[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 89 (Tuesday, June 21, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1135]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   THE SMITHSONIAN FOLKLIFE FESTIVAL

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. SAM JOHNSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 21, 2011

  Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to invite my 
colleagues and members of their staffs to attend a free musical event 
that will be held this afternoon (Tuesday, June 21, 2011) from 1:00-
2:00 p.m. on the West Front Lawn of the United States Capitol. This 
event will feature music performed by the David Pernell Ensemble as a 
preview to the Smithsonian's annual Folklife Festival. This year, one 
of the Folklife Festival themes is Rhythm and Blues: Tell It Like It 
Is.
  The 2011 Smithsonian Folklife Festival will celebrate the people and 
culture of R & B music in the United States. R & B encompasses jump 
blues, soul, funk and more contemporary styles and is recognized 
throughout the world as one of the most identifiably American forms of 
popular music. The Festival program will explore the social and 
cultural history integral to the development of R & B and will present 
not only performances, but also conversations and discussions with some 
of the artists, songwriters, radio personalities, and others who have 
worked behind the scenes to produce the music.
  From June 30th-July 4 and from July 7-11, the Rhythm and Blues: Tell 
It Like It Is program will consist of two large covered stages on the 
National Mall and a smaller discussion/narrative stage, highlighting 
select styles associated with African American urban centers in the 
United States. Through performance and narrative presentations, 
Festival visitors will discover exciting connections between different 
forms of musical performance, social dance, the recording industry, and 
broadcast radio--all of which accompanied and contributed to shaping 
the musical heritage of R & B. The program is being produced in 
partnership between the Smithsonian's Center for Folklife and Cultural 
Heritage, the Folklife Festival, and the National Museum of African 
American History and Culture.
  I encourage my colleagues and their staff to take a few minutes and 
enjoy some great R & B music today as a preview to the Smithsonian's 
2011 Folklife Festival.

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