[78-L] Smithsonian Folkways acquires ARHOOLIE records.

[Thomas Stern]

following announcement from Arhoolie Records founder
Chris Strachwitz.
This fabulous resource will be preserved and available!!
Arhoolie also owns the Folk Lyric-Louisiana Folklore Society recordings of
Dr. Harry Oster. Hope all that material will be available.
Best wishes, Thomas.

Arhoolie Records Acquired by the Smithsonian Folkways


A message from Arhoolie Records founder Chris Strachwitz
Thanks to the generosity of Laura and Ed Littlefield of the Sage Foundation,
and the encouragement of the Savoy Family (the First Family of Cajun Music),
Arhoolie Records has been acquired from me and my business partner Tom
Diamant by Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, the nonprofit record label of
the national museum. The acquisition includes more than 350 albums released
in various formats and on various labels by Arhoolie as well as recordings
from three South Texas regional labels specializing in Mexican music (Ideal,
Falcon, and Rio), and Andean Huayno music from the Peruvian label Discos
Smith.

All Arhoolie Records business from now on will be handled by Smithsonian
Folkways and should be directed to smithsonianfolkways at si.edu. Once the
transition is completed, all Arhoolie albums will be available on CD and
digital formats, along with selected LPs, at folkways.si.edu. 

The Down Home Music Store, my retail record store in El Cerrito, CA, will
continue to do business as usual, and will remain a prime source for all
currently available Arhoolie releases, both in person and by mail order.
Visit our website at downhomemusic.com, our storefront at 10341 San Pablo
Ave., El Cerrito, CA 94530, or reach us by phone at (510) 525-2129.

The Arhoolie Foundation will also continue to be based at 10341 San Pablo
Ave in El Cerrito. Please visit our website at www.arhoolie.org to find out
about our work and ways you can participate or contribute. 

Since I'm not King Tut, I can't take my Arhoolie baby with me. It was Moe
Asch, founder of Folkways Records, who told me in so many words, "Chris,
you've got to think about what you are going to do with all your stuff when
you kick the bucket." I am very pleased that Arhoolie has found a new home
at the Smithsonian, where they are committed to keeping everything in print
and available to the public by one method or another. It has been fun
running Arhoolie Records for the past 55 years. I plan to continue to
produce records and assist the staff at Smithsonian Folkways where I can. 

Thanks!
Chris Strachwitz

________________________________________

About Smithsonian Folkways:

Smithsonian Folkways Recordings is the nonprofit record label of the
Smithsonian Institution, the national museum of the United States. As part
of the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, we are
dedicated to supporting cultural diversity and increased understanding among
people through the documentation, preservation, and dissemination of sound.

Our mission is the legacy of Moses Asch, who founded Folkways Records in
1948 to document "people's music," spoken word, instruction, and sounds from
around the world. Smithsonian Folkways has continued to expand on Asch's
legacy, adding several other record labels to the collections, such as Cook,
Monitor, and the UNESCO Collection of Traditional Music, and releasing over
400 new recordings that document and celebrate the sounds of the world
around us. With the acquisition of Arhoolie Records, the collection consists
of more than 3,500 albums and 50,000 tracks along with videos, playlists,
podcasts, lesson plans for teachers, and Smithsonian Folkways Magazine.

NOTE: Smithsonian Folkways Recordings retail distribution in the US is
through ADA (Alternative Distribution Alliance) at 800.239.3232. Smithsonian
Folkways Recordings releases are available through record and book outlets.
Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, as well as Folkways Records, A.R.C.E.,
Arhoolie, Banjo Builders, Blue Ridge Institute, Cook, Collector,
Dyer-Bennet, Fast Folk, I.L.A.M., The Mickey Hart Collection, Monitor,
M.O.R.E., Paredon, and UNESCO are available via mail order at 888.FOLKWAYS
or 800.410.9815. Visit the Smithsonian Folkways Recordings website at
www.folkways.si.edu or write to 600 Maryland Ave. SW, Suite 2001,
Washington, DC, 20024.

U.S. media inquiries: Matt Hanks (mhanks at shorefire.com) and Ally Norton
(anorton at shorefire.com), Shore Fire Media, (PH) 718.522.7171. All other
inquiries: smithsonianfolkways at si.edu.