Daca, Mysterious Cowboy Singer of Greenwich Village


Stephen D. Winick (American Folklife Center)

Learn about and hear recordings of "Daca," who taught “Ten Thousand Goddam Cattle” to Alan Lomax and contributed ten songs and a sheaf of tall tales to the Library of Congress. A former cowboy who owned bookshops in Bohemian Greenwich Village (1925-1939), he moonlighted singing cowboy songs on the radio. Daca established some norms of the New York and Greenwich Village folk scenes. He was a fascinating forerunner of Woody Guthrie, another cowboy singer who arrived in New York as Daca left, and of Bob Dylan, a trickster who concealed his identity and gave evasive answers to interviewers.

Part of 01-10 Music and Folklore, Thursday, November 02, 8:30 am–10:00 am