Smithsonian Folkways Recordings

This web site provides details of all recordings released since 1988 on the Smithsonian Institution's nonprofit record label, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings (SFW), as well as the Smithsonian's extensive collection of historic recordings - originally released on the Folkways Records label from 1948 to 1987, plus those issued under the Cook, Dyer-Bennet, Fast Folk, Monitor, and Paredon labels - housed at its Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage (CFCH). The recordings are browseable here by album title, genre, and label, or searchable by album title, track title, artist name, year of release, catalogue number, genre, country, and/or record label, and may be ordered online, including custom CDs of the historical titles. Users may also view new releases, best sellers, staff picks, a "top ten" of children's music, artist and recording "spotlights," and PDF copies of the Smithsonian Folkways, World of Sound, and Music for Children catalogues. Under Projects & Initiatives, the site highlights the SFW series of classic American roots, Latino, Central Asian, and Indonesian music; presents a special feature on the American underground magazine "Broadside" (1962-1988) and "Best of" CD; and describes and links to the Smithsonian Global Sound digital download site, which offers tracks from the complete Folkways collection, plus other traditional music archives around the world, to sample and purchase online. In addition, the site contains links to the home pages and performance schedules of SFW artists, and the archival and related resources of the CFCH.