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Living Traditions in Utah: Voices and Oral Histories, 2025-2026

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Utah State University. Libraries. Special Collections and Archives.
Title
Living Traditions in Utah: Voices and Oral Histories
Dates
2025-2026 (inclusive)
Quantity
22 gigabytes
.25 linear feet, (1 box)
Collection Number
UUS_FOLK COLL 82
Summary
Living Traditions in Utah: Voices and Oral Histories documents an annual oral history and fieldwork project initiated in May 2025 in connection with the Living Traditions Festival in Salt Lake City. Coordinated by the Fife Folklore Archives at Utah State University, the project records the voices of artists, performers, foodways practitioners, craft artists, organizers, and community members whose work represents the diverse cultural heritage of Utah and the broader Intermountain West. Through interviews, photographs, fieldnotes, and supporting materials, the collection highlights community-centered traditions, intergenerational transmission, migration, cultural memory, public performance, and the evolving role of festivals in sustaining cultural identity and belonging.
Repository
Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections and Archives Division
Special Collections and Archives
Merrill-Cazier Library
Utah State University
Logan, UT
84322-3000
Telephone: 4357978248
Fax: 4357972880
scweb@usu.edu
Access Restrictions

No restrictions on access, except: not available through interlibrary loan. For more information on access, contact the Fife Folklore Curator and/or the Special Collections Section Head.

Languages
English
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Historical Note

The Living Traditions Festival is an annual public folklife festival organized by the Salt Lake City Arts Council. First held in the mid-1980s, the festival brings together cultural communities from across Utah through traditional music, dance, craft, foodways, storytelling, and other forms of expressive culture. The festival has long served as a venue for artists and community organizations to share cultural practices with broader publics while also strengthening connections within their own communities.

In 2026, Salt Lake City celebrated the festival's fortieth anniversary. That year's festival included local cultural organizations and artists as well as collaborations with the Utah Division of Arts and Museums and the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. Programming emphasized cultural understanding, belonging, and the ways traditional arts connect communities to history, place, and one another.

Living Traditions in Utah: Voices and Oral Histories began in May 2025 as a Fife Folklore Archives fieldwork and oral history initiative connected to the festival. While the project emerged from the Salt Lake City festival, its scope is broader than the annual event itself. The project documents the experiences, histories, and cultural work of participating artists, performers, tradition bearers, organizers, and community members, with attention to the larger networks of family, migration, faith, language, labor, memory, and community life that sustain these traditions beyond the festival setting.

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Content Description

This collection contains oral history interviews, photographs, fieldnotes, release forms, transcripts, metadata, and related documentation created as part of the Living Traditions in Utah: Voices and Oral Histories project. Interviews document the personal experiences and cultural practices of artists, performers, craft demonstrators, foodways practitioners, festival organizers, and community representatives associated with the Living Traditions Festival and related cultural events in Utah.

Topics include music, dance, foodways, craft traditions, cultural education, intergenerational transmission, immigration and diaspora, Native and Indigenous cultural expression, community organizing, religious and family traditions, public folklore, festival production, and the role of traditional arts in maintaining identity and belonging. The collection also documents how cultural practitioners navigate performance, representation, teaching, adaptation, and continuity within Utah's changing social and cultural landscape.

The project is ongoing and is intended to grow through annual fieldwork connected to Living Traditions and related cultural heritage programming.

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Use of the Collection

Preferred Citation

Folk Collection 82: Living Traditions in Utah: Voices and Oral Histories, Fife Folklore Archives, Utah State University Libraries, Special Collections and Archives.

Restrictions on Use

It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances.

Permission to publish material from the Living Traditions in Utah must be obtained from the Fife Folklore Curator and/or the Special Collections Section Head.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

The collection is arranged by project year and, within each year, by interview or fieldwork encounter. Materials may include audio and/or video recordings, transcripts, photographs, release forms, fieldnotes, and related documentation. Born-digital materials are maintained according to Utah State University Libraries digital preservation practices.

Acquisition Information

Materials were created and collected by the Fife Folklore Archives at Utah State University as part of the Living Traditions in Utah: Voices and Oral Histories project beginning in May 2025.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

  • 2025 Fieldwork Cycle

    • Emily Kovacic Interviews

      • Haviar and Vida Hafoka Materials
        • Description: Interview with Haviar and Vida Hafoka (Malialole Polynesian Cultural Arts)

          This interview documents a conversation between folklorist Emily Kovacic and members of Malialole, a Polynesian cultural performance group in Utah. Marina Vida-Hafokas and Haviar Tuitama-Hafokas discuss how they adapt their traditional Samoan dances and music for contemporary audiences, blending cultural authenticity with modern elements to help younger generations connect with their heritage. They explain the challenges of preserving Polynesian traditions while living away from the islands, and emphasize their mission to keep their living traditions alive while sharing their peaceful message and cultural gifts with Utah's diverse community.

          Merine "Vida" Tu'itama'alelagi Hafoka and her son Haviar "Havi" Tuitama Hafoka are leaders in Utah's Pacific Islander arts and cultural community and operators of Malialole Polynesian Cultural Arts, a family-centered music and dance group and cultural arts school. Malialole celebrates and preserves Polynesian art, history, protocol, music, and dance, with particular attention to Samoan and Tongan traditions. Now spanning three generations, the group works with youth and families to strengthen cultural identity, foster community belonging, and share Pacific Islander heritage with broader Utah audiences.

          Vida Hafoka is an educator, community leader, and matriarch whose work emphasizes cultural continuity, respect for elders, family responsibility, and service. Raised with Samoan language and customs in the home, Vida has passed on Samoan and Tongan songs, dances, and ceremonial protocols to her children and extended family. Her community involvement has included work with schools and organizations such as the Utah Food Bank and Shriners Hospital, and she has been recognized by Utah Business Living Color for her leadership and service.

          Haviar "Havi" Hafoka, Vida's son, carries forward this work as a dancer, teacher, and cultural advocate. Born in Kansas City to a Samoan mother and Tongan father, Havi embraces both sides of his family's heritage and emphasizes the importance of young people knowing their family histories and cultural traditions. Through Malialole and his work teaching dance in Utah, he helps youth connect to Polynesian identity, community, and intergenerational knowledge. Together, Vida and Havi's work with Malialole reflects the role of music and dance as forms of cultural education, family memory, and community care among Pacific Islanders in Utah.

          Merine Vida Tuitamalelagi DOB: June 15, 1960.

          Kayzar Haviar Tuitama Hafoka DOB: June 29, 1987.

          Dates: 2025-05-17
          Location: 2025 Fieldwork Cycle / Emily Kovacic Interviews / Haviar and Vida Hafoka Materials
        • Description: Interview Transcript by Nikki Christensen
          Dates: 2025-09-25
          Location: 2025 Fieldwork Cycle / Emily Kovacic Interviews / Haviar and Vida Hafoka Materials
        • Description: Photograph of Vida, Havier, and three performers at a private post-festival event
          Dates: 2025-05-17
          Location: 2025 Fieldwork Cycle / Emily Kovacic Interviews / Haviar and Vida Hafoka Materials

    • Ashton Earl Interviews

      • Elena and Josefina Sanchez Materials
        • Description: Interview with Elena and Josefina Gomez Sanchez

          María Elena Gómez Sánchez and María Josefina Gómez Sánchez are Maya women from the community of Nabil in the municipality of Oxchuc, Chiapas, Mexico. They speak Tzeltal as their first language and later learned Spanish. Their textile work draws on ancestral Maya weaving practices, including the use of the backstrap loom, cotton, and natural dyes derived from materials such as oak bark, red onion peel, turmeric, soot, and other plant or mineral sources.

          Through their weaving, teaching, and public demonstrations, María Elena and María Josefina work to preserve and share Maya textile traditions with younger generations and broader audiences. They emphasize that Maya culture is a living culture, carried forward through family instruction, community practice, and the willingness to share knowledge across cultural boundaries. Their work includes encouraging children, including boys as well as girls, to learn weaving so that the tradition continues within their community. In Utah, they have participated in public cultural programs and festivals that present Maya art, language, history, and identity as part of ongoing Indigenous cultural life.

          This interview with María Elena Gómez Sánchez and María Josefina Gómez Sánchez documents María Elena and María Josefina's reflections on Maya textile traditions, cultural preservation, intergenerational teaching, and the significance of sharing their work with audiences in Utah.

          Topics discussed include their origins in Nabil, Oxchuc, Chiapas; Tzeltal language and Maya identity; the history and continued use of the backstrap loom; cotton weaving; natural dyeing practices using oak bark, red onion peel, turmeric, soot, and other materials; the relationship between ancestral knowledge and contemporary innovation; and the importance of teaching children and younger generations to weave. The interview also addresses their experience at the Living Traditions Festival, where they describe the value of cultural exchange, mutual respect, and learning from the artistic practices of other communities. Throughout the interview, María Elena and María Josefina frame weaving as both art and cultural responsibility, emphasizing that Maya traditions remain alive through practice, teaching, and sharing.

          Esta entrevista con María Elena Love y María Josefina Gómez Sánchez fue realizada por Ashton Earl el 18 de mayo de 2025 durante el Living Traditions Festival en Salt Lake City, Utah, como parte de Living Traditions in Utah: Voices and Oral Histories. La entrevista documenta las reflexiones de María Elena y María Josefina sobre las tradiciones textiles mayas, la preservación cultural, la enseñanza intergeneracional y la importancia de compartir su trabajo con el público en Utah.

          Los temas tratados incluyen sus orígenes en la comunidad de Nabil, municipio de Oxchuc, Chiapas, México; el idioma Tzeltal y la identidad maya; la historia y el uso continuo del telar de cintura; el tejido con algodón; las prácticas de teñido natural con materiales como corteza de roble, cáscara de cebolla morada, cúrcuma, hollín y otros recursos naturales; la relación entre el conocimiento ancestral y la innovación contemporánea; y la importancia de enseñar a niñas, niños y jóvenes a tejer para que la tradición continúe. La entrevista también aborda su experiencia en el Living Traditions Festival, donde describen el valor del intercambio cultural, el respeto mutuo y el aprendizaje entre comunidades. A lo largo de la entrevista, María Elena y María Josefina presentan el tejido como arte, herencia cultural y responsabilidad comunitaria, enfatizando que la cultura maya sigue viva por medio de la práctica, la enseñanza y el compartir.

          Dates: 2025-05-18
          Location: 2025 Fieldwork Cycle / Ashton Earl Interviews / Elena and Josefina Sanchez Materials
        • Description: Interview Transcript (Spanish) by Ashton Earl
          Spanish; Castilian.
          Dates: 2025-07-23
          Location: 2025 Fieldwork Cycle / Ashton Earl Interviews / Elena and Josefina Sanchez Materials
        • Description: Interview Translation (English) by Ashton Earl
          Dates: 2025-07-23
          Location: 2025 Fieldwork Cycle / Ashton Earl Interviews / Elena and Josefina Sanchez Materials
      • Claudia Soria Materials
        • Description: Interview with Claudia Soria

          Claudia Soria, also known as "La Chilena," was born in Arica, Chile, and came to the United States when she was eleven years old. She has lived in Utah for more than thirty years and resides in Richmond, Utah. Soria identifies strongly with her Chilean heritage, especially through language, accent, foodways, music, and community participation. She describes her Chilean Spanish as a defining part of her identity and notes that her accent and speech immediately mark her as Chilean within Spanish-speaking communities in Utah.

          Soria's cultural practice includes singing traditional Chilean songs, preparing Chilean foods, drinking mate, and sharing Chilean customs with her children and broader community. At the CRIC World Refugee Day event in Logan, Utah, she performed "Si vas para Chile," a song she learned as a child and associates with memory, family, nostalgia, and longing for Chile. She is also developing a Chilean empanada business, La Chilena's Nadas, named after a family expression for empanadas. Through these practices, Soria works to maintain Chilean cultural identity while participating in immigrant and multicultural community life in Cache Valley.

          This interview with Claudia Soria was conducted at the CRIC World Refugee Day event at Willow Park in Logan, Utah, as part of Living Traditions in Utah: Voices and Oral Histories. The interview documents Soria's reflections on Chilean identity, immigration, language, music, foodways, community belonging, and the experience of maintaining cultural traditions while living in Utah.

          Topics discussed include Soria's childhood in Arica, Chile; her migration to the United States at age eleven; her long-term residence in Utah; her participation in the CRIC World Refugee Day event; and her impromptu performance of "Si vas para Chile." Soria discusses the song's personal meaning, including memories of singing with her grandfather and the nostalgia it evokes for Chile. The interview also addresses Chilean Spanish, accent, slang, and the ways language shapes cultural identity across generations.

          Additional topics include the challenges of adapting to life in the United States while preserving customs from Chile; teaching children about Chilean culture; Chilean national symbols, including the flag and the copihue; Chilean geography and regional identity; mate drinking traditions; Chilean foodways such as empanadas de pino, completos, sopaipillas, cazuela, charquicán, curanto, and cordero al palo; and Soria's plans to open a Chilean empanada business called La Chilena's Nadas. The interview also includes discussion of Chilean music and dance, especially cueca, and concludes with Soria sharing a Chilean cheer. Overall, the interview highlights the role of language, performance, food, memory, and humor in sustaining Chilean identity within Cache Valley's immigrant and multicultural communities.

          Esta entrevista con Claudia Soria fue realizada por Ashton Earl el 14 de junio de 2025 durante el evento World Refugee Day de CRIC en Willow Park, Logan, Utah, como parte de Living Traditions in Utah: Voices and Oral Histories. La entrevista documenta las reflexiones de Soria sobre la identidad chilena, la inmigración, el idioma, la música, la gastronomía, la pertenencia comunitaria y la experiencia de mantener tradiciones culturales mientras vive en Utah.

          Los temas tratados incluyen su infancia en Arica, Chile; su llegada a los Estados Unidos a los once años; su residencia de más de treinta años en Utah; su participación en el evento World Refugee Day de CRIC; y su interpretación improvisada de "Si vas para Chile". Soria habla sobre el significado personal de la canción, incluyendo recuerdos de cantarla con su abuelo y la nostalgia que le provoca por Chile. La entrevista también aborda el español chileno, el acento, la jerga y la manera en que el habla contribuye a la identidad cultural dentro de comunidades hispanohablantes en Utah.

          Otros temas incluyen los desafíos de adaptarse a la vida en los Estados Unidos mientras se preservan las costumbres chilenas; la transmisión de la cultura chilena a sus hijos; los símbolos nacionales de Chile, incluyendo la bandera y el copihue; la geografía chilena y la identidad regional; las tradiciones asociadas con el mate; la gastronomía chilena, incluyendo empanadas de pino, completos, sopaipillas, cazuela, charquicán, curanto y cordero al palo; y los planes de Soria para abrir un negocio de empanadas llamado La Chilena's Nadas. La entrevista también incluye una conversación sobre la música y el baile chileno, especialmente la cueca, y concluye con Soria compartiendo un grito chileno. En conjunto, la entrevista destaca el papel del idioma, la música, la comida, la memoria familiar, el humor y la participación comunitaria en la preservación de la identidad chilena en Cache Valley.

          Dates: 2025-06-14
          Location: 2025 Fieldwork Cycle / Ashton Earl Interviews / Claudia Soria Materials
        • Description: Interview Transcript (Spanish) by Ashton Earl
          Dates: 2025-08-07
          Location: 2025 Fieldwork Cycle / Ashton Earl Interviews / Claudia Soria Materials
        • Description: Interview Translation (English) by Ashton Earl
          Dates: 2025-08-07
          Location: 2025 Fieldwork Cycle / Ashton Earl Interviews / Claudia Soria Materials
      • Norma Carver Materials
        • Description: Interview with Norma Carver

          Norma Carver is an immigrant from Oaxaca, Mexico, and the founder of Oaxaca en Utah, a Utah-based nonprofit organization dedicated to sharing, celebrating, and teaching Oaxacan culture. Originally from Putla Villa de Guerrero in Oaxaca's Southern Sierra region, Carver moved to the United States as a young adult and later settled in Utah. Her desire to build Oaxacan community in Utah grew from homesickness, the difficulty of finding Oaxacan cultural spaces and foodways locally, and her wish to pass Oaxacan traditions on to her daughter and younger generations.

          Oaxaca en Utah presents the cultural diversity of Oaxaca through dance, music, clothing, Indigenous languages, celebrations, and foodways. The organization highlights Oaxaca's eight regions and shares traditions such as Guelaguetza, Día de los Muertos, monos de calenda, regional dress, Zapotec and Mixtec language traditions, and Oaxacan cuisine. Carver describes the organization as a bridge between the broader Utah community and Oaxacan culture, open not only to Oaxacans but also to people from other Latin American countries and others interested in learning. Through performances, festivals, workshops, food vending and fundraising, and community events, Carver and Oaxaca en Utah work to counter stereotypes, foster pride in Oaxacan identity, and create opportunities for children and youth to connect with their roots and develop leadership.

          This interview was conducted at the Living Traditions Festival in Salt Lake City, Utah, as part of Living Traditions in Utah: Voices and Oral Histories. The interview documents Carver's work with Oaxaca en Utah and her reflections on Oaxacan cultural identity, regional diversity, performance, language, foodways, community building, and intergenerational transmission in Utah.

          Topics discussed include Oaxaca en Utah's participation in the Living Traditions Festival; the organization's mission to share Oaxacan culture with the broader community; and the eight regions of Oaxaca, including Valles Centrales, the Coast, the Southern Sierra, the Mixteca, La Cañada, the Northern Sierra, and the Istmo of Tehuantepec. Carver describes regional clothing styles, including gala dresses and rabonas from the Istmo, and explains the significance of the monos de calenda as symbols of culture, unity, joy, and pride. She also discusses songs and dances performed by the group, including "El Feo" in Zapotec, Jarabe Mixteco, and regional sones and dances.

          The interview also addresses Indigenous language loss and revitalization, including Zapotec and Mixtec language traditions and Oaxaca en Utah's interest in offering language workshops. Carver discusses the organization's inclusivity, its role as a bridge between Oaxacan culture and Utah communities, and the importance of helping Oaxacan and Mexican youth feel pride in their heritage. Additional topics include Guelaguetza, Día de los Muertos observances in Ogden, Catholic and Indigenous influences in Oaxacan culture, and the relationship between performance, memory, homesickness, and cultural connection.

          A substantial portion of the interview focuses on Oaxacan foodways and food-based cultural transmission. Carver discusses chapulines, tlayudas, mole from the Southern Sierra, memelitas, beans, corn, quelites, squash, coffee, cacao, and Oaxacan chocolate, as well as the organization's food vending and fundraising work during the festival. She explains that food played a central role in inspiring her daughter's interest in Oaxacan culture and in the founding of Oaxaca en Utah. Overall, the interview highlights how Oaxaca en Utah uses performance, food, language, celebration, and community labor to sustain Oaxacan identity and create belonging for Oaxacans and other cultural communities in Utah.

          Esta entrevista con Norma Carver fue realizada por Ashton Earl el 18 de mayo de 2025 durante el Living Traditions Festival en Salt Lake City, Utah, como parte de Living Traditions in Utah: Voices and Oral Histories. La entrevista documenta el trabajo de Carver con Oaxaca en Utah y sus reflexiones sobre la identidad oaxaqueña, la diversidad regional, la presentación artística, el idioma, la gastronomía, la construcción de comunidad y la transmisión intergeneracional de tradiciones en Utah.

          Los temas tratados incluyen la participación de Oaxaca en Utah en el Living Traditions Festival; la misión de la organización de compartir la cultura oaxaqueña con la comunidad; y las ocho regiones de Oaxaca, incluyendo los Valles Centrales, la Costa, la Sierra Sur, la Mixteca, la Cañada, la Sierra Norte y el Istmo de Tehuantepec. Carver describe estilos de vestimenta regional, incluyendo los trajes de gala y la rabona del Istmo, y explica el significado de los monos de calenda como símbolos de cultura, unidad, alegría y orgullo. También habla sobre canciones y bailes presentados por el grupo, incluyendo "El Feo" en zapoteco, el Jarabe Mixteco y otros sones y danzas regionales.

          La entrevista también aborda la pérdida y revitalización de lenguas indígenas, incluyendo las tradiciones lingüísticas zapotecas y mixtecas, así como el interés de Oaxaca en Utah en ofrecer talleres de idiomas. Carver habla sobre el carácter inclusivo de la organización, su papel como puente entre la cultura oaxaqueña y las comunidades de Utah, y la importancia de ayudar a jóvenes oaxaqueños y mexicanos a sentir orgullo por sus raíces. Otros temas incluyen la Guelaguetza, las celebraciones del Día de los Muertos en Ogden, las influencias católicas e indígenas en la cultura oaxaqueña, y la relación entre la presentación artística, la memoria, la añoranza y la conexión cultural.

          Una parte importante de la entrevista se centra en la gastronomía oaxaqueña y la transmisión cultural por medio de la comida. Carver habla sobre chapulines, tlayudas, mole de la Sierra Sur, memelitas, frijoles, maíz, quelites, calabaza, café, cacao y chocolate oaxaqueño, así como el trabajo de venta de comida y recaudación de fondos realizado por la organización durante el festival. Explica que la comida tuvo un papel central en despertar el interés de su hija por la cultura oaxaqueña y en la creación de Oaxaca en Utah. En conjunto, la entrevista muestra cómo Oaxaca en Utah utiliza la presentación artística, la comida, el idioma, las celebraciones y el trabajo comunitario para sostener la identidad oaxaqueña y crear pertenencia para oaxaqueños y otras comunidades culturales en Utah.

          Dates: 2025-05-18
          Location: 2025 Fieldwork Cycle / Ashton Earl Interviews / Norma Carver Materials
        • Description: Portrait of Norma Carver
          Location: 2025 Fieldwork Cycle / Ashton Earl Interviews / Norma Carver Materials
        • Description: Interview Translation (English) by Ashton Earl
          Dates: 2025-07-04
          Location: 2025 Fieldwork Cycle / Ashton Earl Interviews / Norma Carver Materials
        • Description: Interview Transcript (Spanish) by Ashton Earl
          Dates: 2025-07-04
          Location: 2025 Fieldwork Cycle / Ashton Earl Interviews / Norma Carver Materials
      • Evelyn Karahalios Chavez, Elena Lopez, and Raisa Tarma Materials

        Evelyn Chávez Karahalios is a Peruvian immigrant from Arequipa, Peru, and the director of Afro-Peruvian Experience Utah, the Utah extension of Afro Peruvian Experience. Afro Peruvian Experience is a performing arts organization founded by Nadia Calmet that promotes Afro-Peruvian culture through dance, music, education, and performance. The company highlights the cultural resilience and resistance of Peru's African ancestors through traditional instruments such as the cajón, cajita, and quijada, as well as Afro-Peruvian dances presented in both traditional and contemporary contexts.

        In Utah, Chávez works with dancers including Raisa Tarma, originally from Lima, Peru, to share Afro-Peruvian culture with communities where it is less widely known. Through performance and teaching, Chávez emphasizes that Afro-Peruvian dance and music are not only forms of entertainment but also vehicles for historical memory, cultural education, resistance, and community healing. Her work with Afro-Peruvian Experience Utah includes presenting dances such as festejo and zamacueca, teaching the cultural meaning of percussion instruments, and using the arts to challenge stereotypes about Latin American communities.

        Chávez's family migration history also shapes her cultural work. Her father immigrated to the United States during a period of political violence and terrorism in Peru, and Chávez later came to the United States as a child after years of separation from her parents. In the interview, she connects these experiences to broader conversations about immigration, empathy, family separation, and the need to understand the personal histories behind migration. Her goals for Afro-Peruvian Experience Utah include bringing Afro-Peruvian culture into theaters, schools, and community spaces, especially so children can learn about cultural traditions, history, and artistic expression.

        This interview with Evelyn Chávez Karahalios, Raisa Tarma, and Elena Lopez was conducted by Ashton Earl on June 14, 2025, at the CRIC World Refugee Day event at Willow Park in Logan, Utah. The interview is part of Living Traditions in Utah: Voices and Oral Histories and documents the work of Afro-Peruvian Experience Utah, as well as the interviewees' reflections on Afro-Peruvian culture, immigration, dance, music, foodways, memory, and community education.

        Topics discussed include Chávez's role as director of Afro-Peruvian Experience Utah; Tarma's participation as a dancer with the group; and their performance at the World Refugee Day event. Chávez describes the dances performed, including traditional festejo, zamacueca, and a dance honoring Valentina Barrionuevo. She explains the meaning of performance clothing, including long skirts, handkerchiefs, hats, and the colors red and white as symbols of blood and freedom. The interview also discusses the relationship between dancer and musician in Afro-Peruvian performance, especially the dancer's role in proposing rhythms that the cajonero or bongocero answers.

        A substantial portion of the interview focuses on Afro-Peruvian percussion traditions. Chávez discusses the Peruvian cajón, its association with Afro-descendant creativity and resistance, and its later influence on flamenco after Paco de Lucía encountered the instrument in Peru. She explains how the cajón is played, including low and high tones, and describes its use in Afro-Peruvian rhythms such as vals peruano, zamacueca, landó, Son de los Diablos, and ingá. The interview also addresses related instruments including the cajita, originally associated with collecting alms, and the quijada, made from the jawbone of a donkey.

        The interview also explores the personal and social meaning of dance. Chávez and Tarma describe dance as a source of therapy, confidence, discipline, creativity, resilience, and empowerment. Chávez connects artistic practice to parenting, teaching, and ethical consistency, explaining how lessons from the cajón and choreography shape her approach to life. She also discusses the responsibility of artists to educate audiences and resist stereotypes that reduce Latinos to entertainment.

        Additional topics include immigration, political violence in Peru, family separation, empathy, and public discourse about immigrants in the United States. Chávez recounts her father's migration from Peru during a period of terrorism, her own arrival in the United States as a child, and the emotional impact of being separated from parents. The interview concludes with memories of Peru, including family, neighborhood life, food, markets, school culture, holidays, and regional identity. Foodways discussed include ceviche, lomo saltado, Arequipeño dishes such as papa con queso, tallarín al horno, and rocoto relleno, Amazonian dishes such as tacacho and juane, Peruvian fruits and juices, potatoes, rice, beans, mazamorra morada, arroz con leche, chicha morada, and passion fruit desserts. Overall, the interview highlights Afro-Peruvian Experience Utah as a cultural and educational project that uses music, dance, food, memory, and testimony to share Afro-Peruvian and Peruvian identity in Utah.

        Esta entrevista con Evelyn Chávez, Raisa Tarma y Elena Lopez fue realizada por Ashton Earl el 14 de junio de 2025 durante el evento World Refugee Day de CRIC en Willow Park, Logan, Utah. La entrevista forma parte de Living Traditions in Utah: Voices and Oral Histories y documenta el trabajo de Afro-Peruvian Experience Utah, así como las reflexiones de las entrevistadas sobre la cultura afroperuana, la inmigración, la danza, la música, la gastronomía, la memoria y la educación comunitaria.

        Los temas tratados incluyen el papel de Chávez como directora de Afro-Peruvian Experience Utah; la participación de Tarma como bailarina del grupo; y la presentación realizada durante el evento World Refugee Day. Chávez describe las danzas presentadas, incluyendo festejo tradicional, zamacueca y una danza en homenaje a Valentina Barrionuevo. Explica el significado de la vestimenta escénica, incluyendo las faldas largas, los pañuelos, los sombreros y los colores rojo y blanco como símbolos de sangre y libertad. La entrevista también aborda la relación entre la bailarina y el músico en la presentación afroperuana, especialmente el papel de la bailarina al proponer ritmos que el cajonero o bongocero responde.

        Una parte importante de la entrevista se centra en las tradiciones de percusión afroperuanas. Chávez habla sobre el cajón peruano, su relación con la creatividad y resistencia de los afrodescendientes en Perú, y su influencia posterior en el flamenco después de que Paco de Lucía conociera el instrumento en Perú. Explica cómo se toca el cajón, incluyendo los sonidos graves y agudos, y describe su uso en ritmos afroperuanos como el vals peruano, la zamacueca, el landó, Son de los Diablos y el ingá. La entrevista también aborda instrumentos relacionados como la cajita, originalmente asociada con la recolección de limosnas, y la quijada, hecha con la mandíbula de un burro.

        La entrevista explora además el significado personal y social de la danza. Chávez y Tarma describen la danza como una fuente de terapia, confianza, disciplina, creatividad, resiliencia y empoderamiento. Chávez conecta la práctica artística con la maternidad, la enseñanza y la coherencia ética, explicando cómo las lecciones del cajón y la coreografía influyen en su forma de vivir. También habla sobre la responsabilidad de los artistas de educar al público y resistir los estereotipos que reducen a las comunidades latinas al entretenimiento.

        Otros temas incluyen la inmigración, la violencia política en Perú, la separación familiar, la empatía y el discurso público sobre los inmigrantes en los Estados Unidos. Chávez relata la migración de su padre desde Perú durante una época de terrorismo, su propia llegada a los Estados Unidos cuando era niña y el impacto emocional de estar separada de sus padres. La entrevista concluye con recuerdos de Perú, incluyendo la familia, la vida de barrio, la comida, los mercados, la cultura escolar, las fiestas y la identidad regional. Las comidas mencionadas incluyen ceviche, lomo saltado, platos arequipeños como papa con queso, tallarín al horno y rocoto relleno, platos amazónicos como tacacho y juane, jugos y frutas peruanas, papas, arroz, frijoles, mazamorra morada, arroz con leche, chicha morada y postres de maracuyá. En conjunto, la entrevista presenta a Afro-Peruvian Experience Utah como un proyecto cultural y educativo que utiliza la música, la danza, la comida, la memoria y el testimonio para compartir la identidad afroperuana y peruana en Utah.

    • Aurora Wallis Durfee Interviews

      • Alex Ngendakuriye (Burundian Drumming) Materials
        • Description: Interview with Alex Ngendakuriye

          Alex Ngendakuriye is a Burundian drummer in Utah whose work with traditional Burundian drumming grows from refugee experience, family transmission, and cultural preservation. Ngendakuriye and members of his family, including younger performers Alexson, Johnson, and Jaden, perform Burundian drumming in community and festival settings as a way of maintaining connection to Burundi and teaching children born in the United States about their heritage. Ngendakuriye describes drumming as one of the practices that kept him connected to his country and culture after displacement, war, and life in refugee camps.

          In Burundi, drums hold major cultural, social, and ceremonial significance. Ngendakuriye explains that drums have historically been used for communication, education, government announcements, ceremonies, weddings, graduations, presidential inaugurations, and the welcoming of important guests. The drums used by the group are made from wood associated with the umuvugangoma tree, described as "the tree that makes drums talk," and Ngendakuriye emphasizes that their sound, construction, and meaning are specific to Burundi.

          Through performance in Utah, Ngendakuriye and his family use drumming to share Burundian culture with wider audiences, strengthen intergenerational ties, and create a sense of belonging within the community. Their performances combine music, movement, song, and leadership structures in which drummers follow rhythmic signals and respond to one another as an ensemble. Ngendakuriye also describes Burundian drumming as a form of physical, mental, and spiritual connection. In addition to ceremonial and community functions, Burundian drums have also been used to communicate educational messages, including songs about peace, unity, youth responsibility, malaria prevention, HIV/AIDS prevention, and other public health concerns.

          This interview with Alex Ngendakuriye, Alexson Ngendakuriye, Johnson, Jaden, and other Burundian drummers was conducted by Aurora Wallis Durfee on May 18, 2025, in Salt Lake City, Utah, as part of Living Traditions in Utah: Voices and Oral Histories. The interview documents the group's performance of traditional Burundian drumming and explores the role of drumming in cultural preservation, refugee experience, family transmission, community education, and public performance in Utah.

          Topics discussed include Ngendakuriye's refugee background; memories of war, displacement, and childhood in camps; and the importance of maintaining Burundian culture for children and youth born or raised outside Burundi. Ngendakuriye explains that drumming helps younger generations understand where they come from and gives Utah audiences an opportunity to learn about Burundi, a country that many people in the United States know little about. Younger performers describe performing with family as a way of being together, making people happy, and helping audiences learn about their traditions.

          The interview includes detailed discussion of the cultural significance of Burundian drums. Ngendakuriye explains that drums in Burundi have been used to announce meetings, communicate messages, educate communities, welcome guests, mark major ceremonies, and bring people together. He describes the drums as central to community life and as instruments connected to leadership, ceremony, and identity. The interview also discusses the construction of the drums, including the use of wood from the umuvugangoma tree, the specialized knowledge required to make the drums, the selection of drums by sound, and the physical weight and labor involved in performance.

          Additional topics include ensemble structure, rhythmic leadership, improvisation within traditional frameworks, and the relationship between rhythm, movement, and group coordination. Participants describe how a leader signals changes, how different drummers maintain or vary rhythms, and how the group responds collectively. Ngendakuriye also reflects on visiting Burundi in 2022 and seeing historic drums associated with royal tradition, an experience that deepened his understanding of the roots of the practice.

          The interview also addresses gender, song, and education within Burundian drumming traditions. Participants discuss the historical association of drumming with men and royal or ceremonial contexts, while noting that women increasingly participate in some forms of drumming and dance. Ngendakuriye explains that many songs carry specific messages and should remain connected to the drum tradition. These songs may promote peace, unity, education, responsible adulthood, marriage responsibilities, malaria prevention, HIV/AIDS prevention, and other community values. Overall, the interview highlights Burundian drumming as a living tradition in Utah: a form of music, movement, memory, education, family connection, and cultural continuity for refugee and immigrant communities.

          Dates: 2025-05-18
          Location: 2025 Fieldwork Cycle / Aurora Wallis Durfee Interviews / Alex Ngendakuriye (Burundian Drumming) Materials
        • Description: Interview Transcript by Nikki Christensen
          Dates: 2025-06-17
          Location: 2025 Fieldwork Cycle / Aurora Wallis Durfee Interviews / Alex Ngendakuriye (Burundian Drumming) Materials
      • Ransom Smith, J.R. Hardman, and April Richey Materials (Sacred Harp)
        • Description: Interview with J.R. Hardman, April Richey, and Ransom Smith

          J. R. Hardman, April Richey, and Ransom Smith are Sacred Harp singers associated with the Utah Sacred Harp singing community. Sacred Harp is a participatory shape-note singing tradition with historical roots in American Protestant hymnody, singing schools, and community-based music making. Although many of its texts come from Christian hymn traditions, Sacred Harp singing is not limited to a particular denomination or religious identity. Participants describe the practice as open to singers of many beliefs and backgrounds, including those who approach the music religiously, culturally, socially, historically, or simply as a shared musical experience.

          The Utah Sacred Harp community gathers for regular singings and special events, including holiday and New Year's singings, local demonstrations, and regional conventions. Singers use shape-note notation and songbooks such as The Sacred Harp, including the Denson and Cooper revisions, as well as other related tunebooks. The practice emphasizes participation rather than performance: singers gather to sing with and for one another rather than for an audience. Leadership rotates as participants call and lead songs, with a keyer providing starting pitches. Community customs include "dinner on the grounds," minute-taking, song calling, lending books to newcomers, and welcoming singers regardless of musical experience.

          Hardman, Richey, and Smith describe Sacred Harp as a musical community organized around hospitality, humor, memory, and shared song. Their accounts emphasize the tradition's flexibility, regional variation, intergenerational participation, and capacity to create belonging through collective singing.

          This interview with J. R. Hardman, April Richey, and Ransom Smith was conducted as part of Living Traditions in Utah: Voices and Oral Histories. The interview documents the singers' participation in Sacred Harp singing and explores the history, practice, social organization, humor, and community values of the Utah Sacred Harp community.

          Topics discussed include Sacred Harp's historical relationship to Christian hymnody, Primitive Baptist traditions, singing schools, and shape-note notation. The interviewees explain that Sacred Harp is not a performance tradition, but a participatory form of singing in which singers gather to sing for themselves and for one another. They emphasize that singers do not need to be trained, religious, or musically polished in order to participate, and describe the tradition's welcoming attitude toward newcomers, late arrivals, children, masked singers, and participants from many religious or nonreligious backgrounds.

          The interview includes discussion of the structure of singings and conventions, including song calling, rotating leadership, keying, parliamentary organization, committees, treasurer reports, arranging, minute-taking, and "dinner on the grounds." Participants discuss how songs are selected, how favorite songs are tracked through minutes and indexes, and how songs may be sung in honor of absent, ill, or deceased community members. They also describe differences among songbooks and revisions, including the Denson and Cooper revisions of The Sacred Harp, the Shenandoah Harmony, and other related tunebooks.

          A substantial portion of the interview addresses musical practice and aesthetics. Topics include four-part harmony, alto revisions, regional variation, tempo, keying, pitch adjustment, leading patterns, book-banging during rests, roughness, imperfection, and the value of participation over polish. The interviewees describe how a song may go badly without needing to be repeated, how leaders may call songs in ways that bring them joy, and how singers gradually acquire musical literacy through repeated participation rather than formal instruction.

          The interview also documents community customs, humor, and informal traditions, including Halloween costume singings based on puns from Sacred Harp lyrics, New Year's gatherings, favorite songs, inside jokes, and the role of food and hospitality. The singers discuss the local community's connection to broader Sacred Harp networks across the United States and internationally, including singings in Europe, Australia, Ireland, Germany, and other locations. They also mention online singing during the COVID-19 pandemic, recordings, websites, documentaries, and books related to Sacred Harp.

          Overall, the interview highlights Sacred Harp singing as a living participatory tradition in Utah: a form of communal music making grounded in hospitality, shared memory, humor, mutual care, and the belief that singing together matters more than musical perfection.

          Dates: 2025-05-17
          Location: 2025 Fieldwork Cycle / Aurora Wallis Durfee Interviews / Ransom Smith, J.R. Hardman, and April Richey Materials (Sacred Harp)
        • Description: Photograph of Ransom Smith and J.R. Hardman singing at the 2025 Living Traditions Festival in Salt Lake City.
          Dates: 2025-05-17
          Location: 2025 Fieldwork Cycle / Aurora Wallis Durfee Interviews / Ransom Smith, J.R. Hardman, and April Richey Materials (Sacred Harp)
        • Description: Interview Transcript by Nikki Christensen
          Dates: 2025-06-20
          Location: 2025 Fieldwork Cycle / Aurora Wallis Durfee Interviews / Ransom Smith, J.R. Hardman, and April Richey Materials (Sacred Harp)

    • Joe Kinzer Interviews

  • 2026 Fieldwork Cycle

  • Project Records and Administrative Materials

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Artists and community--Utah--Logan.
  • Folklore archives--Utah
  • Folklore--Utah


2026

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