The Arhoolie Foundation is a 501c3 non profit organization dedicated to the documentation, preservation, and celebration of regional roots music and its makers. By our activities, we seek to broaden public awareness of our diverse music history, support the vitality of living traditions, and reinforce the value and sustainability of community-based cultures.
The Arhoolie Foundation stems from the work of founder Chris Strachwitz and his seminal independent record label Arhoolie Records. Strachwitz has devoted his life to recording and sharing regional music with an emphasis on Blues, Cajun/Zydeco, and Tejano/Norteño. In 2016, Smithsonian Folkways acquired Arhoolie Records and continues to distribute the Arhoolie catalog worldwide. We strive to carry on this legacy.
Our Frontera Collection YouTube channel offers a large and ever-increasing selection of historical Mexican and Mexican-American recordings from the Frontera Collection.
welcome.arhoolie.org