TUESDAY, JULY 5 PROGRAM # 7828 4:00 PM PST. Quetzal and Meklit in Concert. Announced as the underground sounds of California’s largest cities, Los Angeles and San Francisco, this concert at the National Mall brings together the voices of Quetzal, an activist rock band from the barrios in East Los Angeles, and San Francisco-based singer, […]

TUESDAY, JULY 5 PROGRAM # 7827 12:00 PM PST. Quetzal. A conversation with members of the Grammy-winning, Los Angeles-based group Quetzal, founded two decades ago by artist Quetzal Flores. The Chican@ rock group is known for combining traditional Mexican son jarocho rhythms with salsa, R&B, and more to express the political and social struggle for […]

MONDAY, JULY 4 PROGRAM # 7826 4:00 PM PST. Cultural Activist Women. In this bilingual panel recorded at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, women cultural leaders from diverse backgrounds discuss the role women have played as gatekeepers of community traditions, breakers of cultural barriers and their role in shaping the soundscape of modern-day California. Guests: Hinaleimona […]

Monday, JULY 4 PROGRAM # 7825 12:00 PM PST. Kumeyaay. Leaders from the Kumeyaay communities along the US-Mexico border in California talk about their tribal songs performed as part of the “Sounds of California” program in the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. They also comment on issues of language, culture and traditions. Guests: Preston J. Arrow-weed, Educator, […]

SUNDAY JULY 3 PROGRAM # 7824 5:00 PM PST. Homayoun Sakhi and Salar Nader in Concert. Two master folk musicians in exile come together to sing traditional Afghan music that is now important part of life for exiled Afghan communities in Northern California. The concert by Homayoun Sakhi and Salar Nader culminates with a collaborative […]

SUNDAY JULY 3 PROGRAM # 7823 4:00 PM PST. Homayoun Sakhi and Salar Nader. A conversation with two internationally recognized Afghan musicians who represent the Afghan exile communities’ journeys and experiences. Born in Afghanistan to one of the country’s leading musical families, Homayoun Sakhi is an outstanding player of the rubab, the national instrument. Salar […]

SUNDAY JULY 3 PROGRAM # 7822 3:00 PM PST. Banda Brillo and Grupo Nuu Yuku: Performance. The wind band Banda Brillo and the dance troupe Grupo Nuu Yuku/Danza de los Diablos come together to perform chilenas and other traditional rhythms from the Mixteca Baja in Southern Mexico in this special performance at the National Mall […]

Sunday, July 3 PROGRAM # 7821 2:00 PM PST. Banda Brillo and Grupo Nuu Yuku. This is a conversation with leading members of Banda Brillo and Grupo Nuu Yuku/Danza de los Diablos. Based in the San Joaquin Valley, Banda Brillo is a ten-piece wind band formed with immigrants from San Miguel Cuevas in Oaxaca. Their […]

Saturday, July 2 PROGRAM # 7820 6:00 PM PST. NOKA in Concert. Noka, a band of three women singers who are the daughters and granddaughters of Basque immigrants, performs at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the National Mall. Their concert features folk songs with a strong message for women. Guests: Andréa Bidart, Begoña Echeverria, Cathy […]

Saturday, July 2 PROGRAM # 7819 5:00 PM PST. FandangObon. This is a collaborative arts project launched by Japanese and Mexican American artists who mix music and dance traditions of son jarocho from Veracruz, Mexico, and the Japanese Buddhist ritual of Obon. FandangObon was initiated by the non-profit arts group Great Leap in close collaboration […]