Smithsonian Institution. Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage Search this
Extent:
1 Sound recording (digital audio file)
Type:
Archival materials
Sound recordings
Date:
2016 July 10
Scope and Contents:
Gladys Simmons; Preston Jefferson Arrow-weed; John Santos; Martha Rodriguez; Stan Rodriguez; Michael Mason This session brings together master percussionist and band leader John Santos, vocalist/ composer/Yoruba-Lucumi priestess Bobi Céspedes, and Quechan/Kamya elder and tribal singer Preston Arrow-weed in a discussion about sacred music traditions. The John Santos Sextet is one of the premier Latin jazz ensembles in the world. Born in San Francisco, bandleader Santos was raised in the Puerto Rican and Cape Verdean traditions of his family and surrounded by the fertile musical environment of the Bay Area.Bobi Céspedes izes in the Cuban son and Afro-Caribbean music, culture, and tradition, and her spirituality has informed her lyrics and music. She has been a lead singer and musical artistic director for the twelve piece Cuban dance band Conjunto Céspedes and the folkloric ensemble Siguarilla, which features Orisha song presentations. Her debut solo album Rezos, released in 2013, sings of divinations to the orishas of her religion. Preston Arrow-weed is an educator, environmentalist, actor, playwright, and singer with a deep and comprehensive understanding of tribal songs, history, and ceremony. He is one of only a few who know the sacred songs celebrating the rites of passage from birth to death—and who can sing them in the correct order. He is the last singer of Urave, the Quechan Lightning Song.
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: 2016 Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
