Dear Supporter,

The spring issue of Smithsonian Folkways Magazine chronicles the cross-cultural collaborations that resulted in Rainbow, Volume 8 of the Music of Central Asia Series.

Read about how Azerbaijani singers Alim and Fargana Qasimov, Afghan rubâb player Homayun Sakhi, and American group Kronos Quartet moved beyond superficial grooves towards a deeper music connection.

The Music of Central Asia series, a co-production of Smithsonian Folkways and the Aga Khan Music Initiative, currently features nine CD/DVD sets.

Also featured:

• Video Spotlight: Live performances from Rainbow
• From the Field: The singing groups of Yunnan, China
• Tools for Teaching: How to play mariachi bolero

• Subscriber Discount: Enter code CENTRALASIA789 and save 20% off retail price on Music of Central Asia CD/DVDs or album downloads through May 6th.

New Release: The Sounds of Mariachi Instructional DVD

GRAMMY-winner Nati Cano, alongside an accomplished collection of musicians and educators, teaches mariachi technique, performance, and lore in this first-ever mariachi ensemble instructional DVD.

• Watch a sample
• Subscriber Discount: Enter code SOUNDMARIACHI and save 20% off retail price on the DVD through May 6th.

Webby Awards - Vote for Us Today!

The Smithsonian Folkways website is one of five nominees in the "Cultural Institutions" category of the 14th annual Webby Awards. Please show your support and vote for Smithsonian Folkways in the People's Voice awards. The deadline to vote is this Thursday, April 29th.

New Book Honors Folkways Graphic Artist

Ronald Clyne at Folkways is a new 64-page anthology dedicated to the artist who was largely responsible for the label's striking visual appearance. Featuring more than 200 examples of Clyne's work and an extensive essay, this booklet from United Editions is available in the U.S. exclusively at folkways.si.edu.

"Listen Up" Hats

Pick up a Smithsonian Folkways baseball hat for yourself or a friend and save 20% through May 7th with code LISTENUPHAT.

Smithsonian Folkways Trivia!
Each month we'll ask a trivia question; email your answer, name, and address with the subject "April Trivia" to SmithsonianFolkways_at_si_dot_edu by May 1st, and a randomly selected entrant with the correct answer will win a free CD of his or her choice!

April Question: The tar, a plucked lute featured on the Music of Central Asia, Vol. 8, is widely considered the national instrument of what country?

Congratulations to last month's winner, Joanne, from Santa Rosa, CA, who was randomly selected after correctly answering "Afghanistan" to March's question: The rubâb, a lute-like instrument with a mixture of melody, drone, and sympathetic strings, is featured in the music from this Central Asian country? Hint — Homayun Sakhi plays rubâb on three volumes of the Music of Central Asia Series.

Essential Picks

News and Notes

• Smithsonian Folkways: Sounds to Grow On Episode #21 — Children's Music — is now available on podcast.
• Who Owns Music? — Click "access archive" to watch a free online lecture on the subject by Smithsonian Folkways Associate Director D. A. Sonneborn.
• Smithsonian Folkways remembers Tom Wisner (1930–2010), who dedicated his life to preserving and recording the music of the Chesapeake Bay area.