African American Legacy Series

A collaboration with the National Museum of African American History and Culture

In 2007, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings and the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture began a multi-year collaboration to explore the rich African American musical and oral heritage in the USA. The African American Legacy Recordings series include reissues and compilations drawn from the Folkways catalog, plus previously unreleased archival material and new recordings of contemporary artists. Genres include blues, jazz, gospel, folk traditions, spoken word, hip hop, and more. The goal is to reach new audiences with historic recordings and capture contemporary traditions for future generations.