or write to 600 Maryland Ave. SW, Suite 2001, Washington, DC, 20024.

In 2018, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings celebrates its 70th anniversary, honoring Folkways founder Moses Asch's mission to "document the people's music." As a musical torchbearer and innovator, Dom is committed to extending and reinterpreting Asch's legacy in the modern age. Joining him on this year's extensive release schedule are avant-garde folk duo Anna & Elizabeth, Iraqi-American oud virtuoso Rahim AlHaj, Tejano giants Los Texmaniacs, and special projects that include the 'Smithsonian Anthology of Hip-Hop and Rap,' a topical box set on 'The Social Power of Music,' and extensive retrospectives on Folkways greats Pete Seeger and Barbara Dane.

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