I have been struck with the importance of musical performance to folk culture, and the extent to which tradition seems to call for audience participation with artist-performers. This was especially noticeable in the case of Cape Verdeans. Cape Verde, a nation of islands off the coast of Africa, became independent of Portugal 20 years ago. Its population is about 375,000. In the United States some 400,000 people ‹ most of them living in Massachusetts ‹ trace their roots to Cape Verde. Many of the latter are here in Washington as volunteers helping to "translate" Cape Verdean culture and crafts for Festival visitors. The culture seems a mixture of African and Portuguese forms. Their music is rhythmical and vivid, and with both native and American Cape Verdeans, participation by clapping and singing is enthusiastic. That special audience is deeply involved (not unlike regional American audiences with folk music or larger youth audiences with forms like rap and rock).

What stands out is the importance of music as an ingredient and expression of popular culture, the universality of the phenomenon, and the activism rather than passivity of the "listeners." The experience with the Cape Verde presentation was true also of the other cultures: the most analogous was the Czech, whose polkas and other dances caught hold of the audiences. Primarily, of course, it was those of Czech ancestry who participated most vigorously, but there were many others, too, who got caught up in the spirit of the occasion.