Hobe Ktyr plays banjo in his home. Photo courtesy of the Oregon Folklife Network.

To highlight the work of traditional artists in the state of Oregon, the Oregon Folklife Network is reaching out to culture keepers across the state to hear their story and what recent work and/or community events they have been recently involved with.

Hobe Kytr is one of the 280 traditional artists featured on the Oregon Culture Keepers Roster. Kytr is a musician and folklorist, and culture keeper. Here are a few words Kytr shared in a recent interview:

“I’m a native Oregonian, and a traditional musician, playing guitar and old-time banjo.

My specialty is songs and stories of the Northwest, with a focus on the history and folklore of northwest Oregon (which I describe as the ear of Oregon). Traditional songs from this area are rare, but there are wonderful stories to tell. So I have been writing songs in traditional style for most of the past fifty years to share these stories.

I’ve played in many old-time stringbands over the years. One of those bands back in the mid-1970s was called Timberbound, an Oregon stringband. We played a lot of original material in the old-time style, which was very well-received. Even though that band was short-lived, the songs we performed have taken on a life of their own with another band of the same name, featuring Joe Seamons, Kate Sandgren, and Gavin Duffy, giving the music new currency for a younger generation.

I see my role as a collector, transmitter, and sharer of community memory, whether the songs are old or new. And in that spirit, I have been performing at the annual FisherPoets Gathering in Astoria for the past 27 years. We convene in the historic fishing port of Astoria each year on the fourth weekend in February for a celebration of commercial fishing in poetry, prose, and song. It’s become a major event in the seasonal round both for the commercial fishing community and for Astoria as well.”

If you or someone you know would like to be considered for the Oregon Culture Keepers Roster —an ever-expanding, juried selection of folk and traditional artists—contact the Oregon Folklife Network at ofn@uoregon.edu or by phone at (541) 346-3820.