In our increasingly diverse society, music teachers are often “on the hunt” for musical material representing a wide range of cultural groups. For those who wish to sonically venture to the African continent, the Smithsonian Folkways record label provides an opportunity to explore musics from the vast area. In this article, we first chronicle the genesis of the Folkways record label, then describe the current website, the ability to download music, and the availability of African music within the site. Next, three recordings from Africa are examined in more detail, with attention paid to specific musical selections and cultural context within each recording.
