New Jersey
odd: label: Introduction
content: Folklore is commonly identified by many people with rural settings, and New Jersey is basically urban, suburban, and industrial. There are indeed some rural areas in New Jersey - the truck farms of "the Garden State" and the Pine Barrens of South Jersey - but the former are fast disappearing and the latter survive only because they are preserved by the state. Most New Jerseyans live and work in the densely populated corridor that cuts across the mid-section of the state. But folklorists today recognize that there is also a folklore of the factory, a folklore of the city, and a folklore of ethnicity, and New Jersey provides a rich source for their study.

The streets of New Jersey's cities abound with traditional life as practiced for generations. One need only to walk through Hoboken or Bayonne to see children playing stick ball, hop scotch, and Double Dutch jump rope. New Jersey is populated by a large number of ethnic groups, many of which have clustered in city neighborhoods. There is a Cuban community in Union City, a Portuguese community in Newark, a Hungarian community in New Brunswick, and a Japanese community in rural Seabrook Farms. For many ethnic groups folk traditions are their symbols of identity. Their ethnicity is expressed in foodways, language, music, dance, and festivals (often in ethnic costume). Music such as Ukrainian trio music, once performed informally at weddings, is now formally presented on a stage at a public festival with dancers in folk costume. Craft traditions that used to be a vital part of rural economy in the mother country are now miniaturized and made into a hobby.

The 1983 Festival program brought a panoply of presentations from New Jersey to the National Mall, ranging from ethnic celebrations of African Americans, Japanese Americans, Italian Americans and others to craft demonstrations featuring skills and techniques of silk weaving, herbalism and glassblowing, and on to the diverse occupations associated with maritime trades and the sacred songs of menhaden fishermen.

The New Jersey Program was made possible through many generous corporate and private donations to Festival New Jersey '83!, a nonprofit corporation established and chaired by Governor Thomas H. Kean to fund New Jersey's participation in the 17th Annual Festival of American Folklife.

Sue Manos-Nahwooksy served as New Jersey Program Coordinator.
label: Participants
content: Agriculture

Joan Sorbello Adams, farm life, Mullica Hill

Anthony Catalano, produce sales, Salem

Toni Catalano, produce sales, Salem

Mary Sorbello, produce sales, Mullica Hill

Susan Sorbello, produce sales, Mullica Hill

Celebrations

Alabama Day

Thelma Britt, Afro-American cooking, Newark

Glennie Davis Franklin, 1933-2003, shape note singing, Hillside

Mabel Jackson, shape note singing, East Orange

Mary Alice Phillips, shape note singing, Elizabeth

Mabel Upshaw, shape note singing, East Orange

Bon Festival

Iddy Asada, cooking, Bridgeton

Sandy Ikeda, drums-New York, New York

Fusaye Kazaoka, 1930-2006, embroidery, Bridgeton

Shigeko Kazaoka, 1902-1992, crafts, Bridgeton

Ellen Nakamura, 1919-2000, obon dancing, kimono making, Elmer

Kiyomi Nakamura, 1916-1986, technical director, obon dancing, Elmer

Kazuyo Nakao, dancing, Seabrook

Sunke Oye, dancing, Vineland

Wendy Takahisa, drums, New York, New York

Suzi Takata, 1924-2004, crafts, Bridgeton

Harumi Taniguchi, 1902-2001, cooking, Seabrook

Hisano Tazumi, 1898-1999, kimono dressing, Bridgeton

Jenny Wada, drums, New York, New York

Audee Kochiyama Williams, drums, New York, New York

Peter Wong, drums, New York, New York

Theodora Yoshikami, drums, Brooklyn, New York

The Feast of Our Lady of Casadrino

The Joseph Colletti Marching Band  -- The Joseph Colletti Marching BandJohn Bonfante, trumpet, TrentonLouis Cordas, 1909-1997, clarinet, TrentonJoseph D'Ambrosio, drums, TrentonCarmine DeLorento, trumpet, TrentonPaul Farinella, drums, TrentonBill Felter, drums, BordentownRonald E. Hansen, 1936-, trombone, Morrisville, PennsylvaniaRoy Hasty, tuba, TrentonRuss Jenkins, trumpet, TrentonFranz Mayer, drums, TrentonFrank Miller, saxophone, Hamilton SquareJames Penkala, baritone, TrentonJames Peraino, saxophone, CranburyJohn Peraino, band leader, TrentonSarah Peraino, assistant, TrentonNate Pratico, tuba, TrentonAI Procassini, trombone, West Chester, PennsylvaniaNick Sciarrotta, trumpet, TrentonAldo Stagi, baritone, Yardley, PennsylvaniaAndrew Wierzbowski, clarinet, Trenton

Oktoberfest

Bernie Bunger, Sr., 1950-, dance, Scotch Plains

Bernie Bunger, band leader, Piscataway

Betty Bunger, cooking, Piscataway

Elfreide Bunger, dance, Scotch Plains

Bill Mueller, drums, vocals, Union

Karl Pfeifer, singing, Franklin Lake

Dana Sylvander, brass, Englewood

John Van Decker, brass, Avenel

Queimada Ritual

Arturo Lopez-Dominguez, 1948-, coordinator, Newark

"Andurina" Bagpipers  -- "Andurina" BagpipersAlvaro Castro, BayonneCarlos Corbacho, 1947-, director, NewarkJorge Fernandez, Jr., NewarkFrancisco Lara, drums, NewarkAmador Lopez, IrvingtonJosé Noguerol, NewarkJosé Noguerol, Jr., Newark

Ballet Folklore "Alborada"  -- Ballet Folklore "Alborada"Linda Acebo, NewarkHerminio Alvarez, NewarkJulio Barreiro, IrvingtonManolo Lago, director, IrvingtonJulia Lara, NewarkEmilio Lopez, HarrisonDorothy Ventoso, KearnyIsabel Ventoso, LyndhurstNancy Villanueva, North Arlington

Hispania: Coral Polifonica  -- Hispania: Coral PolifonicaManuel Alonso, KearnyJuan Alvarez, Roselle ParkDonato Barreiro, NewarkAgustina Caamano, NewarkMarcelino Caamaflo, NewarkAlezandro Cobelo, NewarkEugenio Fernandez, NewarkMaria Fernandez, NewarkClementina Garcia, NewarkManuel R. Garcia, 1942-, choral director, CalifonSantiago Garcia, NewarkMaria Rodriguez Gil, Brooklyn, New YorkAna Maria Gomez, NewarkMaria Dolores Gonzalez, NewarkRamona Gonzalez, NewarkFrancisca Lopez, HarrisonManuela Lopez, HarrisonManuel Malvarez, NewarkMaria del Carmen Maza, KearnyImmaculada Mendez, NewarkMaria Mendez, NewarkEmilio Nepomuceno, NewarkFrancisco Platas, LindenHerminia Rodriguez, KearnyJosefa Salgado, Newark

Maritime Area

Robert Ames, menhaden chanties, Port Norris

Bernie Borrelli, 1957-, boat building, Lavallette

Owen Carney, 1921-, salt hay rope making, Port Norris

Donald Cisrow, 1957-, oyster shucking, gospel singing, Port Norris

Evelyn Cisrow, 1929-2006, oyster shucking, gospel singing, Port Norris

Sarah Cisrow, 1961-, oyster shucking, gospel singing, Port Norris

Joseph Gibbs, 1924-1997, oyster shucking, gospel singing, Port Norris

Gary Giberson, decoy carving, Port Republic

Robert Lee Hamon, menhaden chanties, Port Norris

Charles E. Hankins, 1925-2003, boat building, Lavallette

Anthony Hillman, boat building, decoy carving, Seaville

Sam Hunt, 1911-2004, boat building, Waretown

Oliver Johnson, menhaden chanties, Port Norris

William Richardson, 1916-1987, lobster trap making, Keyport

Mrs. William Richardson, lobster trap making, Keyport

Harry Shourds, decoy carving, Seaville

Henry Weldon, 1915-1990, rush seat weaving, Milville

Beryl Whittington, 1919-2003, oyster shucking, gospel singing, Port Norris

Music

Herb Abramson, Walter Rhodes' manager, New York, New York

Saul Betesh, Sephardic oud, Deal

Walter Rhodes, blues singing, guitar, Paterson

Tex Logan Band  -- Tex Logan BandJimmy Arnold, fiddle, banjo, guitar, Fredericksburg, VirginiaChad Bruce, drums, harmonica, vocals, Fairfax, VirginiaJohn Carlini, guitar bass, SummitKen Gallahan, rhythm guitar, Alexandria, VirginiaJoey Greene, mandolin banjo, Fredericksburg, VirginiaWade Hill, banjo mandolin, Fredericksburg, VirginiaBenjamin Franklin "Tex" Logan, fiddle, MadisonPeter Rowan, rhythm guitar, vocals, Madison

"Doc" McKenzie and the Gospel Hi-Lites  -- "Doc" McKenzie and the Gospel Hi-LitesMarvin Bradshaw, bass, PatersonDarryl Henley, guitar, PatersonGreg Herbert, organ, PatersonAbraham McKenzie, vocals, PatersonDavid McKenzie, vocals, PatersonMilbert "Doc" McKenzie, 1949-, vocals, PatersonHenry Redmond, drums, PatersonWilliam Wribbee, vocals, Paterson

Pure Water  -- Pure WaterCharles Banks, Jr., vocals, NewarkJoe Briscoe, vocals, NewarkTerrance Forward, vocals, NewarkWayne Johnson, vocals, IrvingtonJohnny Shipley, group leader, Newark

Silk

Joseph Grauso, 1916-1997, weaving, Elmwood Park

Roy Harris, 1920-1990, weaving, Bensalem, Pennsylvania

Prince Hatley, 1916-1991, weaving, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Traditional Medicine & Pharmacology

Fred Anderson, glassblower, Sun City, Arizona

Evidio Espinosa, herbalist, West New York

Louis Molinari, 1931-2004, glassblower, Stirling

Efrain Osorio, herbalist, Newark

Alvin Segelman, pharmacognosist, Piscataway
name: label: Collection Creator
content: Smithsonian Institution. Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
setName: label: See more items in
content: Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1983 Festival of American Folklife
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections
identifier: label: Identifier
content: CFCH.SFF.1983, Series 6
objectType: label: Type
content: Archival materials