Smithsonian Institution. Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Introduction:
The second in a multi-year series, the Migration to Metropolitan Washington program offered a deeper look into the history and culture of the city that revealed more than just "official" Washington. Beyond the monuments to which millions pilgrimage each year exists a little recognized residential city undergoing a process of tremendous change and redefinition due to the impact of the migration of populations from all over the world. Washington in 1988 was the home of immigrants from more than sixty countries. Approximately twelve percent of the more than 3.5 million people in the metropolitan area were foreign born. Since the 1970s their number in the metropolitan area had tripled and since 1980 doubled. Traditional culture played an important role in making Washington home for people who have migrated to the city. Despite traumatic circumstances, if people bring little else with them, at least they carry their culture. They select, modify, adapt, reinterpret, revitalize, and drop aspects of their cultural traditions as they adjust to their new environment. In addition they adopt new traditions, synthesize and blend old with newer ones, and create new mechanisms for supporting and expressing who they see themselves to be.
As an urban setting Washington provides opportunities for people to interact with others with whom they might never have mingled and to behave in ways that they never could have in the home setting. This creates stimulae for the development of new forms of expression and distinctive local traditions arising out of the blends. The 1988 Festival program addressed these issues and many more. In telling their stories and demonstrating their traditions, immigrants to Washington allowed Festival visitors to understand the cultural aspects of migration and how they have attempted and in some cases succeeded in making a new place in the metropolitan area.
Phyllis M. May-Machunda was Curator of the program, with Camila Bryce-Laporte as Program Coordinator and Ann Dancy as Assistant Program Coordinator.
Migration to Metropolitan Washington: Making a New Place Home was made possible in part by the generous support of the Music Performance Trust Funds, a non-profit organization created by U.S. recording companies to fund live and free performances (Martin A. Paulson, Trustee), and by the D.C. Community Humanities Council.
Fieldworkers, consultants, and advisors:
Fieldworkers
Enrique Avilés, Camila Bryce-Laporte, Kathy Bullock, Olivia Cadaval, Charles Camp, Mau Thai Chen, Vennie Deas-Moore, Belay Embaye, Von Martin, Phyllis May-Machunda, Horacio Quintanilla, Daniel Sheehy, Addisu Tolesa
Consultants
Richard Kennedy, Marjorie Hunt
Advisory Board
Roy Bryce-Laporte, Olivia Cadaval, Laura Chin, Elizabeth Clark-Lewis, Belay Embaye, Von Martin, Lissan Negusie, Bernice Johnson Reagon, Sylvia Rosales, Joe Wilson
Ad Hoc Committee
Lucy Cohen, Esther Ho, Brett Williams
Presenters:
Enrique Avilés, Barry Bergey, Kathy Bullock, Olivia Cadaval, Charlie Camp, Lee Ellen Friedland, Richard Kennedy, Susan Levitas, Von Martin, Jackie Peters, Leslie Prosterman, Daniel Sheehy, Addisu Tolesa, Carolyn Wang
Participants:
Crafts
Viola Canady, 1922-, Daughters of Dorcas, quilt-makers, Washington, D.C.
Al Carter, urban muralist, Washington, D.C.
David Chung, 1959-, urban muralist, Washington, D.C.
George B. Liu, calligrapher, Washington, D.C.
Z.P. Lu, embroiderer, migration storyteller, Arlington, Virginia
Helen Sze McCarthy, brush painter, Silver Spring, Maryland
Wilfredo "El Burro" Ortiz, Washington, D.C.
Kendrick Smith, 1939-, Trinidadian costume maker, Rockville, Maryland
Marjorie Smith, 1943-, Trinidadian costume maker, Rockville, Maryland
Crafts/Garden
Elguar Aguilar, farmer, gardener, Alexandria, Virginia
Foodways
Zufan Abraha, 1952-, Ethiopian cook, Arlington, Virginia
Enma Avilés, 1925-, butcher, baker, home remedy maker, Silver Spring, Maryland
Lazina "Dolly" Boodhoosingh, 1922-, Trinidadian cook, Washington, D.C.
Belay Embaye, Ethiopian cook, Arlington, Virginia
Anna Mae Gilliard, 1920-2004, Afro-American cook, migration storyteller, Forestville, Maryland
Addie Green, Trinidadian cook, gardener, Washington, D.C.
Herbert Jasper, 1910-2001, gardener, storyteller, Washington, D.C.
Irab Juman, 1947-, Trinidadian cook, gardener, Alexandria, Virginia
Shaliza Juman, 1970-, cook, gardener, Alexandria, Virginia
Sharoza Lisa Juman, Trinidadian cook, gardener, Alexandria, Virginia
Teresa "Mamatere" Martinez, 1901-, butcher, Salvadoran cook, home remedy maker, Washington, D.C.
Cecilia "Calypso Caterer" Ojoe, 1940-, Trinidadian cook, Bethesda, Maryland
Zalina Monaysar, Trinidadian cook, gardener, Arlington, Virginia
Adriana Palacios, Salvadoran cook, home remedy maker, Washington, D.C.
Doris Palacios, Salvadoran cook, home remedy maker, Washington, D.C.
John Henry Pitt, 1945-, cook, gardener, Washington, D.C.
Marie Tucker, 1923-, Afro-American cook, gardener, Washington, D.C.
Wei-Na Zhang, Chinese cook, Washington, D.C.
Industrial Crafts
Juan Angel Villalobos, carpenter, brick-maker, Silver Spring, Maryland
Music
Marame Dilgassa, 1961-, drummer, vocalist, Takoma Park, Maryland
Archie Edwards, 1918-1998, blues guitar player, Seat Pleasant, Maryland
Abtew Kebede Fufa, 1958-, vocalist, Washington, D.C.
John Jackson (1924-2002) & James Jackson, blues, Fairfax Station, Virginia
Conrado Rosales, Salvadoran music
Don Stover, guitar, banjo player, Brandywine, Maryland
Chinese Opera Society -- Chinese Opera SocietyGeorge Yang, Bethesda, MarylandChu Shang Zahu, Bethesda, Maryland
Hazel Dickens Band -- Hazel Dickens BandHazel Dickens, vocalist, guitar player, Washington, D.C.Raymond Thomas "Tom" Adams, banjo player, Winchester, VirginiaDudley Connell, guitar player, vocalist, composer, Germantown, MarylandMarshall Willborn, bass player, Winchester, Virginia
Ex tempo -- Ex tempoHollis Patrick "Flash" Lashley, vocalist, percussionist, Silver Spring, MarylandEmlyn "John" Roseman, 1945-, guitar player, Rockville, MarylandKendrick "Blackbird" Sheen, 1949-, vocalist, Washington, D.C.
Four Echoes, Gospel -- Four Echoes, GospelEdward David, bass singerDeacon William Evans, vocalist, guitar playerWillie Green, vocalistCharles Johnson, bass guitar playerJames Nelson, lead and tenor vocalistJames Stein, lead and baritone vocalistGlen Taylor, bass and lead guitar player
Fusion, Calypso, Silver Spring, Maryland -- Fusion, Calypso, Silver Spring, MarylandPatrick T. Belle, steel drum playerJune A. Charles, bass playerLennard Jack, steel drummerKenneth C. Joseph, drummerChris A. Toussaint, percussionist
Hobbs and Partners, Bluegrass, Fairfax, Virginia -- Hobbs and Partners, Bluegrass, Fairfax, VirginiaArnold Hobbs, 1931-1996, guitar player
Kings of Harmony Quartet, Gospel -- Kings of Harmony Quartet, GospelDean CavanaughRichard JonesCharles "Bobby" McElven, second tenorLouis Simpkins, bass playerRobert "Bobby" Terry, first tenorRobert "Bobby" Terry Jr., lead guitar playerAlvin L. TuckerClement H. Tucker, lead vocalistJohnnie "Manager" Tucker, guitar player, lead vocalistLouis A Tucker, bass playerMarvin G. Tucker, drummer
Las Estrellitas Paranderos -- Las Estrellitas ParanderosLinton Corbie, 1963-, vocalist, Washington, D.C.Patrice Frances "Patti" Gouveia, 1960-, vocalist, Washington, D.C.
McCullough's Kings of Harmony, Brass band -- McCullough's Kings of Harmony, Brass bandAlexander Bryant, third trombone playerJoe L. Chambers, tenor trombone playerHenry Cleveland, third trombone playerSamuel "Sam" Cole, run horn playerJames E. Freeman, bass drummerJosh Hampton, bass horn playerJoseph Heyward, snare drummerIvan Jackson, bass playerNorvus "Little Butch" Miller, 1948-1994, trombone playerMelvin Reid, baritone horn playerHannibal Russell, run leader playerHezekiah Shepherd, run horn playerPerry Smith, third trombone playerVirgil Smith, second trombone playerMyrick or Ivan Steward, bass horn playerHerbert Whitner, 1940-, lead vocalist
Oromo Culture Committee -- Oromo Culture CommitteeYahya S. "Abbaa-Faaro'o" Aba-Jobir, 1955-, chanter, vocalist, dancer, Washington, D.C.Zewdie Lube Birru, chanter, storyteller, vocalist, Riverdale, MarylandMarame Dilgassa, 1961-, drummer, vocalist, Takoma Park, MarylandAbtew Kebede Fufa, 1958-, vocalist, Washington, D.C.Bekele Geleta Shure, 1959-, musician, storyteller, Takoma Park, MarylandYeshi Lemau, chanter, storyteller, vocalist, Riverdale, Maryland
Ross School Kids -- Ross School KidsLenwood "Gato" Bentley, 1954-, director, Washington, D.C.
Singing Angels, Gospel -- Singing Angels, GospelSally Allen, soprano vocalistVincent Belfield, synthesizer playerDean Cary, organ playerMason Gaines, bass playerLisa Hillary, drummerBeverly Miller, lead vocalistMargaret "Tony" Ross, alto vocalistTerch Siegler, second alto vocalistRobert "Manager" WalkerRobin Walker, lead vocalistVincent Walker, lead guitar player
Sons of Grace, gospel, Washington, D.C. -- Sons of Grace, gospel, Washington, D.C.Gerald Cummins, bass guitar playerLee C. "Flint" HalseyErnest J. Mitchell, guitar playerJames E. PinkneyDavid WadeHerbert "Herb" Whitner, 1940-, manager, vocalist
Trinidad and Tobago Steel Band -- Trinidad and Tobago Steel BandMichael Carrera, steel drummerVernon A. "Jay" Cross, 1971-, drummerHubert "Mumbles" Griffith, 1958-, piano playerFranklin Martin "Ticky manager" Harding, 1941-, steel drummerLloyd Arnim "Hawkady" Haynes, 1939-, steel drummerPatricia Holloway, steel drummerStetson King, steel drummerMichael "Mikey" King, Sr., 1948-, steel drummerLinda Myers-Phifer, 1953-, steel drummerNick O'Reilly, steel drummerPatricia Phillips, steel drummerKeith "Captain" Preddie, 1938-, steel drummerRobert Roy "Bullet or Junior" Thwaites, 1950-, steel drummerRudolph Worren Walker, 1943-, steel drummer
United Indian Merrymakers -- United Indian MerrymakersAnirudh Boodram, 1957-, manager, musician, Beltsville, MarylandShariff Juman, percussionist, Alexandria, VirginiaGocool "Carl Gocool" Monaysar, 1925-, harmonium player, Arlington, Virginia
Washington Singing Convention, Gospel, Washington, D.C. -- Washington Singing Convention, Gospel, Washington, D.C.Airstine BarbourOla Mae LeachEva Gaston Rearden Redding, 1913-2001William Redding, 1912-1997
Wong Boxing Association, -- -- kung fu, tai chi, lion dance, Washington, D.C. -- Wong Boxing Association,kung fu, tai chi, lion dance, Washington, D.C.Terheran James "Tie" BrighthauptCheng-Wu HuangLi-Ling LiChikk Yin Tam Wanyi TanRaymond Wong, 1959-
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Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1988 Festival of American Folklife, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
