IRISH COMICS • KLEZMER • NEW CHILDREN’S COLUMN FREE Volume 3 Number 5 September-October 2003 THE BI-MONTHLY NEWSPAPER ABOUT THE HAPPENINGS IN & AROUND THE GREATER LOS ANGELES FOLK COMMUNITY Tradition“Don’t you know that Folk Music is Disguisedillegal in Los Angeles?” — WARREN C ASEY of the Wicked Tinkers THE FOLK ART OF MASKS BY BROOKE ALBERTS hy do people all over the world end of the mourning period pro- make masks? Poke two eye-holes vided a cut-off for excessive sor- in a piece of paper, hold it up to row and allowed for the resump- your face, and let your voice tion of daily life. growl, “Who wants to know?” The small mask near the cen- The mask is already working its ter at the top of the wall is appar- W transformation, taking you out of ently a rendition of a Javanese yourself, whether assisting you in channeling this Wayang Topeng theater mask. It “other voice,” granting you a new persona to dram- portrays Panji, one of the most atize, or merely disguising you. In any case, the act famous characters in the dance of masking brings the participants and the audience theater of Java. The Panji story is told in a five Alban in Oaxaca. It represents Murcielago, a god (who are indeed the other participants) into an arena part dance cycle that takes Prince Panji through of night and death, also known as the bat god. where all concerned are willing to join in the mys- innocence and adolescence up through old age. Bats are typically associated with shamanism tery. For each life stage there is a different mask. The (since they move easily between - and dwell in Every week for the past five years or so I have green color symbolizes peace. The main themes both - the underworld and above). driven past the floating masks mural on are love, the Bad defeated by the Truth, and the There are occasions for masking marking rites Lankershim just south of Weddington in North necessity of struggle. The dance itself has been of passage, renewal ceremonies, festivals, ritual Hollywood on my way to the Art of the Dance waning in popularity because, despite being drama, and shamanic healing. Some masks are Academy and have never been able to ignore it. tremendously rigorous, it is not very exciting. A part of a carefully preserved formal tradition, Some of the images were familiar to me from my mask maker and instructor at Bandung’s State where the audience needs to recognize each char- studies in the history of art, but others remained Dance Academy calls Panji “a form of medita- acter on sight, and their shapes, colors and facial obscure and intriguing. So, quite apart from the tion…thoughts must be empty…In such a state it expressions are carefully transmitted. Some are pleasing technique of the mural put there by the might appear to the spectator as if the dancer were individualized variations on a theme or conven- Ryman Program for Young Artists, a program for standing perfectly still and yet moments later he tion. When he brings a new mask into being, the teens between 9th and 12th grades (see their web- could be standing right in front of him.” Pacific Northwest Haida artist Robert Davidson site: www.ryman.org), I thought I would apply To it’s right is a grinning mask with squiggle of British Columbia considers himself “a medium myself to the task of hunting down some of the hair. This comical-appearing mask is actually a to transmit those images from the spirit world.” In various examples those Young Artists chose for sinister artifact. It is an Austrian “Mask of MASKS page 24 their buoyant composition. Please enjoy the fol- Shame” constructed to be worn by women as they lowing cluster of cultural factoids: stood trial for witchcraft. Starting from the left edge, it’s Just try not to be silly in IN THIS ISSUE a mask from the Pacific “Groucho Glasses!” Wearing a pair Northwest coast Kwakiutl people of these beauties gives you a way to EDITORIAL .................................................................. 2 THE FIDDLING ZONE INTERVIEW....................... 3 used in a masked dance called channel his comic genius. Or just a A VISIT WITHSUZY THOMPSON Kwekwe. These dances were per- place to hide. I have heard that in the KEYS TO THE HIGHWAY ......................................... 4 formed by four dancers (each of small northern California town of A Bent For The Blues whom had inherited their healing Arcata, if you are in the food co-op THE VOICES IN MY HEAD ....................................... 5 Jawbones and Overtones powers), at times of birth, mar- and are in a hurry (or just don’t feel BANDS FOR HIRE ...................................................... 5 riage, naming and illness. The like socializing), there is a bin of CD REVIEWS ............................................................... 6 Kwekwe was a dance originated Groucho Glasses that you may avail INSTRUMENTAL FOLK MUSIC by the Salish people. Among the yourself of to signal your unap- OF THE BALKANS - PART II .................................... 7 people of the Pacific Northwest, proachability. ON-GOING STORYTELLING EVENTS .................. 8 dances were proprietary and either The smiling bearded character is DAVE’S CORNER ........................................................ 8 inherited or obtained some other from Japanese Noh drama. It comes VIOLA’S RESOURCE LIST ....................................... 9 Kwakiutl Mask WORLD ENCOUNTERS ............................................ 9 way. The Kwakiutl got the from Okina, the oldest Noh play, REED’S RAMBLINGS .............................................. 10 Kwekwe dance by showing up on which has been performed since the CD Reviews by Dennis Roger Reed the Comox’s doorstep prepared for battle and 10th century. Sometimes known as the First Play, A FIDDLER ON THE HOOF: were granted the dance and the appurtenant ritual it is used as an introductory ritual before the cycle “BAL-KULTURNIK” ................................................. 11 THE AMERICAN HAMMERED DULCIMER ...... 12 equipment including masks and rattles. of five Noh plays begins. The actor (generally the THE TSYMBALY........................................................ 12 Next is the funeral mask of Tutankhamun, the senior member of the troupe) dances for peace, ON-GOING MUSIC HAPPENINGS ........................ 13 14th c. BC youthful king of Egypt. It is probably good harvest, and eternal youth. On its left is a bit CALENDAR OF EVENTS ................................... 14-15 a likeness. of painting that I believe was not an original part ON-GOING DANCE HAPPENINGS........................ 16 The two African horned masks are both from of the mural. FEATURED ORGANIZATION................................. 17 the Bobo people of the eastern part of Burkina The teardrop-shaped image to the right repre- Santa Monica Traditional Folk Music Club ...THAT REMINDS ME ............................................. 18 Faso and part of Mali. They are sents a bark-cloth mask of the THE HARMONY WORKSHOP worn with costumes made of Solomon Islands in Melanesia. PRINCE DIABATÉ ..................................................... 19 fibers and covered with shells or At the top of the wall is what OLD STRINGS, NEW IDEAS feathers. Divinity resides in the appears to be a Chinese Opera THE ART OF RICE .................................................... 19 HALFWAY DOWN THE STAIRS ............................. 20 mask, and the masqueraders (all mask. These masks are miniature WITH UNCLE RUTHIE BUELL OF KPFK men who had been through initi- replicas of the facial make-up for TIED TO THE TRACKS ........................................... 20 ation rites) cease to be them- the actors in Chinese opera. The CD Review by Larry Wines THE ART OF THE INSTRUMENT.......................... 23 selves in order to become one symbolism of the colors (in this ROBERT HILTON - INSTRUMENT MAKER with the mask. This opens the case, red for loyalty, black for HELP WANTED ...........................................................24 doorway of communication integrity and white for craftiness) HOW CAN I KEEP FROM TALKING......................25 between everyday life and the cues the audience as to the per- Birmingham Sunday spiritual realm. The Bobo farm- sonality of each character. ZOOKMAN ................................................................. 26 COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD ....................... 26 ers use masquerades for agricul- At its right is the pre-contact FOLKWORKS PICKS.................................................27 tural festivities, initiations, and Mexican jade and shell pectoral SPECIAL EVENTS ......................................................28 funerals. The masquerade at the Two horned African Mask from the Zapotec site of Monte Page 2 FolkWorks September-October 2003 EDITORIAL elcome to another insights into the worlds of blue- PUBLISHERS & EDITORS issue of folkWorks! grass and singer/songwriter com- Leda & Steve Shapiro W LAYOUT & PRODUCTION We are discovering munities. He is used to a weekly that, after 2 _ years of publish- deadline, so our (relatively) Alan Stone Creative Services ing, some people are just find- infrequent publication schedule FEATURE WRITERS Ross Altman ing out about us. This is not has slowed him down a bit. This How Can I Keep From Talking really a surprise since the popu- is also the inaugural issue for Uncle Ruthie Buell lation in the greater Los Uncle Ruthie Buell, whose chil- Halfway Down the Stairs Angeles area is roughly 13 mil- dren’s radio show on KPFK Joanna Cazden lion people and we print 11,000 (90.7FM) has always been enjoy-