Theo Torres: Peruvian Musician Theo Torres was born in 1952 in Lima, the capital of Peru. His family originally lived in Cajamarca in northern Peru, but they moved to Lima in search of greater economic opportunities. One of nine children, Theo attended school and college. By the age of 15, he was also playing a […]
Flo Sharkey: Clammer Flo Sharkey is a 2nd-generation baywoman who was an active member of the Brookhaven Baymen’s Association and past president. As a young girl Flo learned how to clam, scallop, crab and eel from her father. She works part-time on the bay from her waterfront dock and home in Patchogue. Flo and other […]
Peter Sokolow & Kapelye: Klezmer educators By Henry Sapoznik January 3, 2001 Once asked if he thought of himself as the “Youngest of the Old Guys” or the “Oldest of the Young Guys”? Pete Sokolow, klezmer musician, stride pianist, author, teacher and recording artist hesitated not a second and claimed his allegiance to the Old […]
John Remsen, Sr.: Boat builder John Remsen of Freeport was one of the few men on Long Island who built garveys, a traditional flat bottom boat used by baymen and recreational fishermen in the shallow south shore waters of Nassau and Suffolk County. During his lifetime he built over 100 garveys. Like the generations before […]
Jean Ritchie: Appalachian Folksinger When many hear the word “folksinger,” they generally think of revivalists like Pete Seeger, Tom Paxton and other professional performers who have collected and written songs based on the experiences of working class citizens. Here on Long Island we were fortunate to have Jean Ritchie who learned to sing ballads from […]
Ranchos Folclóricos Sonhos e Juventude de Portugal: Portuguese Dance Group The Portuguese Club of Mineola was founded in the late 1920s. Today the club is not only a place for the community to gather but is also where the younger generation learns about Portuguese culture. Nearly fifty children, ages four to thirteen, participate in Sonhos and twenty-four […]
The Ink Spots The Ink Spots are an African American quartet that became famous for hit songs like “If I Didn’t Care,” “The Java Jive,” and “I Don’t Want To Set the World on Fire.” The original group was formed in 1932 and sang four-part harmony arrangements of various popular songs. Like other a capella […]
Jeff Blossom: Bay House Model Maker Jeff Blossom was a resident of Freeport, where he lived from the late 1920s. Since he was a teenager, Jeff spent most of his time on the south shore’s bays and beaches, enjoying the company of his friends as they went duck hunting, clamming and fishing. He always spent […]
The Gospel Elders: African American Gospel Quartet The Gospel Elders were a traditional gospel quartet consisting of six African American gentlemen who emigrated from the south during the 1940s and 1950s, and lived on Long Island and Queens. They sang hymns and spirituals in a variety of musical formats including blues and a capella. They […]
Trinidadian steelbands have been in existence since the 1940s, when Trinidadians turned metal containers left by U.S. military forces stationed in Trinidad and Tobago into musical instruments. The groups were originally formed by young men and teenagers from economically depressed neighborhoods in Trinidad’s capital Port-Of-Spain and subsequently spreading to outlying towns such as Arouca, a […]