Musical Holdouts

Produced by John Cohen. 47 min. Color. 1976. Available as: VHS and DVD Captioned: No Catalog #: 0049 Order this title Sale Price: $250.00 Apply for Discount

This classic, entertaining documentary on American traditional music features varied individuals and groups who have not become part of the "melting pot" of American society.

From front porch banjo pickers in Appalachia and the Bluegrass Festival circuit to black children on the Carolina sea islands, cowboys, and Cheyenne and Comanche Indians, they have all retained their cultural identities despite pressures from the mass media and popular culture.

This remarkable documentary will stimulate discussion in classes in American studies, folklore, ethnomusicology, popular culture, culural anthropology, sociology, and the arts and humanities. It was produced by renowned filmmaker and musician John Cohen.

Reviews

"Incorporates some of the finest aspects of the contemporary independent documentary: the capacity to recognize the value of our ethnic origins as they are expressed (in this case) through indigenous music making; the courage to take what is basically a political position against the mainstream American culture; a confidence in the intelligence of the viewer… The tenderness and care with which Musical Holdouts was made does not camouflage or adulturate filmmaker John Cohen's purpose: to create an eloquent testimonial to those enclaves within America where music-making endures as a key to a people's cultural identity." -- Karen Cooper, The Film Forum, New York City

Additional Material

For additional information on John Cohen and his films, photography, and music, please visit http://www.johncohenworks.com/.