Have You Heard?

Time to travel the world in your pajamas, thanks to the web.

Karan Casey isn't touring much now that she's a busy mom. Here's an excerpt from a June performance on Folk Alley.

New York City was host to an unusual musical/multimedia performance by sufi Muslims from northwest India.

Here's an interview with Tim O'Brien about Hot Rize from a performance on Mountain Stage earlier this month.

Off across the sea with this review of Africa:50 Years of Music, an 18 CD set that spans that continent as well as five decades.

This fall, Austin City Limits featured Trombone Shorty and Alejandro Escovedo. See some behind-the-scenes footage, then watch the full performance.

Ohio Traditions Website

Last month, the Ohio Arts Council (OAC) and Cityfolk launched a new website dedicated to broadening the awareness and understanding of Ohio’s folk and traditional arts called Ohio Traditions. The site houses artist profiles, reports on folk arts activities in various corners of the state, and links to information about funding programs for master traditional artists and young people who want to develop their skills in traditional art forms. Developed with the support of a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, Ohio Traditions may be used to learn about the art of “Pysanky” (Ukrainian Easter egg decoration) to a broad overview of the Latino arts to bios of traditional artists throughout the state.

"Traditions touch every one of us, reminding us of who we are and where we came from,” says Julie Henahan, Executive Director of the OAC. “By supporting the folk and traditional arts through initiatives like the Ohio Traditions website, the Ohio Arts Council is able to fulfill its goal of building cultural vitality in every corner of the state.”

Our goal is to update the Ohio Traditions website continuously. In the coming year, the OAC plans to add information from a fieldwork project documenting African immigrant groups in Ohio. The OAC also hopes to post interviews and photographs of recipients of Traditional Arts Apprenticeship grants and the new Ohio Heritage Fellowship winner, Rick Good.

"Cityfolk is pleased to share in the development of this clearinghouse for information about the traditional arts," adds Kathleen Alter, Cityfolk Executive Director. The partnership between Cityfolk and the Ohio Arts Council has been in place over ten years and also includes the sponsorship of the Ohio Heritage Showcase at the Ohio State Fair.

The deadline for Ohio Heritage Fellowship nominations--a program which acknowledges dedicated individuals working in the folk and traditional arts who are recognized within their communities as exemplary practitioners of an art form and who produce work of the highest quality and authenticity--is January 15, 2011. Learn more about it on the OAC website.

We welcome suggestions for master artists and community groups who could be profiled on the site. Contact us with your comments and suggestions.

Information taken from a OAC press release.

Top 10 Lists for 2010

The folks over at PopMatters.com have compiled several top 10 lists for 2010. The one that caught my eye is for World Music. Their list contains some Cityfolk favorites, namely Huun-Huur-Tu, Konono No. 1 and Vieux Farka Toure. The entire list travels the globe, wandering from Asia and several countries in Africa, obviously, to Portugal and Ireland. They include video clips with nearly every album, which explains even better than their words why these albums ranked so high on their list.

Not into world music? They also have lists of favorites for jazz, americana, bluegrass and oh so much more.

Cityfolk is not affliated with PopMatters.com in any way. Just searching out interesting web content you may have missed.

Kelsa's Dance Highlights of 2010

Last September I was afforded an opportunity to visit the non-profit arts organization Intermedia Arts (IA) in Minneapolis, MN. IA is a national leader in community cultural development, the field of work that brought me to Cityfolk in 2005. However, my visit to IA was actually through my other hat as a dancer. My street-dance crew, Venus Fly Trap, was brought in to perform and teach workshops at B-Girl Be, IA’s annual festival celebrating women in hip hop. It is always a thrill to have opportunities that bring my two worlds together.

Unfortunately, on my second day at B-Girl Be, I sustained a severe knee injury. In November I had surgery, and am now beginning a painful and frustrating 10-month rehab process. However, rather than brood as 2010 comes to a close, I’m choosing to stay positive. This year was filled with amazing dance experiences. Even after my injury, the underground street dance community has continued to be my source for inspiration, strength, celebration and laughter. In 2010 alone, I gigged (performed, taught, judged, battled, and ciphered) at more than 15 street dance events in 7 different states with a cadre of extraordinary dancers who I consider my family. Here are some of the highlights of my adventures through the underground street dance scene in 2010.

Please note: Though it exists “underground” to most people, the world you are about to enter is global, populated by hundreds of thousands, and likely the most pluralistic culture known to mankind. Its members are talented, passionate, tight knit, and quite possibly...out of their minds! Many of the clips below were taken by spectators and posted on YouTube; please excuse the quality.

March: Bashville Stampede 6 - Nashville, TN
I judged the All-Styles battle with fellow crew member, Pringlz and Stringz/S-Uno (HardCore Detroit). This clip is from the semi-finals between Pandora (Venus Fly Trap) and Chibi (Remote Kontrol):

Dayton’s own, Tyquan (Mighty Zulu Kingz) won the All-Styles battle! Clip of his final battle against Chibi (RK):



Here’s a peek at the bboy battle that was happening in the next room (2v2 Semi-finals, The Squadron vs. HavikKoro/Vicious Germz):

A clip of Non-Stop (Remote Kontrol) during the ciphers—circles where dancers take turns freestyling (expressing the music through spontaneous, improvised dancing):

May: Detroit Electronic Music Festival 10 - Detroit, MI

This year DEMF was full of street dancers holding down ciphers. Floasis (specializing in the style, liquid) put together a recap of their festival cipher sessions:

Kidd Soul (GCOS crew) was getting it in all weekend! (dance style, popping):

Cipher’s emerge organically, and they are always different; you never know what to expect. Here’s an interesting cipher that emerged when X-Centric (U1R) and I were feelin’ the music (dance: styles house, vogue and waack):

June: City Vs City 6 – Chicago, IL

Breaking trailer by Konee Rok:

Popping trailer by Konee Rok:

House battle between my homies, Housemouse (Chicago – U1R) and Poseidon (Detroit – U1R) vs Step Fenz (New York):

November: Original Vibe 5 – Troy MI

I drove to OVibe two weeks after my surgery with a of couple buddies. We were late and they barely made registration cut offs, but each of them wound up winning the battles in their style. Ohio Represent!

Eclypse (20/Twenty Cru) and his partner Dancin Dave (Groove Fellas) - Popping finals:

X-Centric (U1R) vs Tonic (Chicago Tribe) – House finals:

December: World of Dance – Chicago, IL

Ohio’s 20/Twenty Cru - choreography competition:

Remote Kontrol (Chibi’s crew) – choreography competition:

Freestyle battle – King Charles (Footwork Kingz) doing Chicago's original footwork style vs Kidd Soul (GCOS):

After WOD, we all went to a house music party. Here are some amazing shots from the ciphers we held down all night: (photos courtesy of Jesus Sereno)

We don't just dance together; we also break bread together. This is not a sport; it’s not a hobby; it’s a culture and a community:

(photos courtesy of Jaron Boyd)

Live Music Resolution

As the new Executive Director of Cityfolk my last few months have been a whirlwind of taking in new information. While I have been busy learning all about where Cityfolk has been and where it is going, I have been fortunate enough to spend some time what Cityfolk is doing now. Most memorably during the concerts. In the last two months I have heard Simon Shaheen, a music prodigy from the Middle East; Charlie Hunter, an excellent guitarist who took his influences from jazz and funk; Dave Greer, who heads up a traditional jazz band (his enthusiasm for his genre of music floods the whole room and you just can’t help but tap your feet and get into the rhythm of his music); and Liz Carroll, a Celtic fiddler who is as nice as she is talented. I swear if there was a dance floor in the auditorium I would have gotten up and danced a jig with the band. These internationally acclaimed artists were very diverse and they all spoke to my heart in a different way.

I have worked with music during a large part of my career so I am aware of how diverse music can be and how it can affect you. I had never heard any of these performers before and it reminded that whatever knowledge you think you have on a subject, there is always plenty more to learn. I can’t wait to hear the rest of our season (especially Huun Huur Tu, pictured here), and further expand my knowledge of music, as well as explore all the possibilities for future concerts.

I invite all of you to make a resolution for 2011 that, despite your very busy schedules of making work deadlines, getting your kids to soccer practice and music lessons, and all the duties necessary to keep a household going, that you will make an effort to explore a new genre of music (or tap into an old one you haven’t listened to for a while). There is nothing that will keep your mind fresh like learning new things. Music is therapeutic; it can calm you down, rev you up and inspire you in new ways. Music is one of man’s great gifts and I can’t imagine life without it.

Johnny's Guitar

When John Harris left Cityfolk's helm and headed down to join his wife Natalie in Louisville, KY, he had some time on his hands until he landed a job. He'd taken up woodworking a couple of years before, so decided to spend some of that time taking classes to improve his skills. A nearly life-long guitar player, the idea of building one himself had appeal, but classes to do so are usually very expensive and time intensive.

Then, John says, "my 'aha' moment came when I came across Ted Harlan, a Louisville craftsman who teaches furniture building and - yes - guitar making. And what makes Ted's classes different is that, rather than a concentrated series of classes over a few weeks, they take place over the course of a year or more. It was perfect. An excellent teacher with a proven system; a reasonable time commitment; and it was affordable."

That was September. Since then, John has landed a job as Executive Director of the Clifton Center. And even though he doesn't have nearly as much time on his hands any more, he's still working on that guitar. Better yet, he started a blog about it at Johnny's Guitar. It gives some insight to the joys and frustrations of building an instrument from scratch. (And by the way, the oldest posts are at the bottom, so you'll want to scroll down and start there). From what I've seen there so far, the finished piece will be beautiful!

From Cityfolk's Past: Holiday Traditions Festival

by Phyllis Brzozowska, Co-Founder of Cityfolk

Back in the early '80s, I was part of a team of 5 Five Oaks residents who wanted to create cultural events that would bring people of the neighborhood together, events that were culturally diverse and that reflected traditional arts we personally valued and enjoyed. Cityfolk grew from these humble roots.

The very first Cityfolk events were part of a year-long series that took place in 1980, mostly in the Five Oaks neighborhood. It was called the “City Folk – Folk Art Series.” The last event of that series, “A Holiday Traditions Festival,” happened in December of 1980. It was held in the church hall of Hale United Church of Christ on the corner of Delaware and Grafton Streets. A lot of the activities in that first year were held there.

The “Holiday Traditions Festival” drew folks of all ages; I remember lots of children with their parents. It was a joyful mixture of an open house and participatory party, with a little bit of education thrown in for good measure. The festivities included food traditions, games, ornament making, singing, and informal talks about well known as well as forgotten holiday traditions.

We had small groups in the kitchen learning to make gingerbread and other cookies. The lovely scent of fresh baked sweets certainly helped create the festive and homey atmosphere. We made Swedish glogg (can’t remember if it contained alcohol or not) and there was hot chocolate for the kids. People were invited to try their hand as making different kinds of homemade ornaments. My Mom, Florentine Brzozowski, led us in making Polish multi-pointed, paper stars out of tissue paper with the help of a pencil point and a little glue.

A friend from the Montgomery Historical Society gave a talk on the origins of the Christmas tree tradition and the winter solstice yule log. We had an explanation of Hanukkah traditions, lighting the menorah, sampling latkes and trying our hand at spinning the dreidel. We had a Mexican piñata that I remember refused to bust open even after the most fiercest of blows.

And, as the activities were winding down, someone played the piano and we sang carols of all sorts. I still have a couple of CDs of carols played on the hammered dulcimer that we bought to play as background music when the party was just getting started.

Overall, I remember it being a very satisfying event – fun, easy going, connecting, interesting, engaging – with not the slightest hint of giving gifts other than the gifts of having and celebrating community, creativity and cultural traditions.

Were you there? What do you remember about this early Cityfolk event?

Cityfolk's 2010 Grammy Connections

Nominations for the 2010 Grammys were recently announced, and some Cityfolk favorites were nominated in 20 different categories! Who are you rooting for?

Best Rock Instrumental Performance

Do The Murray
Los Lobos
Track from:Tin Can Trust

Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals

Elizabeth
Dailey & Vincent
Track from: Dailey & Vincent Sing The Statler Brothers

Best Country Collaboration With Vocals

Pride (In The Name Of Love)
Dierks Bentley, Del McCoury & The Punch Brothers
Track from: Up On The Ridge

I Run To You
Marty Stuart & Connie Smith
Track from: Ghost Train: The Studio B Sessions

Best Country Instrumental Performance

Hummingbyrd
Marty Stuart
Track from: Ghost Train: The Studio B Sessions

Best Improvised Jazz Solo

Van Gogh
Wynton Marsalis, soloist
Track from: Portrait In Seven Shades (Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra)

Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group

Moody 4B
James Moody

Best Latin Jazz Album

Psychedelic Blues
Poncho Sanchez

Chucho's Steps
Chucho Valdés And The Afro-Cuban Messengers

Best Gospel Song

Return To Sender
Gordon Kennedy, songwriter (Ricky Skaggs)
Track from: Mosaic

Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album

Mosaic
Ricky Skaggs

Best Latin Rock, Alternative Or Urban Album

El Existential
Grupo Fantasma

Best Americana Album

Tin Can Trust
Los Lobos

You Are Not Alone
Mavis Staples

Best Bluegrass Album

Family Circle
The Del McCoury Band

Legacy
Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band

Best Contemporary Blues Album

Tribal
Dr. John And The Lower 911

Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook
Bettye LaVette

Best Traditional Folk Album

Ricky Skaggs Solo: Songs My Dad Loved
Ricky Skaggs

Best Hawaiian Music Album

Polani
Daniel Ho

The Legend
Ledward Kaapana

Best Zydeco Or Cajun Music Album

En Couleurs
Feufollet

Best Traditional World Music Album

Grace
Soweto Gospel Choir

Best Contemporary World Music Album

Throw Down Your Heart, Africa Sessions Part 2: Unreleased Tracks
Béla Fleck

Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)

Baba Yetu
Christopher Tin, arranger (Christopher Tin, Soweto Gospel Choir & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra)
Track from: Calling All Dawns

Best Classical Crossover Album

Tin, Christopher: Calling All Dawns
Lucas Richman, conductor (Sussan Deyhim, Lia, Kaori Omura, Dulce Pontes, Jia Ruhan, Aoi Tada & Frederica von Stade; Anonymous 4 & Soweto Gospel Choir; Royal Philharmonic Orchestra)

Give the Gift of Music and Save!

Cityfolk is getting into the holiday spirit of thankfulness, joy, goodwill and giving to those who mean the most to us. As our Holiday gift to you, we are offering Gift Certificates at 40% off.

Buy a $50 gift certificate for only $30 or a $100 gift certificate for only $60. The $15 gift certificate is still available at the regular price.

Gift certificates may be used for tickets or merchandise. Share the music you love with the people you love, or treat yourself to a concert and have a few extra dollars left in your pocket for your holiday gift-giving!

Offer ends December 23 at Noon EST. If you have any questions, contact our box office at 937-496-3863.

You can also support Cityfolk by starting here when you shop on Amazon.com. Simply start your search at the box on the right, or at the one on the Cityfolk home page, and Cityfolk will receive a percentage of your purchases at no cost to you!