Smithsonian Institution. Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Introduction:
Folklore is commonly identified by many people with rural settings, and New Jersey is basically urban, suburban, and industrial. There are indeed some rural areas in New Jersey - the truck farms of "the Garden State" and the Pine Barrens of South Jersey - but the former are fast disappearing and the latter survive only because they are preserved by the state. Most New Jerseyans live and work in the densely populated corridor that cuts across the mid-section of the state. But folklorists today recognize that there is also a folklore of the factory, a folklore of the city, and a folklore of ethnicity, and New Jersey provides a rich source for their study.
The streets of New Jersey's cities abound with traditional life as practiced for generations. One need only to walk through Hoboken or Bayonne to see children playing stick ball, hop scotch, and Double Dutch jump rope. New Jersey is populated by a large number of ethnic groups, many of which have clustered in city neighborhoods. There is a Cuban community in Union City, a Portuguese community in Newark, a Hungarian community in New Brunswick, and a Japanese community in rural Seabrook Farms. For many ethnic groups folk traditions are their symbols of identity. Their ethnicity is expressed in foodways, language, music, dance, and festivals (often in ethnic costume). Music such as Ukrainian trio music, once performed informally at weddings, is now formally presented on a stage at a public festival with dancers in folk costume. Craft traditions that used to be a vital part of rural economy in the mother country are now miniaturized and made into a hobby.
The 1983 Festival program brought a panoply of presentations from New Jersey to the National Mall, ranging from ethnic celebrations of African Americans, Japanese Americans, Italian Americans and others to craft demonstrations featuring skills and techniques of silk weaving, herbalism and glassblowing, and on to the diverse occupations associated with maritime trades and the sacred songs of menhaden fishermen.
The New Jersey Program was made possible through many generous corporate and private donations to Festival New Jersey '83!, a nonprofit corporation established and chaired by Governor Thomas H. Kean to fund New Jersey's participation in the 17th Annual Festival of American Folklife.
Sue Manos-Nahwooksy served as New Jersey Program Coordinator.
Participants:
Agriculture
Joan Sorbello Adams, farm life, Mullica Hill
Anthony Catalano, produce sales, Salem
Toni Catalano, produce sales, Salem
Mary Sorbello, produce sales, Mullica Hill
Susan Sorbello, produce sales, Mullica Hill
Celebrations
Alabama Day
Thelma Britt, Afro-American cooking, Newark
Glennie Davis Franklin, 1933-2003, shape note singing, Hillside
Mabel Jackson, shape note singing, East Orange
Mary Alice Phillips, shape note singing, Elizabeth
Mabel Upshaw, shape note singing, East Orange
Bon Festival
Iddy Asada, cooking, Bridgeton
Sandy Ikeda, drums-New York, New York
Fusaye Kazaoka, 1930-2006, embroidery, Bridgeton
Shigeko Kazaoka, 1902-1992, crafts, Bridgeton
Ellen Nakamura, 1919-2000, obon dancing, kimono making, Elmer
Kiyomi Nakamura, 1916-1986, technical director, obon dancing, Elmer
Kazuyo Nakao, dancing, Seabrook
Sunke Oye, dancing, Vineland
Wendy Takahisa, drums, New York, New York
Suzi Takata, 1924-2004, crafts, Bridgeton
Harumi Taniguchi, 1902-2001, cooking, Seabrook
Hisano Tazumi, 1898-1999, kimono dressing, Bridgeton
Jenny Wada, drums, New York, New York
Audee Kochiyama Williams, drums, New York, New York
Peter Wong, drums, New York, New York
Theodora Yoshikami, drums, Brooklyn, New York
The Feast of Our Lady of Casadrino
The Joseph Colletti Marching Band -- The Joseph Colletti Marching BandJohn Bonfante, trumpet, TrentonLouis Cordas, 1909-1997, clarinet, TrentonJoseph D'Ambrosio, drums, TrentonCarmine DeLorento, trumpet, TrentonPaul Farinella, drums, TrentonBill Felter, drums, BordentownRonald E. Hansen, 1936-, trombone, Morrisville, PennsylvaniaRoy Hasty, tuba, TrentonRuss Jenkins, trumpet, TrentonFranz Mayer, drums, TrentonFrank Miller, saxophone, Hamilton SquareJames Penkala, baritone, TrentonJames Peraino, saxophone, CranburyJohn Peraino, band leader, TrentonSarah Peraino, assistant, TrentonNate Pratico, tuba, TrentonAI Procassini, trombone, West Chester, PennsylvaniaNick Sciarrotta, trumpet, TrentonAldo Stagi, baritone, Yardley, PennsylvaniaAndrew Wierzbowski, clarinet, Trenton
Oktoberfest
Bernie Bunger, Sr., 1950-, dance, Scotch Plains
Bernie Bunger, band leader, Piscataway
Betty Bunger, cooking, Piscataway
Elfreide Bunger, dance, Scotch Plains
Bill Mueller, drums, vocals, Union
Karl Pfeifer, singing, Franklin Lake
Dana Sylvander, brass, Englewood
John Van Decker, brass, Avenel
Queimada Ritual
Arturo Lopez-Dominguez, 1948-, coordinator, Newark
"Andurina" Bagpipers -- "Andurina" BagpipersAlvaro Castro, BayonneCarlos Corbacho, 1947-, director, NewarkJorge Fernandez, Jr., NewarkFrancisco Lara, drums, NewarkAmador Lopez, IrvingtonJosé Noguerol, NewarkJosé Noguerol, Jr., Newark
Ballet Folklore "Alborada" -- Ballet Folklore "Alborada"Linda Acebo, NewarkHerminio Alvarez, NewarkJulio Barreiro, IrvingtonManolo Lago, director, IrvingtonJulia Lara, NewarkEmilio Lopez, HarrisonDorothy Ventoso, KearnyIsabel Ventoso, LyndhurstNancy Villanueva, North Arlington
Hispania: Coral Polifonica -- Hispania: Coral PolifonicaManuel Alonso, KearnyJuan Alvarez, Roselle ParkDonato Barreiro, NewarkAgustina Caamano, NewarkMarcelino Caamaflo, NewarkAlezandro Cobelo, NewarkEugenio Fernandez, NewarkMaria Fernandez, NewarkClementina Garcia, NewarkManuel R. Garcia, 1942-, choral director, CalifonSantiago Garcia, NewarkMaria Rodriguez Gil, Brooklyn, New YorkAna Maria Gomez, NewarkMaria Dolores Gonzalez, NewarkRamona Gonzalez, NewarkFrancisca Lopez, HarrisonManuela Lopez, HarrisonManuel Malvarez, NewarkMaria del Carmen Maza, KearnyImmaculada Mendez, NewarkMaria Mendez, NewarkEmilio Nepomuceno, NewarkFrancisco Platas, LindenHerminia Rodriguez, KearnyJosefa Salgado, Newark
Maritime Area
Robert Ames, menhaden chanties, Port Norris
Bernie Borrelli, 1957-, boat building, Lavallette
Owen Carney, 1921-, salt hay rope making, Port Norris
Donald Cisrow, 1957-, oyster shucking, gospel singing, Port Norris
Evelyn Cisrow, 1929-2006, oyster shucking, gospel singing, Port Norris
Sarah Cisrow, 1961-, oyster shucking, gospel singing, Port Norris
Joseph Gibbs, 1924-1997, oyster shucking, gospel singing, Port Norris
Gary Giberson, decoy carving, Port Republic
Robert Lee Hamon, menhaden chanties, Port Norris
Charles E. Hankins, 1925-2003, boat building, Lavallette
Anthony Hillman, boat building, decoy carving, Seaville
Sam Hunt, 1911-2004, boat building, Waretown
Oliver Johnson, menhaden chanties, Port Norris
William Richardson, 1916-1987, lobster trap making, Keyport
Mrs. William Richardson, lobster trap making, Keyport
Harry Shourds, decoy carving, Seaville
Henry Weldon, 1915-1990, rush seat weaving, Milville
Beryl Whittington, 1919-2003, oyster shucking, gospel singing, Port Norris
Music
Herb Abramson, Walter Rhodes' manager, New York, New York
Saul Betesh, Sephardic oud, Deal
Walter Rhodes, blues singing, guitar, Paterson
Tex Logan Band -- Tex Logan BandJimmy Arnold, fiddle, banjo, guitar, Fredericksburg, VirginiaChad Bruce, drums, harmonica, vocals, Fairfax, VirginiaJohn Carlini, guitar bass, SummitKen Gallahan, rhythm guitar, Alexandria, VirginiaJoey Greene, mandolin banjo, Fredericksburg, VirginiaWade Hill, banjo mandolin, Fredericksburg, VirginiaBenjamin Franklin "Tex" Logan, fiddle, MadisonPeter Rowan, rhythm guitar, vocals, Madison
"Doc" McKenzie and the Gospel Hi-Lites -- "Doc" McKenzie and the Gospel Hi-LitesMarvin Bradshaw, bass, PatersonDarryl Henley, guitar, PatersonGreg Herbert, organ, PatersonAbraham McKenzie, vocals, PatersonDavid McKenzie, vocals, PatersonMilbert "Doc" McKenzie, 1949-, vocals, PatersonHenry Redmond, drums, PatersonWilliam Wribbee, vocals, Paterson
Pure Water -- Pure WaterCharles Banks, Jr., vocals, NewarkJoe Briscoe, vocals, NewarkTerrance Forward, vocals, NewarkWayne Johnson, vocals, IrvingtonJohnny Shipley, group leader, Newark
Silk
Joseph Grauso, 1916-1997, weaving, Elmwood Park
Roy Harris, 1920-1990, weaving, Bensalem, Pennsylvania
Prince Hatley, 1916-1991, weaving, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Traditional Medicine & Pharmacology
Fred Anderson, glassblower, Sun City, Arizona
Evidio Espinosa, herbalist, West New York
Louis Molinari, 1931-2004, glassblower, Stirling
Efrain Osorio, herbalist, Newark
Alvin Segelman, pharmacognosist, Piscataway
Collection Restrictions:
Access to the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections is by appointment only. Visit our website for more information on scheduling a visit or making a digitization request. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1983 Festival of American Folklife, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
