This week, a celebration of 50 years of the Ozark Folk Center State Park presented through archival audio from its 1973 grand opening as well as interviews of key park figures and commentary by historian and writer Charley Sandage.

The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, in an early attempt to preserve the vanishing heritage of the Ozark Mountains, assisted local craftsmen and musicians to form the Ozark Foothills Crafts Guild in 1962.  The guild started with 30 members and grew to a membership of over 300 master craftsmen and musicians.  In 1963 the guild, in cooperation with local civic organizations, education advocate Bessie Moore, and renowned Ozark singer-songwriter Jimmy Driftwood organized the first Arkansas Folk Festival which attracted approximately 15,000 people.  The festival became an annual event and within a few years was attracting almost 100,000 people to Mountain View.  Because of the success of the annual festival the guild realized that they needed a permanent home.  The guild, in cooperation with local government, obtained a grant from the United States Economic Development Administration to establish a private commercial craft center at Mountain View.  Prior to its opening in the Spring of 1973, the state of Arkansas recognized the potential of the project and folded the Ozark Folk Center into the state park system and provided additional funding.

Ozark Folk Center State Park is dedicated to perpetuating the music, crafts, and culture of the Ozarks.  Located in Mountain View, Arkansas, and open mid-April to late-October, the park offers visitors an opportunity to watch artisans work, to stroll through the Heritage Herb Garden, and to hear live Southern mountain music.

In the Craft Village at the Ozark Folk Center, more than 20 working artisans demonstrate, create, and sell handmade items.  Handcrafted items like leather purses and goods, baskets, brooms, stained glass, ironwork, pottery, knives, weavings, quilts, wood carvings, spun yarn, soap, candles, and more are made onsite.  Artisans also host workshops throughout the year for a more immersive crafting experience with personal attention and hands-on instruction.

The Heritage Herb Garden is where old-time pass-along plants, medicinal herbs, native plants, and edible herbs are grown.  The Garden functions as a living classroom for workshops and programs.  Events celebrating both culinary and medicinal herbs are held in May and October.

Music is at the heart of this park.  Fiddle, banjo, guitar, mandolin, dulcimer, and autoharp are just some of the instruments that combine to produce that enduring Ozark Mountain sound.  The Ozark Highlands Theater hosts live concerts and special events, bringing legendary artists from all facets of Americana music to the stage. Workshops are also available at scheduled times for musicians and dancers of all skill levels.

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers a 1973 archival recording of Ozark original Jimmy Driftwood singing is famous song “The Battle of New Orleans,” at the park’s grand opening from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

Ozark Highlands Radio

OHR Presents: 50 Years of the Ozark Folk Center (Show Preview)

I have the privilege of participating in a Blues Workshop presented by Bing Futch at the Ohio Valley Gathering 2015.  Bing and I are playing an example of 12-Bar Blues.

Blues With Bing

From my new album "Unresolved Blues", this tune was inspired by no-one in particular, but we all know them well.

Listen Closely Mama - Mountain Dulcimer Blues

From my 2013 album "Dive!", this song deals with the walls that we put up to protect ourselves.

I Keep My Distance - Alternative Mountain Dulcimer

Fallen Angel - EDM Native American Flute

Earth Mother - Native American Flute

The Last Of The Mohicans - Mountain Dulcimer

New Year's Night - Mountain Dulcimer

Lutung bingung is one of repertoar music degung classic that adapting from "Lutung Kasarung" story, part of the story taken when Guruminda become a Lutung down to earth, and when he (lutung) come to earth, like confused about that a new place.

In this song, Parahyena is not alone. We are assisted by a guitarist who usually plays classic degung tones, namely Agus Rukmana. He has been exploring, developing and making innovative classic Sundanese tones on classical guitars. Agus Rukmana has also made a recording of souvenirs to 120 countries at the 50th Asia-Africa Summit, at this moment he is devising a method of learning 'ngadegung ku guitar' (playing degung by guitar) and making recordings. 

The playing patterns of music performed by Parahyena and Agus Rukmana, Lutung Bingung song are transformed from pelog and gamelan patterns, but the fingering style technique uses modulation to western conventional chord. In practice, the song is cultivated and recorded live. Audio and visual capture is important, so in this song selected live session for the launch of Parahyena’s new single. 

Lutung Bingung is a collaboration of various types of art that we feel interesting to combine, as for the wayang (Dalang), Arts Dance, and mapping. Great hope this song is acceptable to all circles, especially people outside tatar sunda. Parahyena and Agus Rukmana want to introduce this technique as a Sunda tone game, and this technique can be applied to any musical instrument. 

New single "Lutung Bingung" already be enjoyed on Parahyena Youtube Channel www.youtube.com/parahyena

Lutung Bingung Feat. Agus Roekmana

All instruments and vocals by Winter Walker. This was a total blast.

FUTURE TENSE (cover)

Winter Singing Pop Medley

Ozark Highlands Radio is a weekly radio program that features live music and interviews, recorded at Ozark Folk Center State Park’s beautiful 1,000-seat auditorium in Mountain View, Arkansas.  In addition to the music, our “Feature Host” segments take listeners on a musical journey with historians, authors, and personalities who explore the people, stories, and history of the Ozark region.

OHR Presents: 50 Years of the Ozark Folk Center (Show Preview)

Ozark Highlands Radio

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