NYS Music Genres

New York Folklore Society's Folk and Traditional Music

New York Folklore Society
P.O. Box 764
Schenectady, NY 12301
518/346-7008
Fax 518/346-6617
nyfs@nyfolklore.org

These music pages are in development. Please enjoy the pages here, and come back again, as we are adding new information and pages steadily to our new music section.

Explore the rich cultural influences of New York’s traditional music scene, and the cultural organizations that nurture those traditions. Below is a list of the major cultural groupings of New York State, and the main cultural organizations that support various genres and ethnic musical traditions.
	CARIBBEAN CHINESE DOMINICAN		IRISH ITALIAN JEWISH MEXICAN		POLISH PUERTO RICAN WEST AFRICAN

DOMINICAN

Alianza Dominicana, Inc.
2410 Amsterdam Avenue
New York, NY 10033
(212) 740-1960
Fax: (212) 740-1967
balsieivan@aol.com
Alianza Dominicana is a multiservice, comprehensive, integrated community-based organization for children, youth, and families in northern Manhattan. Alianza has emerged as the largest and most comprehensive Dominican human service and community development agency and is the leading authority on the Dominican community in the United States. Leonardo Ivan Dominguez is the leader of El Conjunto Folklorico, a Dominican folk arts youth program at the Alianza Dominicana in NYC’s Washington Heights.

Return to the top of page

IRISH

Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (US – Northeastern and Middle Atlantic Regions)
US Northeastern Regional contact: Ted McGraw
147 Harwood Circle
Rochester, NY 14625
(716) 387-9116
mcgraw@netacc.net

New York State branches:

Craobh Dugan – Utica branch
Martin Wynne – Cheektowaga branch
Sean O’Riada – Albany branch
Tom Finucane – Rochester branch
Twin Tiers Irish Arts – Endwell branch

US Middle Atlantic Regional contact: Frankie McCormick
4 Demarest Avenue
Nanuet, NY 10954
(917) 612 8721
marycvesey@aol.com

New York State branches:

Craobh Úll Mór Nua Eabhrac – New City, NY
Killoran-Clancy –Jackson Heights, NY
Martin Mulvihill – Pearl River, NY
Michael Coleman – Bronx, NY
Mulligan-Quinn –Selden, NY

With international headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, Comhaltas is the largest group involved in the preservation and promotion of Irish traditional music. Comhaltas is a non-profit cultural movement with hundreds of local branches around the world, working for the cause of Irish music since the middle of the last century. Local branches offer music, dance and language classes, and music sessions for musicians. Comhaltas also maintains an archive of printed materials, videos and recordings, and sponsors the definitive All-Ireland competition for musicians, the Fleadh Cheoil na hÈireann.

Michael J. Quill Irish Cultural & Sports Centre
P.O. Box 320
East Durham, NY 12423
(518) 634.2286
mjqirishcentre@yahoo.com
Named for the Transport Worker’s Union leader, Michael J. Quill, the Irish Cultural Centre was founded in 1987 on a 58-acre site in East Durham, NY. Today, the Centre is 108 acres and includes a festival grounds and pavilions where we produce the East Durham Irish Festival on Memorial Day weekend; the Annual Catskills Irish Arts Week; the Annual Traditional Irish Music Festival, both in July; and the East Durham Feis in August.The Centre also includes a sports complex consisting of a regulation Gaelic Football and Hurling field and a baseball field; the John E. Lawe Memorial; the Weldon House, a former resort placed on the National & State Historical Landmark Registers; and the Irish Park, a map of Ireland comprised of 170,000 bricks.

The Irish American Cultural Institute of Central New York
John Mahoney, President
4967 Elgin Dr.
Syracuse, NY 13215
(315) 469-8986
mahoney_22182@msn.com
The Irish American Cultural Institute of Central New York is responsible for sponsoring, developing, and promoting IACI activities in the greater Syracuse region. Those activities currently include, among others, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, James Joyce Club, Irish Perceptions Series, and a local music group.

Capital District Celtic Cultural Association, Inc.
P.O. Box 14131
Albany, NY 12212
(518) 479-1029
Fax: (518) 452-8797
info@cdcca.org
The CDCCA is the local chapter of the Irish American Cultural Institute, an internationally recognized leader in the preservation and promotion of Irish culture and heritage. The CDCCA was founded in 1998 to support and preserve various Irish and Scottish cultural activities in the Capital District of New York State. We are a federally recognized tax-exempt organization. Locally, we are affiliated with the Capital Region Celtic Pipe Band, Braemar School of Highland Dance, Albany Gaelic Athletic Association, Oran Mor Pipe Band, Scotia Glenville Youth Band, Schenectady Pipe Band and the Albany Irish Rowing Club.

Greater Rochester Irish Center
PO Box 18416
Rochester, NY 14618
In 2004, a group of Irish Americans in Rochester, NY decided to form an organization that would provide the residents of Monroe County and Western New York with the opportunity to preserve, educate, participate and celebrate Irish, Celtic and Irish American culture. The organization that was formed was the Irish American Cultural Center of Western New York. As the organization developed and evolved it was decided to simplify the group’s name to the Greater Rochester Irish Center.

Return to the top of page

MEXICAN

Mano a Mano
@ the Brooklyn Music School
126 Saint Felix Street
New York, NY 11217 (212) 587-3070
Fax: (212) 587-3071
info@manoamano.us
Mano a Mano: Mexican Culture Without Borders is a nonprofit dedicated to celebrating Mexican culture in the United States and promoting the understanding of Mexican traditions among immigrants, artists, educators and the general public. Founded in 2000 as a project of the Center for Traditional Music and Dance, we attained independent, nonprofit 501(c)(3) status in 2006. We have collaborated with leading international organizations, museums, and local cultural partners to create landmark events and celebrations of Mexican culture.

Mariachi Academy of New York
1775 Third Avenue (98th Street)
New York, NY 10029
(212) 729-7678
info@mariachiacademyny.org
The Mariachi Academy of New York is the first school in the East Coast dedicated to educating young girls and boys in a celebrated and cherished musical tradition of Mexico.The Mariachi Academy provides unique learning opportunities for youth interested in playing instruments and singing classic rancheras while helping to develop a strong sense of identity and community pride in a bilingual environment.The Academy is open to Mexican and non-Mexican students, ages 7-17.

Mexican Cultural Institute of New York
27 East 39th St.
New York, NY 10016
(212) 217-6478
Fax: (212) 217-6425
icumexny@sre.gob.mx
Founded in 1991, the Mexican Cultural Institute of New York was established along with thirteen other Institutes throughout the United States as part of the “Program for Mexican Communities Abroad.” Both an independent U.S. not-for-profit organization and the New York cultural branch of the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Mexican Cultural Institute is committed to generating awareness of the richness, dynamism and cultural diversity of Mexico as a democratic, plural and creative nation. Through art exhibitions, performances, film screenings, panel discussions, readings, book presentations and other activities, the Institute in collaboration with leading New York organizations, develops and cosponsors events that showcase the uniqueness of Mexico’s art and culture, and infuses New York with the variety of Mexico’s traditional and contemporary cultural and artistic expressions.

Return to the top of page

These traditional music web pages were developed with support of New York State Music Fund, administered by the Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.

RETURN TO MAIN MUSIC PAGE