City Lore Picks • Alan Lomax • Fidllers on the Roof
• Activist New York • Rasin Ginen • Cook Off

Dear Citylorists,

Please enjoy our Tours and Tales July 2012 e-letter!

Photo by Martha Cooper

• Alan Lomax: The Man Who Recorded the World with John Szwed in conversation with Steve Zeitlin • City Lore’s Director, Steve Zeitlin interviews John Szwed about his new biography of Alan Lomax at the Tenement Museum on Tuesday, July 10th at 6:30pm. John Szwed’s book leads us rethink Lomax’s sometimes controversial legacy. Includes clips of Lomax’s Land Where the Blues Began.

When: Tuesday, July 10th, Talk begins at 6:30pm
Where: The Museum Shop of The Lower East Side Tenement Museum, 103 Orchard St. New York, NY 10002
Admission: FREE!
For more information: Please visit museum’s website or call 212-431-0233 ext 212.

• Fiddlers on the Roof • If you’re itching for a klezmer fest, as we at City Lore sometimes are, then you wouldn't want to miss an amazing night of rooftop fiddling presented by the JCC in Manhattan and the Center for Traditional Music and Dance. The night begins with a master class for those violinists and fiddlers who want to learn the klezmer style, a Jewish musical tradition with its roots in Eastern Europe, then ends with a performance led by klezmer violinist Alicia Svigals and her protégés from the master class.

When: Thursday, July 12th, 7pm for the master class and 8pm for the show
Where: JCC in Manhattan, 334 Amsterdam Ave at 76th St. New York, NY 10023
For more information, registration, and ticketing: Please visit the JCC’s website or call 646-505-5708.

• Activist New York: Family Program • Our friends at the City Museum of New York, have created a wonderful and exciting exhibition called, Activist New York, which deals with the many avenues and areas of activism throughout New York City’s history. As part of this exhibition, they are hosting a program which brings families together to discuss the changes they would like to see within the city and what to do about them. The night will conclude with designing and creating your own activist button.

When: Saturday, July 28th, 1:00pm – 3:00pm
Where: Museum of the City of New York, 1220 Fifth Ave. New York, NY 10029
Admission: FREE. Reservations required
For more information: Please visit museum’s website or call 917-492-3395.

• Rasin Ginen: The African Roots • El Museo del Barrio, in conjunction with their "Caribbean: Crossroads of the World" exhibition (June 12-January 6th) presents a showcase of New York’s finest Haitian traditional dance groups, coming together to water the ancestral roots of Haitian traditional dance, with a special tribute to Haitian dance educator and elder, Jean Leon Destiné.

When: Saturday, July 14th, 7:00pm – 9:00pm
Where: El Museo del Barrio, 1230 Fifth Ave at 104th St. New York, NY 10029
Admission: Suggested donation of $9
For more information: Please visit museum’s website or call 212-431-0233 ext 212.

Cook Out NYC 2011

• Cook Out NYC • It’s called "NYC’s most original country fair!" Chefs and bbq’ers will grill outdoors. Burger cook off and Mama O’s Super Spicy Kimchi-Eating Contest as well as other attractions. Custom beers by local craft breweries to celebrate "NYC July Good Beer Month" as well.

When: Saturday, July 7th and Sunday, July 8th, 11:30am – 4:30pm
Where: Governor’s Island
Admission:Kids 12 and under are free with parents. Tickets are available at Cook Out NYC website.
For more information: Please visit Cook Out NYC website.

POEMobile at the Eldridge Street Synagogue, photo by Abby Ronner

• Revisit our recent events, all huge successes! •

Yiddish Poets: Mayn heym New York - My Home New York
On June 27th, the vaunted POEMobile projected poems in English and Yiddish on the beautiful façade of the Eldridge Street Synagogue, as some of the City’s Yiddish poets and singers performed. The event erupted into a spontaneous parade of dancers on Eldridge street – as garbage trucks honked and the subway rattled over the bridge to Brooklyn. As one audience member put it, "the ancestors are kvelling!" We had a blast! Visit City Lore’s Facebook page to view these photos!

The POEMobile Lit Up Staten Island at LUMEN 2012
Last Saturday, June 23rd, the POEMobile highlighted poetry and music from Staten Island’s own Sri Lanken, Liberian, and Mexican communities with indigenous languages in full force! Cosponsored by COAHSI, it was part of the LUMEN festival at Atlantic Salt Works, where piles of salt are stored for winter snow melt duty at a beautiful spot along the Hudson. Visit City Lore’s Facebook page to view these photos!

Artwork by Miguel Trelles

"I’d Still Be Puerto Rican Even if Born on the Moon" – Puerto Rican Migration Through the Arts Exhibit Opening Night
The opening night on June 21st of our Puerto Rican exhibit went beautifully. There was music, dancing, and, of course, Puerto Rican culture on display. Blending both contemporary and traditional art, and cultural objects, the exhibit will be open through July 25th at the Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural & Educational Center from 3:30 – 7:00pm daily. See our event listing for more information.

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Enjoy the City! and if you engage in social media, please like us on Facebook, subscribe to our YouTube Channel and follow us on Twitter!

Steve and Abby

City Lore is part of a cultural coalition called CATCH, to promote the City’s cultural heritage. Check out the web sites of our wonderful partners, the Center for Traditional Music and Dance, the Latino Children’s Theater, SEA, and the World Music Institute.