Washington, D.C., USA – The National Endowment for the Arts today announced the 2004 recipients of the NEA National Heritage Fellowships, the country’s highest honor in the folk and traditional arts. Ten fellowships, which include a one-time award of $20,000 each, are presented to honorees from
ten states. Twelve awardees were chosen for their artistic excellence, cultural authenticity, and contributions to their field. Two of the fellowships will be shared by husband and wife teams.
Chum Ngek will receive the Bess Lomax Hawes award for service to the folk and traditional arts field as a whole in acknowledgement of his long history of teaching Cambodian music and culture. National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Dana Gioia said, “The work of these awardees is a testament to the diversity and exceptional quality of America’s artistic resources. The cultures and artistic forms represented here speak to traditions, both ancient and contemporary, and to artistic achievements that are timeless.”
In its 23rd year, the NEA National Heritage Fellowship program features many first-time awards this year, including honoring a female blues singer, Kathak dancer, Irish-American button accordionist, and gospel steel guitarist.
2004 NEA National Heritage Fellowship Recipients:
- Anjani Ambegaokar, North Indian Kathak dancer (Diamond Bar, CA)
- Charles “Chuck” T. Campbell, gospel steel guitar player (Rochester, NY)
- Joe Derrane, Irish-American button accordionist (Randolph, MA)
- Jerry Douglas, Dobro player (Nashville, TN)
- Gerald “Subiyay” Miller, Skokomish oral tradition bearer, carver, basket maker
- (Shelton, WA)
- Milan Opacich, Tamburitza instrument maker (Shererville, IN)
- Eliseo and Paula Rodriguez, straw appliqué artists (Santa Fe, NM)
- Koko Taylor, Blues musician (Country Club Hills, IL)
- Yuqin Wang and Zhengli Xu, Chinese rod puppeteers (Aloha, OR)
2004 Bess Lomax Hawes Award:
Chum Ngek, Cambodian musician and teacher (Gaithersburg, MD)
These honorees join the ranks of previous Heritage Fellows, including bluesman B.B. King, Irish stepdancer Michael Flatley, cowboy poet Wally McRae and acclaimed performers Shirley Caesar, Doc Watson, and Bill Monroe. Since 1982, the Endowment has awarded more than 282 National Heritage
Fellowships. Recipients are nominated, often by members of their own communities, and then judged by a panel on the basis of their continuing artistic accomplishments and contributions as practitioners or teachers. Fellows must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States or U.S. territory.
The 2004 awardees will travel to Washington, D.C. in September for a series of events including an awards presentation on Capitol Hill and a concert at Lisner Auditorium at George Washington University on Friday, October 1. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store of Lebanon, Tennessee, will underwrite the costs of the ceremony and related activities.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.