The LPV Show Episode 3: A Conversation With Yoshi & Tamara Kametani

©Bryan Formhals

In this episode, Yoshi and Tamara Kametani stopped by Queens to talk about their work, including the Switzerland of America which I featured on LPV last  year, and their recently published ‘In Search of the Crying Lady.’ I enjoyed our conversation and it’s great to see them release the book.

The Crying Lady refers to the term Placky who were professional mourners in Slovakia. Placky used to be an essential part of the Slovak death ritual and were hired by the family of the deceased. The tradition was believed to still exist in certain areas of the country. Despite the encouragement that IPG received from ethnographers and people they spoke to along the way, the Placky were never found. The journey had therefore turned into a search for the tradition that disappeared before anyone that IPG encountered had realized. In Search of the Crying Lady is essentially a collection of moments that crossed IPG’s path along their road to failure.

If you’re interested in the book, you can buy it HERE! 

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