This week's episode explores the film Living the Hiplife, a journey into West African hiplife music. Hiplife is a hybrid West African pop music, popular among urban youth, that draws from American hip hop, Ghanaian highlife, and indigenous forms of West African verbal dexterity.

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Length: 15:18

Length: 09:25

Burke performs with two other fiddlers, Christian Lemaître (Brittany, France) and André Brunet (Québec) in the group Celtic Fiddle Festival. The group will perform two concerts at Dusty Strings in Seattle on Saturday, March 8, at 7:00 and 9:30 pm. Northwest Folklife is proud to be a co-sponsor of this exciting exploration of the common ground shared by three cultures.

But, the legacy of bluegrass is that it has always represented a progressive take on American roots music. In that spirit, we have four Northwest bands today that range from hardcore traditionalists to jamgrass and gospel stomp. Cross-Eyed Rosie, The OHOP Valley Boys, David Goliath, and 78 RPM are up next on Folklives.

On a snowy day in Seattle, enjoy these haiku read by Connie Hutchison, Christopher Herald, Michael Dylan Welch and Ruth Yarrow.

A masterful example of Dylan's early poetic attempts, "Last Thoughts on Woody Guthrie" combines stream of consciousness rambling with the rhythmic groove of a preacher.

Music in this podcast is performed by Mike Grigoni and Dan Mahr.

Length: 16:46

Peter Trower worked as a whistle punk in the old growth forests of British Columbia, operating the steam whistle that served as means of communication between loggers, sending warnings and signals that make the difference between life and death in the woods. While whistle punks occupied the lowest rung in the logging camps, they held their co-workers lives in their hands.

Bart Baxter's poem relates an experience he had while piloting a commercial airliner in Alaska. In this case, his esteemed position as a captain requires the same commitment to protecting lives as the lowly whistle punk.

Length: 12:19

The first in a two-part series that explores the poetry of work.

Length: 9:48

Lisa Ornstein, guitar player and singer André Marchand, and the legendary band La Bottine Souriante provide the music for this episode: French-Canadian songs and fiddle tunes that warm homes this time of year. Lisa and André will play a Folklife-sponsored concert at Dusty Strings in Seattle on January 5 at 7:30pm. Come down and experience the best in Québécois traditional music in an intimate celebration of Jour de l'An.

Even though they aren't Christmas carols, feel free to sing along.

Length: 11:52

As a producer, record company owner, singer and musician, Calvin Johnson has diligently tilled the Pacific Northwest for 25 years, helping to plant an independent music scene that has grown to maturity and borne its own fruit of success: a generation of musicians who exist in a space where musical success is based on creativity, exploration, humor, and free thought.

2007 brought Calvin Johnson to the Northwest Folklife stage for the first time. This week's episode features two songs from that performance.

Length: 12:42

Jean has played an enormously important role in the preservation and popularization of American folk music, through her research, recording, and performing career. In some way or another, anyone who has been touched by a haunting a cappella ballad has been drawn into Jean's legacy.

Length: 8:04

The name of this traditional son jarocho is El Sikisiri, and Jose sings improvised and stock phrases meant to welcome the audience and create a festive atmosphere. The instrument he uses to accompany his singing is called arpa, the Veracruz harp. The arpa achieves a delicate balance between sweeping, intricate melodies and funky cross-rhythms, creating the driving force behind Jose's singing.

José was a guest at the 1985 Northwest Folklife Festival, where he gave this outstanding performance. A resident of the Pacific Northwest during the 1980s, Jose now lives and performs in Veracruz, Mexico.

Length: 6:25

The band came down from their home in Victoria, B.C. last year to play at the Northwest Folklife Festival, and the audience was treated to a set of thrilling original songs and imaginitively reworked traditional material. Outlaw Social pushed on through a cold rain and delivered a performance that demonstrates their commitment to making dynamic and innovative folk music.

Length: 6:30

Baby Gramps occupies a special place at Folklife. He is revered by young buskers and jug-band fingerpickers, inspiring them to plunk out age-old hokum blues themselves. The bearded, grunting troubador also represents a generation of musicians who took the vital energy of the Folk Revivial in a direction that married tradition with innovation, to the benefit of all who love their roots music delivered with a wink and a smile. Listening to Baby Gramps is like stepping into a home-made time machine: you don't know whether you're going into the past or the future.

Length: 6:12

As tireless organizers, performers, teachers, and activists in the Seattle old-time music scene, Charlie and Charmaine are committed to making things happen. From watching them perform, be it with Squirrel Butter or their band The Tallboys, it's clear their motto is the old-time credo "Play all night, don't go home." So next time you see Charmaine or Charlie at a squaredance or jam, buy them a beer and show your thanks - they may reward you by playing just a little bit longer.

Length: 6:48

The music in this podcast was drawn from Northwest Folklife's archival audio recordings.

This edition of Folklives features an excerpt from Rachel's performance at the 2007 Northwest Folklife Festival.

The music in this podcast was drawn from Northwest Folklife's archival audio recordings.