• February 19, 1967 - 57 Market St., Venice, CA. Open reel tape recordings of music and sermons at the Venice Pentecostal Church.
• July 15, 1948 (originals); June 1965 (dubs) - Acetate disc recordings made in Butte, Montana and Colorado of musicians Eamonn O’Sullivan; Sean O’Sullivan; Matthew Hanifin; Kyle Pugh; Jack Gaffney; Ralph Workman; James Gallagher; and George Prescott.
• Date and Place Unknown: Open reel tape recordings of a discussion of folk medicine (illnesses and their remedies). Discussion of a saying which is supposed to protect the hearers of a story of misfortune from having the same misfortune.
• January 1, 1971 - Oakland, California. Responses to Graffiti Apperception test (GAT) photos #1-5; part of response to #6.
• 1978 - Chicano Heritage Project: Open reel tape of songs and oral histories: “Yo Soy Chicano” Song; Tercera Barrio Gang; Version - read “homey,” “placa”; Women in Grape Strike Song; “Children of the Sun”; Teachers in Self Help; Graphics Van at Murchison School in East L.A.; Students working on project.

New Collections - An important charge of the Ethnomusicology Archive's mission is to "acquire significant collections in the field of ethnomusicology." In light of this responsibility, the Archive actively seeks out donations of materials that are of interest to the ethnomusicology community. There are many advantages to donating to the Archive--from long-term preservation and access of the materials to tax breaks for donors. If you have ethnomusicological, folkloric, or other relevant collections, recordings, and/or gifts please contact us.

A sample of some recent donations to the Archive:

• Robert Strassburg Collection (2003.10) - Dr. Robert Strassburg (d. 10/25/2003) was a composer, musicologist, poet and Professor Emeritus of Music at California State University, Los Angeles. He was a recipient of CSULA's Outstanding Professor Award, the National Institute of Arts and Letters Macdowell Fellowship, and Miami's Composer of the Year. For his opera, Congo Square (which was based upon a fictitious relationship between Walt Whitman and an African American slave woman), he gathered a variety of source materials.. These materials, which comprise his collection at the Archive, include a cassette tape collection of Cajun music, LPs, CD's, and books about African American spirituals and African music. Books and sound recordings from this collection are catalogued individually and can be found in ORION2.
• Norman Track Collection (2003.11) - Dr. Norman S. Track - ethnographer and Photographic Consultant to the Royal Botanical Gardens in Hamilton, Canada - has donated a set of field recordings he made of Naxi music in, and around, Lijiang, China. The set of eight original cassettes and eight CD dubs will be processed by the Archive in early in 2004. "Everlasting Flowers," a three CD commercial made in part from these recordings is available here.
• Kwaku Person-Lynn Collection (2003.13) - Dr. Kwaku Person-Lynn - scholar and author of such books as First Word: Black Scholars, Thinkers, Warriors and On My Journey Now, The Narrative and Works of Dr. John Henrik Clarke - donated recordings of interviews he conducted with ethnomusicologist Kwabena Nketia (b. June 22, 1921 in Mampong Asante, Sekgere District, Ghana) and the late master drummer Babatunde Olatunji (b. 1939 in Nigeria, d. April 6, 2003 in Salinas, Calif.).

If you've heard one of the numerous other CDs of Bulgarian women's singing that we have in the Ethnomusicology Archive, this album might offer you a more non-traditional take on the genre. Each track on this disc takes samples of the Mystere des Voix Bulgares choir and remixes it using various degrees of electronic or rock beats. Several artists contributed their skills to crafting these unconventional versions of the choir's tunes, including Robin Carrs, Vladimir Ivanoff, "Steve the B," Ulrich Bassenge, and "Elios a le Storio tese."

_____The songs range from ambient, Pure Moods-esque grooves to more rock-driven folk or heavy dance beats. Track 6 ("Guns and Paprica") incorporates drum kit, guitar, bass, and fiddle accompaniment to a vocal duet, resulting in a sound that seriously rocks; while the slow, meditative tone of track 2 ("Bulgarian Rhapsody") seems more like background music. The songs also vary in the amount of intrusion on the choir's singing by the remixing process (including background harmonies, sound effects, and the amount of cutting-and-mixing). For example, track 7 ("Dancing to the Bagpipe") lays down a complementary rhythmic foundation, over which the singing flows relatively unhindered. But other tracks (like 5 and 8) simply use snips of singing as ornamentation to the electronic beats. Throughout the album there seems to be a constant struggle for dominance between the choir and the re-mixer; but instead of creating a distraction, this conflict gives the music a very interesting, dynamic energy. Some tracks are upbeat enough for dancing, but in general this album seems more appropriate for just sitting and listening for the multiplicity of ways that the beats (which are sometimes a bit on the crude side) and the singing are layered over and under each other to create a fresh sound. Especially good are tracks 3, 4, 9, and 11. * If you like this album, definitely check out some of the other CDs by Le Mystere des Voix Bulgares. They are great (and well-represented in the Archive)! - Reviewed by Megan Rancier

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Salif Keita, Moffou (2002) - Archive Call number: ARCD 1811

Salif Keita is one of the premier voices originating from West Africa, although now he does the majority of his work in France. He combines the singing style of the griots (praise-singers) and the rhythms of the calebasse (African plucked string instrument) with European instruments and a multiplicity of musical styles. His new album shows that this well-established figure is still making beautiful and accessible music, even after (or perhaps because of) many years of performing. Overall, the songs on this album create a really pleasant listening experience- there is a good balance between upbeat and laid-back songs, each with some unique stylistic feature that makes it distinctive from the others. Keita's voice is as strong and expressive as ever, and his band is as tight and effective an ensemble as you'll probably hear anywhere. The album begins with a superb collaboration with Cesaria Evora entitled "Yamore," with a smooth, salsa-inspired beat and the combined vocal power of both Keita and Evora giving the tune a powerful emotional depth. The accompanying ensemble uses an impressive array of Western and African instruments, creating a lush and multifaceted backdrop.

_____Later tracks feature either Keita with his band or Keita alone on guitar or calebasse. The solo tracks provide a more austere sound that is introspective and quiet, contrasting nicely with the tracks that use the full, rich sound of the band and back-up singers. Singing alone, Keita seems a bit more pensive, but he is also able to take more liberties with tempo, lending a delicate, pseudo-improvisatory aesthetic to the song. Unfortunately there are no English translations for the lyrics, but even if you don't understand the words you can still appreciate the soaring, often plaintive tones of Keita's voice and his skillful song writing. Particularly good are tracks 1, 3, 4, and 8. - Reviewed by Megan Rancier

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Various Artists, Secret Museum of Mankind, Vol. 1: Ethnic Music Classics: 1925-48 Archive Call Number: ARCD 329

World music recorded during the first half of the 20th century, once etched onto wax cylinders and brittle 78s, has been diligently rescued and revived for presentation on this, the first volume from The Secret Museum of Mankind. This CD opens with a late '30s recording of an alluring yet laid back performance by a Nigerian choral, organ, and drum ensemble. An impressive Sardinian launeddas (triple read pipe) solo rendered by an experienced player comes next. Circular breathing and lightning fast chops highlight the Herculean nature of this master musician's effort.

_____Other noteworthy tracks on this CD include a rare '20s recording of Japan's serene Imperial Household Orchestra, a performance by Hindustani musicians that feature melodic clusters of suspended bells, a 1924 recording of a trombonist's "Jewish Jazz" band, and a Vietnamese string and vocal ensemble's graceful rendition of "Worthy Gem." The superb musicianship and creative approaches displayed on these varied recordings makes this CD a must-have for any "world music" fan. - Reviewed by John Vallier (Copyright AMG)

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Various Artists, Folk Music of Palestine (1949) - Archive Call Number: ARLP 258

Merely one year after Israel was founded, Folkways released Folk Music of Palestine. Selected from the Department of Folk Music of the Anthropological Institute of Israel — formerly the Palestine Institute of Folklore and Ethnology — the album's 16 tracks document traditional music from the region of Palestine. Within this mix is a Bokharian wedding song, characterized by a yodeling trill and a 3/4 meter articulated on two doyras (hand drums). The Iranian tune "Recitation From Firdausi's Shaname" features a pleasant gait and smoothly sung verses that alternate between two male singers. The liner notes offer musicological analyses of the tracks, highlighting formal, tonal, and rhythmic features. Though the recordings distort a bit since they are mixed too hot, the album reminds listeners that the people of this turbulent region — whether Muslim, Jew, Christian, or agnostic — all love and value music. — John Vallier (Copyright AMG)

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