On January 22nd 2015 the Voice of America shipped the African Music Collection of the Leo Sarkisian Music Archives to the School of Information at the University of Michigan (UMSI) in Ann Arbor. Four pallets of tapes – roughly two tons in weight — containing Leo’s original African recordings, Music Time in Africa radio shows, and other rare recordings were sent to U of M for study, cataloging, and digitizing the collection.
The Collection’s new home is on long-term loan from the VOA. In the ensuing months and years, we can expect to hear excerpts of the collection on-line in an interactive, blog-type format. We will miss the Archives, as we already do miss Leo. More updates to come as the Collection begins to take its new form.
