| Summary: | This is a loving and lively musical tribute to Ralph Rinzler, the man who championed indigenous American music, first as a musician, then in field research and recording, and finally as the founder of the Center for Folklife in the Smithsonian Institute. Beginning in the fifties, Rinzler sought out and encouraged folk musicians in the bluegrass, Cajun, shout and Native American traditions. In this film, performers such as Doc Watson, Pete Seeger, David Grisman, the Moving Star Hall Singers and Bernice Johnson Reagon, to name a few, throw heart and soul into song. They remember Ralph's friendship and support, as well as his enthusiasm for new talent. It was Ralph who convinced the Smithsonian Institute that a department should be created for American folk culture. Under his leadership, the Smithsonian produced the annual Folklife Festival and later purchased Folkway Records from Moe Ash, thus preserving American indigenous music for the enjoyment of future generations. The film is a rich tapestry of folk experience expressed in music and oral history. The civil rights movement, the labor movement, the troubles of farm workers, and the longing of immigrants -- all these are expressed in the folk tradition Rinzler helped preserve
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