Repatriating the alan lomax haitian recordings in postquake haiti. Dec 23, 2009 in 1936, ethnomusicologist alan lomax stepped off of a colombian steamship and onto haitian soil. By the people alan lomax collection, manuscripts, haiti. In 1989, in furtherance of his earlier research into expressive behavior, lomax and a team of developers began compiling his most ambitious project, the global jukebox, a multimedia interactive database that. In 2009, ethnomusicologist gage averill edited and compiled the cd box set alan lomax in haiti 19361937, and wrote the accompanying grammynominated notes. Anna lomax wood born november 20, 1944 is an anthropologist and public folklorist. Concurrently, the lomaxes teamed on a number of books, including 1934s american ballads and folksongs, 1936s. Shirley collins alan lomax archive folklorist alan lomax spent about 60 years, beginning in the 1930s, traveling around this country and the world recording our musical heritage. Few figures deserve greater credit for the preservation of americas folk music traditions than alan lomax. From december 1936 through april 1937, alan lomax and elizabeth lomax recorded the songs and religious ceremonies of haiti, while occasionally bumping into zora neale hurston and other ethnographers. Folklorist alan lomax spent his career documenting folk music traditions from around the world.
These are documentary sound recordings of rural kentucky music and lore made for the library of congress by john lomax and his son alan together and separately over about a four year period in the 1930s and early 1940s. Alan lomax biography life, family, story, death, wife. Various artists, alan lomax alan lomax in haiti amazon. Alan lomax was an american ethnomusicologist, best known for his numerous field recordings. Scouring the backroads, honky tonks, and work camps of the deep south, he unearthed a treasure trove of songs and singers, documenting the music of the common man for future generations to discover. Alan lomax in haiti recordings for the library of congress harte in december 1936, alan lomax traveled to haiti with a turntablecutting unit and a. Alan lomax texas folk free ebooks download ebookee.
Alan lomax alan lomax in haiti 10cd limited edition box. After study at harvard university, the university of texas at austin b. She is the president of the association for cultural equity ace, established in 1985 by her father, legendary musicologist alan lomax. Repatriating the alan lomax haitian recordings in postquake. In 1936, at the behest of writer zora neale hurston, renowned ethnomusicologist alan lomax took a trip haiti to document the music and rituals of everyday haitians. The earliest recordings were made by john and alan lomax in harlan county in. The global jukebox song tree by alan lomax archive kickstarter. The notebooks compiled by lomax are filled with vivid descriptions of expressive culture and include long narratives about vodou practices. Various artists, alan lomax alan lomax in haiti music. Folklife today podcast listen via stitcher for podcasts.
The hosts interview victoria van hyning, lauren algee, and todd harvey of the library of congress, and play some of lomaxs best recordings, including the earliest recordings of muddy waters and honeyboy edwards, interviews with jelly roll morton, classic. Lomax was out to document the music of everyday haitians, in whatever form, and to hunt for the influence of african music, as he had in the u. Nov 12, 2009 the late alan lomax brings the sound of haiti to life. These were issued on harte recordings and ironically at the time, haiti suffered the catastrophic earthquake and according to the harte recordings. He selected the music and documentation for the set from field recordings and other materials in the american folklife center archive. Title alan lomax haiti collection contributor names lomax, alan, 19152002 recordist subject headings. The green family foundation gff is honored that the 2010 grammy nominees recently announced include the alan lomax in haiti. He spent decades in the field, recording heralded artists like muddy waters and woody guthrie, as well as far more obscure musicians, from the british isles to haiti. Theres been a new discovery and new research into alan lomaxs fieldwork in the 1930s. Title alan lomax haiti collection contributor names lomax, alan, 19152002 recordist.
He devoted his life to recording folk music from around the world, traveling. The recordings of alan lomax in haiti in 19361937 youtube. This material from alan lomaxs independent archive, begun in 1946, which has been digitized and preserved by the association for cultural equity, is distinct from the thousands of earlier recordings on acetate and aluminum discs he made from 1933 to 1942 under the auspices of the library of congress. Apr 24, 2017 alan lomax made it his lifelong mission to archive and share traditional music from around the world. Jul 19, 2002 alan lomax, american ethnomusicologist, one of the most dedicated and knowledgeable folkmusic scholars of the 20th century. Alan lomaxs haitian time capsule the village voice. In 19361937, when the song collector lomax, his fiancee, and an assistant landed on the island, lugging cumbersome recording and film equipment they would carry with them throughout their travels, the united states had just ended a 19. Recordings that lomax made decades ago are now being released as a 10 disc box set, along with a journal and other artifacts from his trip. The modern computer with all its various gadgets and wonderful. Sound recordings catalog alan lomax archive association for. The alan lomax estate and harte recordings are dedicated to supporting earthquake relief efforts in haiti. This material from alan lomax s independent archive, begun in 1946, which has been digitized and preserved by the association for cultural equity, is distinct from the thousands of earlier recordings on acetate and aluminum discs he made from 1933 to 1942 under the auspices of the library of congress. He began his career in 1933 alongside his father, the pioneering folklorist john avery lomax, author of the bestselling cowboy songs and other frontier ballads 1910. In 1936, the library of congress sent historian alan lomax to document haiti s ethnomusic traditions.
In 1936, in the middle of scouring rural america for folk music that might have vanished forever if not for. This 10cd boxset, in the modern tradition of those lovingly created by revenant and. Lecture and presentation from new orleans jazz and heritage festival, 2011. Alan lomax in haiti birdman records, 2009 this 10cd box set is a stunning historical resource, drawing on extensive recording sessions conducted in the 1930s by fabled ethnomusicologist alan lomax on behalf of the united states library of congress. Blues songbook alan lomax on allmusic 2003 from 19331985, alan lomax along with his. Various artists alan lomax in haiti birdman records, 2009this 10cd box set is a stunning historical resource, drawing on extensive recording sessions conducted in the 1930s by fabled ethnomusicologist alan lomax on behalf of the united states library of congress. The filmwork of alan lomax is a resource for students, researchers, filmmakers, and fans of americas traditional music and folkways. Alan lomaxs haitian time capsule by tad hendrickson.
Citation use the citation below to add this album to your bibliography. Alan lomax right with musician wade ward during the southern journey recordings, 19591960. Alan lomax records a haitian drummer during his field trip to haiti in early 1937. The global jukebox song tree is an innovative online resource to explore world music and culture, produced by alan lomax. Nothing quite prepares a listener for the sounds he found. He was also a musician himself, as well as a folklorist, archivist, writer, scholar, political activist, oral historian, and filmmaker. Upload download has been moved to the sssl protocol. Musicologist, writer, and producer alan lomax spent over six decades working to promote knowledge and appreciation of the worlds folk music. Haiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere according to a tired clich e, resurfaces as the pearl of the antilles through alan lomax s compelling and comprehensive 1930s collection. Thanks to cutting edge technology, these rare recordings have been newly restored and released for the first time by a san francisco record company in conjunction with the library of congress and the lomax estate. Green family foundation and fisher stevens launch this is. The collection features some of the regions most representative musicians and styles.
By the people haiti, 19361937 the man who recorded the. Alan lomax recordings of haitian music released repeating islands. A folklorist, pub lisher, author, and parttime musician, lomax was a driving force in the folk and blues boom of the 1950s and 1960s, and helped the world discover such artists as leadbelly, pete seeger, and muddy. Repatriating the alan lomax haitian recordings in postquake haiti duration. Alan lomax alan lomax in haiti musical selections from. In 2009, harte records issued alan lomax in haiti, a 10cd box set of alan lomaxs historic 193637 recordings from a trip undertaken for the library of congress, remastered and restored from the original aluminum discs. Alan lomax in haiti denisconstant martin, alan lomax in haiti, 19361937, cahiers dethnomusicologie en ligne, 24 2011, mis en ligne le 21 mars 2012, consulte le 24 juillet 2014. A new discovery sheds light on haitis 1930s elites. The foundation gives its heartfelt appreciation to alan lomax archivesassociation for cultural equity, the magic shop and multivu. He was on a mission to capture the music and cultural sounds specific to that caribbean island. Manuscriptmixed material alan lomax collection, manuscripts, haiti, 19361937 enlarge view 55 images in sequence. Alan lomax alan lomax in haiti 10cd limited edition box set.
Recordings for the library of congress, 19361937 box set. In 1936, ethnomusicologist alan lomax stepped off of a colombian steamship and onto haitian soil. Alan lomaxs astounding 30s haiti african rooted music. Only 21 years old, the young lomax carried 155 pounds of luggage and special recording equipment. In 1959 and 1960, alan lomax revisited the american south after 10 years abroad to record the stillliving stream of traditional music in newly developed stereo sound. The land where the blues began is one of five films made from footage that alan lomax shot between 1978 and 1985 for the pbs american patchwork series 1991. Lomax recorded hundreds of hours of music, ranging from antiqu. The alan lomax collection 19972007, a cd series anthologizing lomax s sixdecade recording career, numbers over a hundred volumes. Haitian recordings, and to make it available in the sound recordings catalog. In other words, catholicism is merely the official religion of haiti, and its symbolism has merely been adapted to conform to the ideology of. In it, i found a full account of alan lomax s expenses, both official and unofficial, that revealed the extent of the then 21yearolds smoking habit, as well as his daily payments to revolie polinice, elsewhere described by lomax as my professor in creole and in haiti, my haggler and my protector, my valet and my companion of all my. Alan lomax recordings of haitian music released repeating. Manuscriptmixed material alan lomax collection, manuscripts, haiti, 19361937 enlarge view 2 images in sequence. In 19361937, when the song collector lomax, his fianc.
In 1996, when alan lomax was disabled by a stroke, wood took responsibility for overseeing his archive, housed at hunter college, and implementing his unfinished projects, most. At 21, alan lomax went to haiti and recorded its citizens making music songs about voodoo, carnival politics, childrens games and the first airplanes crisscrossing its caribbean skies in the. Lomax produced recordings, concerts, and radio shows in the us and in. Jun 30, 2017 gage averill discussed the significance of alan and elizabeth lomax s collection and documentation of a wide variety of haitian classical music, dance music and vodou music in 19361937, and. The recordings made by alan lomax in haiti in 193637 over 1,500 in total, although little known, constitute a priceless repository of haitian expressive culture, recorded soon after the.
Such is the case with alan lomax in haiti, an exhaustive tendisc collection of field recordings from a vital time in haiti s history. In 1936, in the middle of scouring rural america for folk music that might have vanished forever if not for his efforts, ethnomusicologist alan lomax traipsed off to haiti for four months with his. In 1936, the library of congress sent historian alan lomax to document haitis ethnomusic traditions. Upon seeing the box set alan lomax in haiti, wilcken commented.
Lomax coproduced the 10cd set, which is also available for download and was. January 8, 2011 alan lomax was said to have brought on a musical revolution. It had only been two years since the us had pulled out of haiti, following a 15year occupation. No individual has done as much to catalog and preserve traditional american music as american folklorist alan lomax 19152002. Alan lomax recordings are digitized in a new online. Elizabeth assisted him in recording in haiti, alabama, appalachia, and mississippi. Alan lomax collection, manuscripts, haiti, 19361937. This cd compiles some of the great recordings that showcase the spoken word and street culture put forth from the 1920. The project is an initiative of the the association for cultural equity, and the alan lomax archive in partnership with harte recordings, the american folk life center of the library of congress and the green. Scholar lois wilcken is the expert on haitian voodooliterally writing the book on it. Alan lomax in haiti, an album by alan lomax on spotify.
Alan lomax made an impressive career out of recording folk music all over the world. Roberto carlos, camilo sesto, leo dan, julio iglesias, jose luis perales, leonardo favio, jose jose duration. Share your thoughts about the alan lomax in haiti album with the community. Pics and 10 discs worth of recordings by alan lomax, 21 alan lomax. Film, video repatriating the alan lomax haitian recordings in postquake haiti. Take mesi papa vensan thank you papa vincent, by surprise jazz, which is the first song on alan lomax in haiti, a collection being released nov. Harte recordings, together with the estate of alan lomax, and in collaboration with the library of congress and the the association for cultural equity, present alan lomax in haiti a chronicle of lomaxs 1936 haitian recording expedition for the library. The alan lomax collection 19972007, a cd series anthologizing lomaxs sixdecade recording career, numbers over a hundred volumes. In 19361937, when the song collector lomax, his fiancee, and an assistant landed on the island, lugging cumbersome recording and film. A selfdescribed songhunter, alan lomax traveled the mississippi delta in the 1930s and 40s, at first with his father john lomax, later in the company sometimes of black folklorists like john w. But few people heard the recordings that lomax made in haiti in the 1930s. It was in haiti in 1936, with zora neale hurston as his guide, that the 21yearold lomax acquired his.
Alan lomax in haiti various artists releases allmusic. Delta blues guitarists, fifeanddrum ensembles, sacred harp singers, ozark and. He also recorded in haiti and the bahamas, pioneering the archival study of world music which increased in the decades to follow, and in the field made the firstever recordings of woody guthrie, muddy waters, and aunt molly jackson. In 2009, she produced the 10cd, alan lomax in haiti, issued by harte records. All alan lomax lyrics sorted by popularity, with video and meanings. Find album release information for alan lomax in haiti various artists on allmusic. One of the most remarkable reissues of the past few years was the reissue of material from field recordings alan lomax made in haiti in 1936 and 1937. Like all of alan lomax s field recordings, this tendisc collection from haiti offers an unparalleled look at an otherwise undocumented culture in transition. This material from alan lomaxs independent archive, begun in 1946, which has. Like all of alan lomaxs field recordings, this tendisc collection from haiti offers an unparalleled look at an otherwise undocumented culture in transition. Download psa mp3 tracks gff encourages radio stations of all formats and across all cities, states and countries to download and broadcast the psa within their regular spot rotations. Alan lomax was a prominent folklorist who made iconic field recordings around the world. Jan 06, 2016 alan lomax archive is raising funds for the global jukebox song tree on kickstarter.
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