Smithsonian Folkways

Smithsonian Folkways

Sub-label of Smithsonian Folkways Recordings

100 releases 20 sub-labels 1956–2025

About

In 1987, following the death of Moses Asch (owner of Folkways Records), the Smithsonian Institution acquired from his estate the rights, papers, and masters for Folkways Records. This was done with the Smithsonian's promise to keep all of the 2168 Folkways titles in print, which they continue to do to this day under the Smithsonian Folkways banner. Label Code: LC 9628 / LC 09628 Please use for copyright credits.

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Top Smithsonian Folkways Releases

Happy Woman Blues
Happy Woman Blues
Lucinda Williams
1980
You Are My Little Bird
Elizabeth Mitchell
2005
Ear to the Ground
Malvina Reynolds
2000
Struggle
Woody Guthrie
1945
Shake Sugaree
Shake Sugaree
Elizabeth Cotten
2004
Solo in Rio 1959
Luiz Bonfá
2005
Jazz, Volume 2: The Blues
Various Artists
1966
Vol. 2: Shake Sugaree
Vol. 2: Shake Sugaree
Elizabeth Cotten
1967
Songs of Our Native Daughters
Songs of Our Native Daughters
Our Native Daughters
2019
Mary Lou Williams
Mary Lou Williams
1964
The Invisible Comes to Us
Anna & Elizabeth
2018
Ramblin’ on My Mind
Ramblin’ on My Mind
Lucinda Williams
1979
Classic Folk Songs for Kids
Various Artists
2016
Crossroads: Southern Routes
Various Artists
1996
Tribute to a Generation: A Salute to the Big Bands of the WW II Era
Tribute to a Generation: A Salute to the Big Bands of the WW II Era
The Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra
2004
Classic Railroad Songs
Various Artists
2006
Singalong
Pete Seeger
1991
Dave Van Ronk Sings
Dave Van Ronk
1961
Monitor Presents Koutev Bulgarian National Ensemble
Koutev Bulgarian National Ensemble
1963
Sunny Day
Elizabeth Mitchell
2010
American Roots Music
Various Artists
2007
Electronic Music, Tar and Sehtar
Dariush Dolat-Shahi
1985
Zoning
Mary Lou Williams
1974
Foc’sle Songs and Shanties
Paul Clayton & The Foc’sle Singers
1959
Sweeney’s Dream
Sweeney’s Dream
Kevin Burke
1973
Frontier Ballads
Pete Seeger
1954
Songs From the Bardo
Songs From the Bardo
Laurie Anderson, Tenzin Choegyal, Jesse Paris Smith
2019
First Songs
Mike Hurley
1964
Tell ’Em You Were Gold
Pharis & Jason Romero
2022
Children's Folk Songs of Germany
Erika and Elsa Vopel
2007
Territory
Tony Trischka
2008
The High Lonesome Sound
Roscoe Holcomb
1998
Boss Soul
Sarah Webster Fabio
1972
At Folk City
Doc Watson & Jean Ritchie
1990
Blue Clouds
Elizabeth Mitchell
The Doc Watson Family
The Doc Watson Family
1963
Remains to Be Scene
The Seldom Scene
2025
1975
No-No Boy
2021
Long Time Passing
Kronos Quartet
2020

Smithsonian Folkways Artist Roster

Various Artists
Various Artists
256 releases
Other
Pete Seeger
Pete Seeger
22 releases
Person
EJ
Ella Jenkins
16 releases
Person
Woody Guthrie
Woody Guthrie
12 releases
Person
Lead Belly
Lead Belly
7 releases
Person
Ewan MacColl
Ewan MacColl
6 releases
Person
Elizabeth Mitchell
Elizabeth Mitchell
6 releases
Person
Dave Van Ronk
Dave Van Ronk
4 releases
Person
Joe Glazer
Joe Glazer
4 releases
Person
Doc Watson
Doc Watson
4 releases
Person
Elizabeth Cotten
Elizabeth Cotten
4 releases
Person
Mary Lou Williams
Mary Lou Williams
4 releases
Person
NB
No-No Boy
3 releases
Group
Los Texmaniacs
Los Texmaniacs
3 releases
Group
Q
Quetzal
3 releases
Group

Sub-labels

Lead Belly Legacy

3-volume series making available all of the performances originally recorded for during the 1940's.

Smithsonian Folkways Vinyl Reissue Series

Curated vinyl reissues from the Smithsonian Folkways Collection.

Smithsonian Folkways Mail Order

The Asch Recordings

Series of four albums of recorded by in New York City.

Sound Communities

Series related to .

Paredon

Founded in 1969 by and , Paredon Records was part of a wave of cultural expression that accompanied the worldwide struggle for economic, racial, and social justice and national ...

Arhoolie Records

Arhoolie Records is an American folk/roots music label, formally located in El Cerrito, California. It was formed in 1960 by Chris Strachwitz. From 1989 onward, releases appeared on CD. In May ...

Stinson Records

American record label founded in 1939 by the Stinson Trading Co.. The first black label issues do not bear any label name (enter as Not On Label), but are reissues of the Soviet-made [l=...

Educational Activities, Inc.

Creator and publisher of educational resources for K–12 classrooms, primarily focusing on audio recordings and music created for early childhood education. Acquired by Smithsonian Folkways in A...

Music Of Central Asia

Smithsonian Folkways, in collaboration with the Aga Khan Music Initiative released a 9-CD/DVD set produced by Theodore Levin with in order to document the living musical traditions o...

Music Of Indonesia

20-cd series documenting the music of the Indonesian archipelago, introducing listeners to dozens of beautiful and varied musical styles from throughout this complex island nation. Guitars and game...

The Mickey Hart Collection

This collection preserves and furthers ’s endeavor to cross borders and expand musical horizons. The Mickey Hart Collection begins with 25 albums drawn from , a series Hart curat...

Smithsonian Folkways Archival

Series of custom-made CD-Rs released in gatefold sleeves since 2006. Previously released (from 2000) in a regular disc case slipped in a printed outer sleeve without the "Smithsonian Folkways Arch...

Stinson Trading Co.

Note: Please do not use this as a label, use Stinson Records instead. This should only be used as a credit if it appears on th...

African American Legacy Recordings

African American Legacy Series A collaboration with the National Museum of African American History and Culture In 2007, Recordings and the Smithsonian National Museum of African Ameri...

Traditional Music Of Peru

Series of eight CDs released in collaboration with the The Institute of Ethnomusicology of the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru One of the objectives of is to bring to the U.S. and ...

Global Beat Of The Boroughs

Stinson

Record company credit shared by Stinson Trading Co. & Stinson Records. Note: By c.2019 Smithsonian Folkways had acquired all of the various Asch & Stinson catalogs.

Smithsonian Folkways Classic Series

Classic Series Begin exploring recordings The Classic series is an enjoyable introduction to the diverse repertoire of American music available from Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. Each...

From The Historic Recordings Of Lydia Cabrera And Josefina Tarafa

"Crown jewels among field recordings" Ned Sublette, Cuba And Its Music, p. 589.

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