NYC Petanque

Spring–Summer 2011 Volume 37: 1–2 The Journal of New York Folklore NYC Petanque “Real” Bagels Central Park Rumba A Quilting Story Drummer Julissa Vale From the Director At a March 2011 sym- sites that might interest a visitor to the Erie a bagel a bagel, from Vegas to Montreal to posium on cultural Canal Corridor. Assembling a team that in- New York. In “Petanque in New York,” and heritage tour- cluded Daniel F. Ward of the Erie Canal Valérie Feschet, an anthropologist at the ism held at Colgate Museum, Todd DeGarmo of Crandall Public Université de Provence, shares a detailed University, keynote Library, and Erin Dorbin of SUNY–Albany’s portrait of the history, the play, and the speaker Cheryl Har- public history program, the New York multiethnic enthusiasts of this traditional grove spoke of the in- Folklore Society developed an inventory French bowling game in New York City. creasing importance of sites that reflect New York State’s rich By independent scholar and video artist of “place,” both to artistic and cultural history and connection Berta Jottar, “From Central Park Rumba the residents of an area and to those who are to the canal. Architecture, art, music, and with Love!” documents the sights, sounds, touring a region. In exploring a place, visi- literature in New York were influenced by and struggle of the rumberos of Central Park tors and residents alike are concerned with the development and expansion of the canal to continue to practice their art in public the “authentic local experience,” whether it system, from its original footprint to that spaces, despite prohibitions from the mayor’s is to sample the regional food, participate in of the present. You can view the inventory office. We travel upstate with old-time fid- a community festival, or visit a historic site. selection online at www.eriecanalway.gov/ dler and music educator Jackie Hobbs, a Hargrove stressed the need to preserve and get-involved_arts-forum.htm. member of a multigenerationally musical protect the cultural and environmental re- The New York Folklore Society contin- family, who describes a tremendous musical sources of an area and to find a comfortable ues to reach out to communities across the resource for New Yorkers, musicians, and fit between the needs of a community and state, forging new collaborative partnerships. folk music historians: the wealth of record- the interests of the tourist. The sustainability In the first half of 2011, the New York ings and biographical materials in the archival of cultural or heritage tourism should not be Folklore Society has presented programs or holdings she curates at the North American measured by the number of visitors nor the professional development workshops in Al- Fiddlers’ Hall of Fame and Museum in economic impact those visitors make on a bany, Amsterdam, Batavia, Buffalo, Canton, Osceola, New York. We wrap up in “A Fam- locale, but rather by the quality of the local Niagara, Saratoga, and Schenectady. Maybe ily History Quilt,” by Adirondack quilter and experience—which will satisfy the needs of we’ll be in your community soon! Please community scholar Ruby L. Marcotte, with both the tourist and the host community. check our web site at www.nyfolklore.org photography by George Ward. Step by step, Folklorists can offer important insights on for upcoming events. Ruby leads us through the experience of a community as tourism site. Drawing upon Ellen McHale, Ph.D., Executive Director refurbishing a family quilt—and tells about knowledge gained through ethnographic New York Folklore Society an uncanny coincidence she uncovered in the fieldwork, folklorists are able to provide [email protected] process. Finally, New York Folklore Society interpretive frameworks for a better under- www.nyfolklore.org staff folklorist Lisa Overholser reports on standing of a community’s traditions and the society’s annual meeting and September cultural arts and may have a broader vantage From the Editor 2010 conference on Latino folklore, which point on a community’s cultural assets. In The Spring–Summer was attended by young Latino folklore and conducting a folk cultural documentation 2011 issue of Voices ethnomusicology scholars from New York project, a folklorist often records that which brings readers another and across the country. speaks to the interests of the cultural heritage tasty mix of story, eth- We offer our kudos to Voices columnist tourist: as Hargrove explained, “the tradi- nography, and analysis John Thorn, who was recently named of- tions, art forms, celebrations, and experi- of New York traditions, ficial historian for Major League Baseball. ences that define this nation and its people.” upstate and downstate. In this role he will continue and expand In 2009 and 2010, the New York Folklore We open with SUNY–Oneonta English his longstanding research on baseball and Society worked in collaboration with the Erie professor Jonathan Sadow’s “Bagels and spearhead other special projects for the Canalway National Heritage Corridor to Genres,” an insightful and witty musing on league. John’s most recent book, Baseball in develop an inventory of cultural and artistic what—in critical theory, as in life—makes continued on page 2 “Folklore comes early and stays late in the lives of all of us.” ––Barre Toelken, The Dynamics of Folklore (1996) VOICES: The Journal of New York Folklore Contents Spring–Summer 2011 3 Features 3 Bagels and Genres by Jonathan Sadow 12 Petanque in New York by Valérie Feschet 24 From Central Park Rumba with Love! by Berta Jottar 32 Bringing Old-Time Fiddling into the Twenty-First Century 12 by Jackie Hobbs 36 A Family History Quilt by Ruby L. Marcotte 42 Annual Conference Roundup by Lisa Overholser Departments and Columns 10 Upstate by Varick A. Chittenden 11 Downstate by Steve Zeitlin 21 Play by John Thorn 22 First Person by Julissa C. Vale 24 34 Songs by Dan Milner 35 View from the Waterfront by Nancy Solomon 41 Good Spirits by Libby Tucker 46 Still Going Strong by Paul Margolis 47 Reviews Cover: Bar Tabac’s Bastille Day in South Brooklyn, July 18, 2010. Left to right: Saul Dingfelder, Bernard Decanali, Xavier Thibaud, Jeannot Ruperti, Bruce Janovsky, and Yngve Biltsted (referee). 36 Photo: Valérie Feschet Spring–Summer 2011, Volume 37: 1–2 1 1 From the Editor (continued) the Garden of Eden: The Secret History of the arts community honored Mark and his work Early Game, was published in March; his with a four-hour tribute performance, which other books on baseball include Treasures of raised funds for the Mark J. Wright Scholar- the Baseball Hall of Fame and the Total Baseball ship for Young Artists. Contributions may be Spring–Summer 2011 · Volume 37: 1–2 encyclopedia series. John also served as the mailed to the Central New York Community Acquisitions Editor Eileen Condon Managing Editor Sheryl A. Englund senior creative consultant for Ken Burns’s Foundation at 431 East Fayette Street, Suite Design Mary Beth Malmsheimer 1994 documentary series, Baseball. Congratu- 100; Syracuse, New York 13202. Printer Eastwood Litho lations, John! Voices thrives on the interplay between its Editorial Board Varick Chittenden, Lydia Fish, The New York Folklore Society joins with readers and authors. Please keep your com- José Gomez-Davidson, Hanna Griff-Sleven, the New York State folk arts community ments and contributions coming. Whether Nancy Groce, Lee Haring, Bruce Jackson, Christopher Mulé, Libby Tucker, Kay Turner, in mourning the untimely loss of Mark J. online through our web site (www.nyfolklore. Dan Ward, Steve Zeitlin Wright, artist advocate, theater director, org) or by “snail mail,” our suggestion box Voices: The Journal of New York performer, and program director at the is always open. Folklore Cultural Resources Council of Syracuse and Eileen Condon is published twice a year by the Onondaga County. Mark died at his home Acquisitions Editor New York Folklore Society, Inc. 133 Jay Street on November 12, 2010, at age fifty. On New York Folklore Society P.O. Box 764 January 30, dozens of performers, friends, [email protected] Schenectady, NY 12301 and colleagues from the Central New York New York Folklore Society, Inc. Executive Director Ellen McHale Web Administrator Patti Mason Voice (518) 346-7008 Fax (518) 346-6617 Web Site www.nyfolklore.org Board of Directors President Gabrielle Hamilton Vice President Elena Martínez Past President Paul Mercer Secretary Delcy Ziac Fox Treasurer Jessica Schein Pauline Adema, Jean Crandall, K ar yl Eaglefeathers, Ellen Fladger, Jan Hanvik, Alice Lai, Joseph Sciorra, Libby Tucker, Thomas van Buren Advertisers: To inquire, please call the NYFS (518) 346-7008 or fax (518) 346-6617. Voices is available in Braille and recorded versions. Call the NYFS at (518) 346-7008. The New York Folklore Society is committed to providing services with integrity, in a manner that conveys respect for the dignity of the individuals and communities the NYFS serves, as well as for their cultures, including ethnic, religious, occupational, and regional traditions. The programs and activities of the New York Folk- lore Society, and the publication of Voices: The Journal of Members of Életfa Hungarian Folk Band, based in the New York City–New Jersey metro New York Folklore, are made possible in part by funds area, performed on April 30 in Norfolk, New York. The New York Folklore Society hosted from the New York State Council on the Arts. Hungarian Trilogy, a series of Hungarian dance and music events presented across the Voices: The Journal of New York Folklore is indexed in state this spring and summer. The series highlighted both traditional and popular music Arts & Humanities Citation Index and Music Index and and dance forms brought to New York State by Hungarian immigrants over the past abstracted in Historical Abstracts and America: History century.

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