In 2011, Folksinger Gordon Bok was honored at the New Jersey Folk Festival in New Brunswick, New Jersey with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his many years collecting and preserving the folk music of the Kalmyk people.
The annual New Jersey Folk Festival highlights the culture, traditions, food, crafts, and music from a specific heritage or nation. This year they featured the folk culture of the Kalmyks, showcasing many individuals and groups of nearby Kalmyk communities in the New Jersey and Philadelphia area, who are celebrating 60 years in America this year.
The Kalmyks originated in the Western steppes of Mongolia. Despite a long history of oppression and forced migration, they managed to keep much of their culture intact. Gordon met his Kalmyk neighbors when he was working in the Philadelphia area more than fifty years ago, and learned to play and sing some of their music. Realizing that they were losing their language and songs as they became more assimilated, he began helping them collect and preserve what they still had, including some of their Buddhist liturgy. With their help, Gordon recorded many Kalmyk songs, sending tapes to the Library of Congress for preservation, and has put together a small book of songs and tunes from the original collection written out phonetically with an accompanying CD. The entire collection is now being circulated among their descendants.
“It was great to connect with Kalmyk friends old and new and enjoy the musicians and dancers that have come out of the woodwork in recent years. It’s heartwarming to know that some of the traditions are alive in the next generation. These photos will give you a flavor of the day.” ~ Gordon
Photo credit for all photos: Mike Power. Taken at the New Jersey Folk Festival 4/30/2011. Displayed by permission.