Robert Garfias was born in San Francisco in 1932, the child of Mexican-American parents. As a youngster he studied classical guitar and jazz saxophone. In high school he studied Western classical music composition, and he formed a jazz combo that played gigs for beatniks in the North Beach area of San Francisco, where he traveled in a circle of musicians that included Dave Brubeck, Vince Delgado, Vince Guaraldi, Harry Partch, and Bill Smith. During his career he founded the ethnomusicology program at the University of Washington; served as Dean of Arts at the University of California, Irvine, as a member of the Smithsonian Council, and as a presidential appointee to the U.S. National Council for the Arts; and conducted significant periods of fieldwork and language study in Japan, Okinawa, Korea, the Philippines, Mexico, Zimbabwe, Central America, Burma, Romania, Turkey, Spain, Portugal, and among Okinawans in the United States.
- Society for Ethnomusicology Newsletter (Vol. 7, No. 4, September 2013)
Recorded with Nagra III.
Contents: This collection includes recordings from 4 countries, as follows:
1) 74-1.1-2/MB1 Turkey - (noted missing 8/31/87; found 4/19/13) Ali Ekber Cicek (field nos. 74/001/ist - 74/002/ist)
2) 74-1.3/MA1 Iran - Quashqai music on violin (field no. 74/003/syz)
3) 74-1.4-6/AW1 South India - band of Nathamuni brothers (field nos. 74/004/ma - 74/006/ma)
4) 74-1.7-54/AP1 Burma - (see logsheets for contents) (field nos. 74/007/rgn - 74/013/rgn, 74/014/mdy - 74/026/mdy, 74/027/rgn, 74/028 - 74/036, 74/037/rgn - 74/039/rgn, 040-041, 74/042/rgn - 74/045/rgn, 74/046 - 74/54)
The following tapes have been digitized (WAV, 48 kHz/24-bit) and copied to CD as of 8/2014:
#1-2 (Turkey) combined (24:33; 8:28; WD total=33:02)
#3 (Iran) (17:52)
#4-6 (South India) - #4 (24:15), #5 (23:48), #6 (22:49)
#7-54 (Burma) - all Burma tapes have been digitized and logsheets created (see links below); additional contents information provided by UW ethnomusicology student Ne Myo Aung (2013-2015)
All archive sheets filed under specific HRAF nos.; copies of collection entry sheet filed under all specific HRAF numbers as well; all documentation filed under AP1 Burma.
The tapes recorded in Turkey (74-1.1-2 OT) were noted missing in 1987; they re-appeared among the Garfias class tapes in April 2013; tapes were digitized and Work Disc produced (tapes combined on one disc).
Documentation: Tape log book (filed under AP1 Burma)
Access is restricted.