2010 Smithsonian Folklife Festival - It was damn hot!

Stream of consciousness post! Just back from a one day visit to the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C. Here are my highlights and lowlights in no particular order.

Highlights: It's on the mall in D.C. - the nation's capital. This is the kind of stuff I want representing this country! I loved the song "You are Like an Orange" by -I'm not sure, I missed the group's name and I apologize for this - but the video is above. What's it about? It's about being tough on the outside, but oh so sweet on the inside. It was also great to appreciate the skills with which Benito Hernandez made vihuelas and guitarrones -small and large Mariachi guitars. Also I have much love for the crowds! When did all of these people get interested in the good stuff? Wasn't there a Britney Spears concert somewhere? Seriously, it was great to see so many interested people storm the mall for Smithsonian Folklife Festival!

Lowlights: Especially since it was hot, damn hot! Had to be close to 100 degrees. Also, looks like the recession hit. The event was significantly downsized this year. And instead of focusing on a particular country besides Mexico they went with "Asian Fusions". Say what? Sounds like the type of food at a restaurant that has lost its direction. But, what it was was performances from Hawaiian Ukulele to Persian dance (video below) to even Laotian break dancing. Technically, I guess it was supposed to be focused on Asian Pacific Americans. Great performances they were- but I preferred the previous format that focused on specific countries and threw a random U.S. state (like Wisconsin!) into the mix. It was also disappointing to see the cutbacks because we know how hard it is to get funding ramped up again after having it cut.

All in all, I heart you Smithsonian Folklife Festival and all the awesome people that make it happen with your hard, hard work.

-John