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Arhoolie Foundation Receives Grant Award from California Humanities

We are happy to share that we have received a Humanities For All Project Grant award for Rumbo A California—An Exhibition of the Strachwitz Frontera Collection.

“Rumbo a California” is a multimedia traveling exhibition that will explore the Mexican American experience in California as documented on commercial recordings going back to the early 1920s. Featured media will include 78 and 45 rpm discs, LP covers, photographs, posters, cinema lobby cards, guided audio, and bilingual transcriptions of topical corridos (narrative ballads) covering aspects of Mexican and Mexican American life throughout the state: immigration, deportation, Pachuco culture, the United Farm Workers Movement, natural disasters, important historical figures, crime, politics, cultural identity, love, death, etc. The basis for this exhibit is the Arhoolie Foundation’s Strachwitz Frontera Collection of Mexican and Mexican American Recordings, which we have been digitally preserving for many years in partnership with the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center, and the UCLA Library. At over 150,000 individual recordings on 78, 45 and 33-rpm discs, as well as rare cassettes and open-reel master tapes, the Frontera Collection is the world’s largest collection of commercially recorded regional Mexican music.

“Rumbo a California” will travel to venues around the state beginning in January 2021.

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Comments (2)

Hi! I am the daughter of Miguel Archibeque. My older brother came across his music online and noticed that it is with Frontera. We would like to know how his music ended up in California. Can someone please reach out to me. He recorded the one album that I saw in the Hurricane Studios back in 71, the year I was born. It is 50 years old. I hope to hear from someone soon. We’re happy to know that his legacy lives on, even though he is no longer with us. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Thank you, Ramona

Saludos Ramona!

Thank you for writing. This particular record that you mention came from the archives of Carmen Beall. She was a pioneering woman DJ from Denver, Colorado. We have 18 songs in our collection including the LP.

Thank you again,

Juan Antonio Cuellar

Dear friends,

On Giving Tuesday, we announced the capital campaign to purchase our building at 10341 San Pablo Ave in El Cerrito — home to the Arhoolie Foundation (and before that Arhoolie Records), Les Blank Films, and Down Home Music Store since 1976. We’ve been heartened by the community’s response to our fundraising announcement. To all who have donated so far: thank you. We couldn’t do this without you.

Now, while there is a contract in place to buy the building in partnership with Les Blank Films, we need to raise $1.2 million — our half of the purchase price — by April 15. Donations to the campaign can be made via the link below, by check, or by bank transfer. (To make a bank transfer, please email us at info@arhoolie.org).

In the new year, we look forward to collaborating with Les Blank Films and Down Home Music to bring more public programming to our community. We plan to revive Les Blank and Chris Strachwitz’s tradition of in-store film screenings and will host more informal, free performances and gatherings in the store as part of our outreach work. We believe this collaboration will result in a vibrant community gathering place dedicated to music, film, and deep roots culture.

If you’re interested in donating and would like to discuss our plans for the building, please don’t hesitate to email director Adam Machado at adam@arhoolie.org.

Thank you for your support as we begin this exciting new chapter!

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