Page Text: November 1, 2021
Away, Rio was a capstan or windlass chantey, used for taking in the anchor. It was often the first song sung on an outward-bound voyage (commonly undertaken in November), and was popular on both British and American ships. This performance is part of the Library of Congress’s online collection, California Gold: Northern California Folk Music from the Thirties. It was performed by Captain Leighton Robinson, who remained active in the San Francisco maritime community after his retirement, teaching young people to sail and to sing shanties. He participated in the community effort to save the sailing ship Balclutha, which now hosts hands-on educational activities at the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park.
October 1, 2021
The Old Chisholm Trail #2 is considered the most authentic of all the cowboy ballads. This tale of a cattle drive begins: “We started up the trail October twenty-third.” Although the subject of the song is the cowboy’s life on the trail, the lyrics reflect many aspects of the cultural and historical context of the song. It was performed by former cowboy J.T. Reid, whose father drove cattle up the Chisholm Trail. Collected in Albuquerque, NM in 1951 by John Donald Robb, the recording is part of the Robb Collection housed at the Center for Southwest Research, University of New Mexico. For other variants, see “The Old Chisholm Trail #1” and “Coma-ti-yi-yupy.”
September 6, 2021
Fight for Union Recognition is a Depression-era protest song created by Jack Latham during the cotton strike at Arvin, California in 1939. Performed by union organizers Bert and Ruby Rains, it is part of the Library of Congress’s online Voices from the Dust Bowl: The Charles L. Todd and Robert Sonkin Migrant Workers Collection. A lesson plan is included for use in grades 5-10.
August 1, 2021
Dos y Dos Son Cuatro is a popular Spanish singing game. In this variant, singers count to treinta y dos (32), starting by 2s, then by 8s. Performed by Isabella Salazar in Texas in 1939 and recorded by John A. and Ruby T. Lomax, it forms part of the Library of Congress’s Archive of American Folk Song.