2019 American Folk Festival Program by Bangor Daily News

AMERICAN FOLK FESTIVAL • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • August 10, 2019

WELCOME TO THE 2019 AMERICAN FOLK FESTIVAL ON THE BEAUTIFUL BANGOR WATERFRONT!

ou’re in store for a great weekend. You’ll hear incredible music filling the waterfront, including some returning performers as well as some traditions that have never been featured at the American Folk Festival. You can always count on unique crafts and fantastic food throughout the festival. And you’ll notice some changes this year as well. The festival footprint is a little different than usual because of some earth work being done by the City of Bangor. Work is going to continue past this year, which will alter the layout of the festival for at least two more years. This creates challenges, but thanks to our relationship with the city, our incredible volunteers, and our hardworking staff, the challenges are something we have addressed and will not impact the festival atmosphere you’ve come to expect. Another challenge we are facing happens to be a little more difficult. When the National Folk Festival began in Bangor in 2002 (and branched out as the American Folk Festival in 2005), Bangor was a different place. It was beautiful, fun, and appealing, but there were fewer entertainment options happening in the city. For those of us who have lived here for a while, in the 90's we might have planned our summer around the one event happening in town. Today, there are concerts, other festivals, sports, adventure races, food events, beer events, wine events, and event events happening throughout the summer. Bangor is truly the destination we all wanted, and knew it could be.

However, with so much happening, our business community is being asked by every organization to sponsor a lot. And, let’s be honest, they’re all worthwhile events and organizations, and they all have tremendous value to this area. Where this presents a challenge for the American Folk Festival is that the AFF is an event that is open to all, meaning we don’t charge admission. We do ask for a suggested donation of $20 per person, per day, but not everybody gives that amount (and that’s okay!), so we receive no “ticket” funding for our budget. This festival costs hundreds of thousands of dollars to put on. Stages, artists, artist travel, tent rentals, chairs, trailers, and security all cost money. In fact, the cost for many of those things is going up, while the businesses who have supported us year after year are getting more and more pressure to consider other sponsorships. So where does that leave us? In a tough position. Here’s what we know: - Our audience continues to be large and loyal for the festival. - We continue to see visitors from all over the country, with most of our audience coming from our own backyard. - We continue to receive recognition in travel magazines and websites as a must-see festival every year, bringing more attention to Bangor. - We see proof that when people come to Bangor for the first time, they want to come back.

What we need is more help. Donations make up a big part of our budget, but not the biggest part. Donations ARE, however, essential to putting on a top-notch, grade-A festival. So if the American Folk Festival is important to you, and you have the means to do so, we ask that you consider adding to what you throw in the bucket. The suggested donation is $20 per person, per day. That’s a tremendous value compared to the incredible roster of talent you get to see on multiple stages for three days. A similar festival with paid tickets would run anywhere from $50–$100 per person. We’ve always taken pride in making sure anyone can come to this festival with no required admission, but we also need to make sure we can continue to pay for it. Bottom line: The American Folk Festival can live on, but it needs the support of individuals and the business community to do so. We thank you for the support and we cherish the fans of this festival we continue to see year after year. Whether you’re a first time visitor, a repeat festivalgoer, or someone who has never missed a year, please enjoy the sights and sounds of the 2019 American Folk Festival. Make some memories, experience something new, spread the word when you leave, and come back and see us again next year. Heather McCarthy Executive Director American Folk Festival

“Who’s Who”

at the 2019 American Folk Festival The American Folk Festival on the Bangor Waterfront is only possible through the hard work of hundreds of volunteers, committee members, directors and staff. The following people are among those who have dedicated their time and skills to make the 2019 American Folk Festival a success.

Board of Directors: Chair – Nicole Gogan, Camden National Bank Vice Chair – Julie Green, Husson University Secretary – Keith Martin, Kleinschmidt Group Treasurer – Lee Speronis, Husson University Maria Baeza, Turning Point Dan Cashman, Sutherland Weston Elizabeth Downing, University of Maine Jennifer Eastman, Deighan Wealth Advisors Rick Fournier, Bangor Savings Bank Karen Fussell, City of Brewer Greg Jamison Eric Marshall, Eaton Peabody Paula Matlins, Mobius, Inc. Deb Sanford, Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center Kristen Strong Kerrie Tripp, Greater Bangor CVB Dale Wilkes Dr. George Wright

2019 Volunteer Leaders Joan Andren, Jane Black, Barbara Blazej, Jeff Bossé, Jim Boulier, Mary Brooks, George & Peggy Burgoyne, Al & Esther Bushway, Barbara Cardone, Barbara Carey, Bruce Clukey, Peter Curran, Mary Downing-Minctons, Richard Dressler, Sandi Duchesne, Shirley Ellis, Mark Friedman, George Giffin, Karen Hachey, Ann Hartmann, Jo Ann Higgins, Judy Ingersoll, Don Katnik, Diana Keyser, Mike McGinn, Connie McVey, Bill Mulherin, Michelle Mulherin, Jennnifer Murphy, Pam Oertel, Steve Ropiak, Libby Turner, Don Wilbur, Dale Wilkes, Lynne Woods.

Operations Team: Richard Derbyshire, Betty Derbyshire, Woody Higgins, Jack Kearns, Al Banfield, Brenda Boulier, Dick Green, Roger Hicks, Dale Farmer, Brad Ostrow, Barb St Peter, Sean Sykes, Paul Hendrickson, Pete Tiedtke

Office: Heather McCarthy, Executive Director Robin Merchant, Development Coordinator Eric Cooper, Volunteer Coordinator Kerrie Tripp and the GBCVB, Logistics Coordination

AMERICAN FOLK FESTIVAL • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • August 10, 2019

The American Folk Festival Kick-off Parade

The Local Honeys OLD-TIME

entucky old-time musicians The Local Honeys sing with a power and fearlessness that sets them far apart from their contemporaries. Comprised of Linda Jean Stokley SHOESTRING THEATRE AND and Montana Hobbs with fiddler Megan Gregory guesting for the festival, the group describe their sound as “bluegrass kissing the mountains.” THE JOHN BAPST MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL The duo have dedicated themselves to the preservation of old music and the creation of MUSIC PROGRAM new tunes. Their songwriting doesn’t shy away from more difficult subjects, as reflected on their debut recording, Little Girls Actin’ Like Men. On record and live, The Honeys' ortland’s own Shoestring Theatre and Bangor’s own John Bapst Memorial High ability to tear into hard driving fiddle tunes, sing the high lonesome sound, and tell a School music program will team up to provide an exciting new parade experience to damn good story is the reason why audiences around the world are clamoring for more. open this year’s American Folk Festival! Starting at 6:00 pm on Friday on Front Street near the Two Rivers Stage, these talented musicians and artists will bring to life dozens of life-size (and larger!) puppets, plus entertainers and instruments to guarantee that you’ll be caught up in the energy! Follow the parade along Front Street to the Railroad Stage where the first performance of this year’s AFF will begin.

Sponsored by:

The Local Honeys perform: Friday, Showcase Stage, 7:00pm Saturday, Northern Light Health Two Rivers Stage, “Songs of Home” Talk/demo session, 2:00pm Saturday, Northern Light Health Two Rivers Stage, 3:15pm Saturday, Showcase Stage, 5:45pm Sunday, Showcase Stage, 2:30pm

AMERICAN FOLK FESTIVAL • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • August 10, 2019

Ylli Brekofca ALBANIAN ACCORDION

lli Brekofca is a singer and accordion player who spent the first 64 years of his life in the city of Tirana, Albania. Coming of age under communism and the Eastern Block’s total ban of Western music, Ylli delved deeply in his homeland’s folk music. Albanian traditional music is an unusual blend of Balkan, Central European and Middle Eastern styles. A multi-talented craftsman, Ylli complemented his many day time hustles with night and weekend work as an entertainer. Ylli immigrated to Maine in 2016, bringing with him the manuscripts of over 400 Albanian folk songs he had collected and written down in the course of four decades. Ylli’s move to Portland and its diverse ethnic community marks a new era in his musical odyssey. He performs as a member of the band Bondeko, collaborating with musicians of distinctively different traditions, from Congolese gospel to French pop and traditional American music. At the American Folk Festival, he will be accompanied by Bondeko bandmate Orson Horchler on guitar and vocals.

Ylli Brekofca performs: Sunday, Northern Light Health Two Rivers Stage, 12:15pm Sunday, Northern Light Health Two Rivers Stage, 4:00pm

AFF PRODUCERS’ CIRCLE MEMBERS Floyd & Janice Adams Leslie Anderson & Dan Nygaard Anonymous Peter Arabadjis & Lisa Buck Bill & Sally Arata Maria Baeza Larry & Barbara Beauregard Sandy Blitz Beth Bohnet Frank & Jane Bragg Eric Brown & Jean Camuso Al & Esther Bushway David & Susan Carlisle Lee & Ann Chick Dana & Rachel Clark Dan & Nancy Coffey Jean Deighan & Glen Porter Dennis Cox & Elizabeth Downing Clifton & Kay Eames Doug & Nichi Farnham The Fussell Family Sheri Glazier Nicole Gogan Andy & Patty Hamilton

Tracy Harding & Aimee Smith Richard & Suellen Jagels Gregory & Elizabeth Jamison Alexander Kagan & Susan Ortiz Jenn & Aram Khavari Vern & Janelle Leeman Helen Lewis Keith & Kristen Martin James McCleave & Edwina Meisner Norman Minsky Ron Morgan & Nima Moghaddas-Morgan Bob & Jen Montgomery-Rice John & Lyndy Rohman Matthew & Layne Rowe Liz Russell & Julie Green Deb & Jeff Sanford Allen & Katie Schaffer Penelope Shar & Stellos Tavantzis Kathryn Slott Lee Souweine Cathy & Lee Speronis Bob & Kristen Strong S. Dale Wilkes George & Mary Wright

Thank you!

The American Folk Festival Program is produced by

To support the American Folk Festival through a financial contribution or volunteering, visit www.americanfolkfestival.com or contact the festival offices at 207-262-7765.

AMERICAN FOLK FESTIVAL • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • August 10, 2019

Los Straitjackets INSTRUMENTAL GUITAR ROCK

Los Straitjackets perform:

Saturday, Showcase Stage, 1:15pm Saturday, Showcase Stage, “World Strings” Talk/demo session, 3:15pm Saturday, BDN Railroad Stage, 8:30pm Sunday, BDN Railroad Stage, 3:15pm Sunday, Showcase Stage, 5:30pm

os Straightjackets are the leading practitioners of the lost art of the guitar instrumental. Using the music of the Ventures, The Shadows, and with Link Wray and Dick Dale as a jumping off point, the band has taken their unique, high energy brand of original rock & roll around the world. This guitar instrumental rock group is visiting the American Folk Festival for the first time, but this will not be the group’s first performance in Maine. Los Straightjackets has been performing steadily since forming the group 15 years ago. The group has been featured on NPR and performed Christmas music each year on “Late Night with Conan O’ Brien” in the 90s. The group has a new EP available called Channel Surfing, covering TV theme songs including The Andy Griffith Show, Dancing with the Stars, and Game of Thrones. Clad in their trademark Lucha Libre Mexican wrestling masks, the “Jackets” have delivered their trademark guitar licks to 16 albums, thousands of concerts and dozens of films and TV shows. Viva Los Straitjackets!

Les Tireux d’Roches QUÉBÉCOIS

uebecois cultural ambassadors Les Tireux d’Roches are revered wherever they perform. Hailing from a region overflowing with creativity, this colorful crew has developed a unique and off-the-wall traditional style. Harmonica, saxophone, flute, accordion, percussions, banjo, bouzouki, foot tapping and guitar make up the band’s expressive arsenal. On stage at the American Folk Festival, they will dish out effervescent sounds guaranteed to make you dance. Les Tireux d’Roches know how to charm and entertain any crowd. In fact, this unconventional traditional Quebecois band has played over 450 concerts to popular acclaim across North America and Europe. The unorthodox Tireux d’Roches are passionate, rebellious and, above all, authentic. Their unique arrangements, far-reaching inspiration and unconventional instrumentation make the Tireux d’Roches a must-see of the generous and celebratory Quebecois music scene.

Les Tireux d’Roches perform: Friday, BDN Railroad Stage, 8:45pm Saturday, Northern Light Health Two Rivers Stage, “Songs of Home” Talk/demo session, 2:00pm Saturday, BDN Railroad Stage, 3:45pm Saturday, Showcase Stage, 8:00pm Sunday, BDN Railroad Stage, 4:15pm

AMERICAN FOLK FESTIVAL • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • August 10, 2019

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AMERICAN FOLK FESTIVAL • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • August 10, 2019

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AMERICAN FOLK FESTIVAL • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • August 10, 2019

INFORMATION W

elcome to the 2019 American Folk Festival on the Bangor Waterfront, the 18th year of an annual celebration of authentic traditional arts. We hope that you enjoy this year’s festival, and that you’ll make your plans to experience this grand event with the help of the information in this program guide. Long-time festival attendees will notice significant changes in the layout of the AFF this year. Projects working to improve the waterfront and infrastructure mean that some of the festival stages are changing location. You’ll now find the Railroad Stage in a spot closer to the river, and the Penobscot Stage is now combined with the Dance tent downriver (and renamed as the Showcase Stage). We hope that you’ll continue to find all of your favorite pieces of the festival, even if they’re in a new spot on the waterfront! This year’s American Folk Festival features 15 performing groups for your enjoyment. Plus, mark your calendars for August 28-30, 2020, for next year’s American Folk Festival on the Bangor Waterfront!

Festival Admission There is no admission fee to attend any of the festival’s programs, including performances, demonstrations, and children’s activities. However, presenting the festival free-of-charge costs nearly $1 million, and we need your help to cover these production costs. The suggested donation is $20 per day per person or $30 per day per family. As you enter the festival, or when you see the donation buckets, please consider a gift to support the event!

Bucket Volunteers The volunteers who make up the Bucket Brigade and the Donation Stations are a happy corps of community volunteers who encourage festival-goers to support the American Folk Festival. Donation Stations are at the main

festival entrances and throughout the festival site. The Bucket Brigade travels throughout the festival site. Please, drop your contribution (suggested donation: $20 per day per person or $30 per day per family) in the bucket to help cover the cost of the festival.

Festival Parking Recent development on the Waterfront has provided a convenient parking resource: the new parking garage adjacent to the Bangor Savings Bank campus will be open for festivalgoer parking, along with other streetside parking, surface lots, or the Pickering Square parking garage. During the festival, both sides of Broad Street (from Washington Street to Front Street) are reserved for festival patrons needing handicapped parking spaces.

Bicycles Free bicycle parking will be available near the Railroad Street entrance to the festival in a special bicycle parking area overseen by Folk Festival volunteers. Remember that Maine law requires a headlight and rear red reflectors visible from at least 500 feet when riding at night. Flashing tail lights and light-colored and/or reflective clothing are highly recommended. The law requires helmets for anyone under 16, but everyone should wear a helmet to prevent head injury.

Information Booths, Festival Schedules General festival information, the schedule of performances, and area information will be available at two information booths: near the Showcase Stage and near the Main Food Court on Front Street.

What to Bring You may want to bring comfortable walking shoes, sunscreen, and

sunglasses. A credit card will come in handy to buy festival memorabilia and CDs of performing artists. Bring your ID if you wish to purchase beer or wine. (Everyone who purchases beer or wine is carded!) Collapsible chairs and a blanket might make your festival visit more comfortable. Some stages will have seating, but others—such as the Railroad Stage—require that you bring your seating. Don’t forget your prescription medications and, just in case, bring your insurance and Medicare cards.

Beer and Wine Sales There are two locations for beer and wine sales at the American Folk Festival: at the Railroad Stage and at the Showcase Stage. Make sure to bring your ID if you wish to purchase beer and/or wine.

What if it Rains? Tents cover many festival stages and presentations. If the weather appears threatening, bring an umbrella. The show will go on, rain or shine, unless there is a concern for public safety.

Pets Please, do not bring pets (other than service animals) to the American Folk Festival. The large crowds—with many people seated on the ground— will appreciate your animals staying at home. Your pets will be more comfortable at home than in the midst of the festival crowds.

Smoke-Free, Please Smoking is prohibited within any festival tents, and in the food courts and picnic areas. Throughout other areas of the festival, please be courteous and refrain from smoking when in a crowd of people.

Medical and Emergency Services Minor medical emergencies will be

treated at the First Aid Center located at the bottom of Railroad Street. Northern Light Health sponsors and coordinates the First Aid Center.

Lost People Children who lose track of their caretakers should find a festival volunteer or staff member, who will contact security to escort them to the Public Safety Command Center.

Restrooms Portable restroom facilities and hand-washing stations are located at numerous spots throughout the festival site.

Handicapped Accommodations During the festival, both sides of Broad Street (from Washington Street to Front Street) are reserved for festival patrons needing handicapped parking spaces. Several stage performances and demonstrations will be translated in American Sign Language. See the schedule in the center of this program or check at an information booth. For liability reasons, the festival is not able to provide golf cart transportation to festival-goers.

Baby-Changing Station The festival’s baby-changing station is located in the Children’s Village, just upriver from the Main Food Court on Front Street.

Returnables and Recyclables For your convenience, there are bins for returnable bottles and cans and other recyclables placed throughout the festival.

Schedule Subject to Change Programs and performances were accurate at press time, but could change. Check at information booths for performance and scheduling updates.

AMERICAN FOLK FESTIVAL • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • August 10, 2019

SPONSORS

Virtuoso

Soprano

CITY OF BANGOR

Alto

Generous Friend of the Festival

Ovation CITY OF

BREWER

Tenor

Baritone Acadia Federal Credit Union • Bangor Letter Shop, Inc. • Brantner, Thibodeau & Associates • Cianbro Corporation • Farrell, Rosenblatt & Russell FirstMRI • Gross, Minsky & Mogul • John T. Cyr & Sons, Inc. • Kleinschmidt Associates • Maine Distributors • Maine Savings Federal Credit Union Northeast Pain Management • Oriental Jade Restaurant & Sampan Grill • Paine, Lynch & Harris • Parker Bailey Total Moving Center • Penobscot Financial Advisors Penobscot Energy Recovery Co. • RBC Wealth Management • Realty Of Maine • The Snowman Group • The UPS Store • Tradewinds Markets Wallace Tent • Walmart Supercenter (Bangor) • WBRC Architects - Engineers

Bass Airgas • Allen/Freeman/McDonnell Agency • AT&T Mobility Bangor • Bangor Federal Credit Union • Chapel Hill Floral • Cigaret Shopper • Cold Brook Storage Daigle & Houghton • Eaton Peabody • Epic Sports • ERA Dawson-Bradford Realtors • Fireside Inn & Suites Bangor • FirstLight • GE Power • Gilman Electric • Governor’s Restaurant • Getchell Brothers • Hartt Transportation Systems, Inc • Husson University • Jeff’s Catering • Leadbetter’s Super Stop • MacDermott Valuation & Consulting, LLC Moe’s Original Bar B Que • N.H. Bragg • NTENSION • Olive Garden Italian Restaurant • Penobscot Job Corps • Print Bangor • Rand Dentistry • REDFIN • Seacoast Scaffold Seasons Restaurant • Shyka, Sheppard & Garster Land Surveyors • Suburban Propane • Telford Holdings • Therapeutic Body Work Learning Center • Thomas Massage Therapy Transco Business Technologies • University Credit Union • UniFirst Corporation • Uno’s Pizzeria & Grill • Woodard & Curran • WS Emerson

Don Roy Trio MAINE FRENCH FIDDLE

AMERICAN FOLK FESTIVAL • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • August 10, 2019

The Campbell Brothers SACRED STEEL GOSPEL

n honor of their deep commitment to the musical heritage of Maine, the National Endowment for the Arts named the couple 2018 NEA National Heritage Fellows, the highest honor the government bestows on traditional artists. Join us at noon on Saturday at the Bangor Daily News Railroad Stage for a special set by the trio celebrating this honor. Partners in life and music for nearly 40 years, Don and Cindy Roy are leading proponents of Franco-American traditional music in Maine. Both are descendants of French families that emigrated from Canada—Don’s grandparents from Quebec, Cindy’s from Prince Edward Island. Don’s virtuoso fiddling and Cindy’s steady, rhythmic piano accompaniment, plus her top-notch step-dancing, have livened up many a house party and entertained audiences across the country. Don has been called “the dean of Franco-American fiddling in Maine,” a title reflecting both his skilled playing and his dedication to sharing his musical heritage. Since 2000, Don and Cindy have led Fiddle-icious, a community fiddle orchestra with more than 100 members. Both often teach at music camps, and Don gives private fiddle lessons. He is also a highly skilled luthier whose commitment to passing along knowledge and skills to others is evident at his shop in Gorham, Maine. He has taken on numerous aspiring craftspeople to work on their own instruments under his watchful eye and guidance.

The Don Roy Trio performs: Saturday, BDN Railroad Stage, noon Saturday, Northern Light Health Two Rivers Stage, “Mainers Old and New” Talk/demo session, 5:15pm Sunday, Northern Light Health Two Rivers Stage, 3:00pm

his sacred steel gospel group out of western New York state keeps it all in the family. They combine to bring a variety of flavors and sounds that mold together in ways that can only be accomplished by a family. The Campbell Brothers present a compelling, rich variety of material from the AfricanAmerican Holiness-Pentecostal repertoire with a new twist: the growling, wailing, shouting, singing and swinging voice of the steel guitar, played as you have never heard it played before. The Campbell Brothers return to the stages on the Bangor Waterfront, having performed at the 2004 Festival to great acclaim! The Campbell Brothers are 2018 inductees of the Rochester Hall of Fame, and have earned praise from publications like Real Blues and The New York Times, stating “The Campbell Brothers play music that until recently was heard only in gospel churches, with pedal steel guitar lines swooping skyward like a gospel shouter.”

The Campbell Brothers perform: Saturday, BDN Railroad Stage, 1:15pm Saturday, Showcase Stage, “World Strings” Talk/demo session, 3:15pm Saturday, BDN Railroad Stage, 7:15pm Sunday, BDN Railroad Stage, noon

AMERICAN FOLK FESTIVAL • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • August 10, 2019

Cimarrón

COLOMBIAN JOROPO MUSIC

The Fitzgeralds OTTAWA FIDDLE AND STEP DANCE

imarrón performs joropo music from the Plains of the Orinoco River with a global and contemporary sound. Their powerful scenic force achieves a unique blend of its Andalusian, Indigenous American and African roots, with an impetuous and deep ethnic singing, amazing stomp dance and fierce instrumental virtuosity of strings and percussions. More simply, Joropo is a lot of fun and fits right in with the American Folk Festival. Cimarrón was formed in Colombia in the mid-1980s, has performed in more than 30 countries, received a number of award nominations and won the Best Latin Album of 2012 at the Independent Music Awards for Cimarrón! Joropo music from the Plains of Colombia. When you see Cimarrón perform at the 2019 American Folk Festival, expect to see fourstringed cuatro, harp, maracas, peruvian-flamenco cajon, brazilian surdo, afro-colombian tambora, a stomp dance as a percussion component and tribal indigenous whistles. You will probably also see audience members on their feet and dancing. Feel free to join them!

Cimarrón performs: Friday, BDN Railroad Stage, 7:45pm Saturday, Northern Light Health Two Rivers Stage, “Songs of Home” Talk/ demo session, 2:00pm Saturday, Showcase Stage, “World Strings” Talk/demo session, 3:15pm Saturday, BDN Railroad Stage, 6:00pm Sunday, Showcase Stage, “World Rhythms” Talk /demo session, noon Sunday, BDN Railroad Stage, 2:00pm Sunday, Showcase Stage, 4:30pm

he Fitzgeralds come to the American Folk Festival from Canada’s renowned Ottawa Valley. The family group consists of fiddling and step dancing sensations Tom, Kerry & Julie Fitzgerald, who will be joined by Kyle Waymouth on guitar. While related, the Fitzgeralds all come to the stage with their own unique skill set. The Fitzgeralds are 3-time Canadian Grandmaster Fiddle Champions and Ontario Open Step Dance Champions, incorporating high-energy fiddling and mind-blowing step dancing. It is a rare combination of exceptional musicianship, incomparable step dancing, audience interaction, evident love of performing, and genuine sibling connection that resonates with any audience. Relatively young, The Fitzgeralds earn high praise for their performances on stages around the country. John O’ Brien, director of the Cleveland Irish Cultural Festival, says “No group has generated as much curiosity, compelling our audience to return for a second set. The warmth, energy and enthusiasm has hooked generations from young to senior, then the talent lets loose—pure vibrant magic.” American Folk Festival veteran Natalie MacMaster, a fiddling sensation from Cape Breton, says “The Fitzgeralds are standout musicians in our Canadian music industry. Together they are a beautiful blend of gorgeous fiddle music, and top rate, absolutely exhilarating dance routines.”

The Fitzgeralds perform: Friday, BDN Railroad Stage, 6:45pm Saturday, BDN Railroad Stage, 2:30pm Saturday, Showcase Stage, 9:00pm Sunday, Showcase Stage, “World Rhythms” Talk/demo session, 12:00pm Sunday, Northern Light Health Two Rivers Stage, 4:45pm

AMERICAN FOLK FESTIVAL • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • August 10, 2019

Garifuna Collective AFRO-CARRIBBEAN GARIFUNA MUSIC

Jones Benally Family NAVAJO MUSIC AND DANCE

he Garifuna Collective are a seasoned collective of musicians from across different generations, with a dynamic that comes from playing and traveling the world together, sharing their music and stories with global audiences. Their performances spark the history and soul of Garifuna culture into vivid life. The Garinagu people, whose language and culture is called Garifuna, descend from shipwrecked Africans whose ancestry can be traced back to the Yoruba, Ibo, and Ashanti tribes of Ghana, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone. After making their way to Central America, they intermarried with Carib and Arawak native peoples, and came to be known by the British as “Black Caribs.” Their music, dance, food and clothing offers a mixture of African, Native, and Spanish influences that is unique to the Caribbean coast of northern Central America. Proclaimed a “Masterpiece of the Oral & Intangible Heritage of Humanity” by UNESCO in 2001, Garifuna culture went unknown outside the region until 2007, when Andy Palacio & the Garifuna Collective released Wátina. The album, which earned favorable comparisons to Paul Simon’s Graceland, put the culture of Belize on the map, eventually earning the title of Best World Music Album of All Time by Amazon. With the loss of Palacio, the group perseveres and continues to tour and produce new music, taking their place in a long line of ancestors, maintaining and growing the Garifuna cultural identity, in a conversation between generations and traditions. The Garifuna Collective have performed in over 30 countries on 5 continents and have been part of the most celebrated Garifuna albums of all time, including the critically acclaimed Wátina.

The Garifuna Collective performs: Friday, Showcase Stage, 9:00pm Saturday, Northern Light Health Two Rivers Stage, “Songs of Home” Talk /demo session, 2:00pm Saturday, BDN Railroad Stage, 4:45pm Sunday, Showcase Stage, “World Rhythms” Talk/ demo session, noon Sunday, Showcase Stage, 1:20pm Sunday, BDN Railroad Stage, 5:15pm

orld Champion hoop dancer and traditional healer Jones Benally leads the Jones Benally Family Dancers. The group is three generations of one family who bring the beauty and healing power of Navajo (Diné) culture to educate and uplift people around the globe. Navajo dance is a sacred tradition encompassing a wide variety of forms, all of which aim to heal the body, mind, or spirit. These ceremonies are led by the haatali (“singer”), a role that encompasses singing, dancing, and healing. When presented outside the Navajo community, these dances are modified for public viewing, but they retain their deep capacity to move hearts and minds. The family’s emotive vocals and chanting, along with rhythmic accompaniment on traditional instruments like hand drum and rattle, amplify the ceremonial mood. The Benallys’ repertoire of dances includes traditional forms like the gourd dance, eagle dance, feather dance, and friendship dance. The hoop dance is always a highlight, as audiences marvel at the phenomenal natural figures and shapes Jones, as well as his son Clayson, can evoke so fluidly with five, nine, a dozen, or more hoops. Jones Benally is a respected haatali and elder of the Navajo Nation in northeastern Arizona. He learned from his father and grandfather, both haatali before him, starting with hoop dances, which are an integral part of the ceremonies. For many decades he has excelled as a performer and educator strengthening appreciation for Navajo culture among pan-Native and non-Native audiences.

The Jones Benally Family performs: Friday, Showcase Stage, 8:00pm Saturday, Showcase Stage, noon Saturday, Northern Light Health Two Rivers Stage, “Songs of Home” Talk/demo session, 2:00pm Saturday, Northern Light Health Two Rivers Stage, 4:15pm Sunday, Northern Light Health Two Rivers Stage, 1:00pm

AMERICAN FOLK FESTIVAL • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • August 10, 2019

Kim So Ra KOREAN PERCUSSION

ith transfixing power and deft beauty, Korean master drummer Kim So Ra leads an astounding quartet through traditional and not so traditional music. A multi-award winning Korean traditional percussionist, composer, and ambassador of Honam Province Jeongeup folk music, Kim So Ra is one of the most skilled and prominent Janggu (Korean double-headed drum) players in Korea. Kim is known for her genre-bending performances, combining Korean traditional sounds with creative, charismatic and modern interpretations. Kim So Ra will be joined by percussion master (and husband) Hyun Seung Hun as well as Lim Ji Hye on gayageum (Korean zither) and Lee Hye Joong on piri (Korean bamboo oboe). International tour support for Kim So Ra is provided by the Korea Arts Management Service’s Center Stage Korea program and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Republic of Korea.

Kim So Ra performs: Saturday, Showcase Stage, 4:45pm Sunday, Showcase Stage, “World Rhythms” Talk/demo session, noon Sunday, Northern Light Health Two Rivers Stage, 2:00pm Sunday, Showcase Stage, 3:30pm

AMERICAN FOLK FESTIVAL • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • August 10, 2019

Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton COUNTRY BLUES

erron “Blind Boy” Paxton transforms traditional jazz, blues, folk, and country into the here and now. His sound is influenced by the likes of Fats Waller and “Blind” Lemon Jefferson. According to The Wall Street Journal, Paxton is “virtually the only music-maker of his generation—playing guitar, banjo, piano and violin, among other implements—to fully assimilate the blues idiom of the 1920s and ‘30s.” In addition to singing and playing banjo, guitar, piano, fiddle, harmonica, Cajun accordion, and the bones (percussion), he mesmerizes audiences with his humor and storytelling. Jerron grew up in Southern California, where his grandparents moved to after leaving Louisiana in the 1950’s. “My grandmother used to sing – just like I do – any type of music that came to hand,” he said in an interview for the website “Straight.” “She sang blues and religious material and popular material and all sorts of things.” He says that his neighborhood was filled with southern transplants from Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana; he credits those neighbors for sparking his interest in older music. He started playing the fiddle when he was twelve, and the banjo when he was fourteen. Since then he has added piano, harmonica, Cajun accordion, ukulele, guitar and the bones to his musical arsenal. This young musician is a world-class talent with a unique, friendly and inviting personality. In an interview, he was asked what drew him to music. Paxton said that he just always had an “urge” to learn and play. “Some people bite their nails, some people eat boogers, and some people play music… I just happen to play music.”

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