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ALLIANCE INTERNATIONAL

Living Traditions

34TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE May 18-22, 2022 Kansas City, MO + Online

PROGRAM BOOK • PROGRAM BOOK • PROGRAM BOOK

OUR PREMIUM GUITAR LEGACY CONTINUES Yamaha began manufacturing classical guitars in the early 1940s, expanding to steel-string acoustic guitars by 1966. A team of master luthiers craft premium acoustic guitars for select artists in our Custom Shop in Calabasas, CA—building upon that legacy. We are thrilled to be sharing examples of our custom acoustic guitars with you at the Folk Alliance International Conference.

••••••••••••

CONTENTS • •

featured programming

1-3

Maps

4-7

OUR MISSION To serve, strengthen, and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation, and promotion.

sponsors 2023: save the date

Folk Alliance International (FAI) is a 501c3 non-profit organization founded in 1989 by Clark and Elaine Weissman.

schedule at-a-Glance

Welcome letter from artskC

601 Avenida Cesar E. Chavez, Ste 100

letters from leadership

22-23

board of directors

26-27

Kansas City, MO, 64108 USA 816-221-folk (3655) fai@folk.org | www.folk.org

Land Acknowledgement Folk Alliance International acknowledges that all of its activities and that of its North American member organizations take place on ancestral Indigenous lands. The 2022 conference is located on the traditional land of the Kansa/Kaw, Osage, Kickapoo, and Očhéthi Šakówin nations. We invite all attending the conference to learn with us about the Indigenous peoples, histories, and present day communities in Missouri.

CORE FAI TEAM

Aengus Finnan Executive Director

Fawn Lies Digital Media Coordinator

Jennifer Roe Director of Operations

Eunice Pryor Executive Assistant

Alex Mallett Director of Development

Tisha Naipaul Administrative Assistant

Marisa Kolka Communications Manager

Sara Gougeon Communications/Marketing Assistant

Treasa Levasseur Program & Community Engagement Manager Jerod Rivers Membership & Technology Manager

Lily Joiner Assistant Graphic Designer Nick Loss-Eaton Publicist

Table of Contents

14-15

Covid-19 safety

Things to know

first-timers events

spotlight Week

34-35

Global summits

Theme + artwork

health + Wellness

Together, for a Greener Conference

Wisdom of the elders

regional updates

50-53

keynote presenters

artist in residence

feature interview

international folk Music awards Cultural equity Council + CommuniTY Gathering

65-72 77

exhibit hall

78-83

daytime programming schedule

85-107

official showcase schedule

108-111

official showacse artists

112-130

ad index

133-134

notes

135-136 Table of Contents

Table of Contents

CONTENT HIGHLIGHTS

artist in residence

feature interview

keynote presenters

spotlight Week

Wisdom of the elders

Folklorist Summit: Tradition as Profession

Covid-19 safety

CONFERENCE STAFF

Hannah Bright Online Event Coordinator Elexa Dawson Outreach Coordinator Claire Diamond Official Showcase Production Coordinator 2

Table of Contents

first-Timers events

Beth Hatch Volunteer Coordinator Giselle Lee Hausman Official Showcase Production Coordinator Kylee Lambert IFMAs/VIP/Special Events Coordinator

Tim McIlree Official Showcase Production Coordinator

Global summits

Jim Schultz Private Showcase Coordinator

Katie Rich Staff Photographer

Arielle Silver Daytime Program Production Coordinator

Peter Shafran Official Showcase Production Coordinator

Mollie Stephens IFMAs/VIP/Special Events Coordinator

CONTENT HIGHLIGHTS Table of Contents

INTERNATIONAL FOLK MUSIC AWARDS 2022

Theme + art

Regional Updates

presented by

FAI Board of Directors

108

official showcases

VIDEOGRAPHY

FAI REGIONS

CONNECT WITH FAI

Shadow Scape Records

Midwest (FARM)

Say hi to us on social media!

PRODUCTION

Nordic Folk Alliance

Facebook: /folkalliance

SECT Theater Supplies, Inc.

Northeast (NERFA)

Instagram: @folk_alliance

COVER ILLUSTRATION

Southeast (SERFA)

Twitter: @folkalliance

Fawn Lies

Southwest (SWRFA)

YouTube: /folkalliance

West (FAR-WEST) Table of Contents

Maps

MAPS Hotel Entry & Exit

To Parking Garage

Media Room

Registration Washington Park Place Foyer

Union Hill West

Gift Shop Restaurant

Hotel Check-in

Washington Park Place 2&3

Bar/Coffee

To The Ballroom Level

or at ev

El s

Crossroads

Board room

Lobby Level

Maps

s or at ev

FAI Conference 2022

Terrace Level

G T ar er de ra n ce

FAI Conference 2022

To The Lobby & Ballroom Level

Maps

Ballroom Level FAI Conference 2022

Century C Staff Office

To The Sheraton

Merch

To Game Deck 4th Floor

Century Foyer In

Pershing North

Pershing East/West

To The Lobby Level

Instr. Check

Volunteer HQ

(See Exhibitor Map)

Liberty

Roanoke Foyer

Exhibit Hall

Roanoke

Shawnee Mission

or at ev s

Production HQ

Gender Neutral Restrooms

Maps

unique products themusician musician since unique products forforthe since1974 1974

Legendary

...and still the choice of today’s top players.

We’re still playing it safe this year by staying home. We expect to return to Folk Alliance in 2023, to resume hosting the Visit—our showcase inFamily room 821 “CapoCabana” showcasing the SHUBB of Artists. Mid City Room) Have fun, and we’ll see(the you then!

info@shubb.com • www.shubb.com 707-843-4068 707-843-4068

2017 catalogue 2016 catalogue

Maps

Sheraton Mezzanine Level FAI Conference 2022 Fremont

Vanhorn C

Vanhorn B

Vanhorn A

Book Your Own Meeting Check-In

To The Westin

Empire

Maps

GET BACK TO GIGGING. L 1 P R O P O R TA B L E L I N E A R R AY S

With an L1 Pro, you have a system that’s both uniquely portable and surprisingly powerful. Light, so it’s easy to pack. Loud, so it easily satisfies any audience, inside or out. Premium sound on stage. Practical portability everywhere else. It’s the power to sound your best, connect with your music and audience, and simply perform.

REACH YOUR AUDIENCE, NEAR AND FAR Every L1 Pro system delivers wide 180-degree horizontal coverage, delivering full-range sound, consistent tonal balance, and supreme vocal and instrument clarity.

kari estrin mgmt/consulting & radio promo

at radio in 2022

“I’ve known and worked with Kari for over 40 years. There is really no one like her in our world…with her thorough knowledge & catalog of experience & strategic thinking.”

THE ACCIDENTALS No. 1 CD/Song/Artist - March

LE VENT DU NORD No. 2 - March

JOHN WORT HANNAM No. 4 - February

BUFFALO ROSE & TOM PAXTON No. 6 CD / No. 1 Song - January

HUDOST No. 9 - January

AMY SPEACE At Radio: April/May

SUSAN CATTANEO At Radio: April/May

BARNEY BENTALL At Radio: May/June

VANESSA LIVELY At Radio: May/June

DEIDRE MCCALLA At Radio: June/July

~ John McCutcheon

Kari doesn’t just promote your CD to radio...she builds careers!

a holistic approach to marketing & branding your careers:

• Career Assessment System • Management Program • Hourly Intensives Acoustic Radio Promotion/consulting:

Take your CD from conception to promotion with: • The Career Assessment System • Management Program • & Acoustic Radio Promotion

Visit Exhibit Booth Lobby 1

Celebrating

50 YEARS! 2022/23

Photo by Kari Bedford

www. kariestrin .com

kari estrin mgmt/consulting & radio promo congrats to kari’s 2021 radio promotion clients! folk radio No. 1 s ! NO. 1 CD OF 2021 “GONE” NO. 1 SONG - 2020 NO. 2 SONG - 2021 NO. 1 CD/SONG/ARTIST - MARCH

No. 1 -APRIL 2021 No. 8 CD of the Year

No. 1 - JAN. 2021 No. 7 CD of the Year

No. 1 - MAY 2021 No. 2 CD of the Year

No. 1 - JUNE 2021 No. 9 CD of the Year

No. 1 CD/Song/Artist SEPTEMBER 2021 No. 3 CD of the Year

No. 1 - NOV. 2021

No. 1 - JULY 2021 No. 6 CD of the Year

No. 1 Song of 2021 “Wildfire”

top 5 CD s !

JARED

No. 2 - FEB. 2021

No. 5 - JUNE 2021

No. 5 - AUG. 2021

No. 2 CD / No. 1 Song JULY 2021

No. 4 -AUG. 2021

No. 4 - JULY 2021

JENNIFER C

No. 3 - JUNE 2021

No. 4 - NOV. 2021

No. 3 CD / No. 1 Song DEC. 2021

No. 2 CD / No. 1 Song NOV. 2021

No. 5 - OCT. 2021

top 10 cd s !

No. 9 - OCT. 2021

No. 7 - AUG. 2021

No. 6 CD / No. 1 Song OCT. 2021

No. 6 - NOV. 2021

No. 8 - AUG. 2021

No. 8 - JUNE 2021 NO. 6 Song of the Year

Promoted 26 Top 10 Albums in 2021! www. kariestrin .com

Graphic Design by Vanessa Lively

Official SHOWCASE

Québec SPOTLIGHT friday may 20

4:30 - 5:00 PM ➤ Duo Perse-Inca

6:00 - 6:30 PM ➤ Geneviève Racette

SHAWNEE MISSION

5:15 - 5:45 PM ➤ Rosier

6:45 - 7:15 PM ➤ David Laflèche We are proud to be Ambassadors of folk, trad and world music from Quebec in partnership with Mundial Montreal at Folk Alliance 2022.

iss

Don’t m 7:30 - 8:00 PM ➤ Le Diable à cinq

RS AMBASITSEA5D35O SU

our collective night showcases on Thursday 19 - Friday 20 - Saturday 21.

Music at the heart of our lives!

Thank You to Our Sponsors

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS platinum

Gold

silver

CACHE B

ANSAS C RK A

UNITY MM O

CREATIVE

bronze

N &E XC HA

Thank You to Our Sponsors

additional

te r n a r t s a lli a n

MI ED

MUSEUM

Thank You to Our Sponsors

we s

An A to Z Media Company

partner events

Media + promotional

Conference funders Enid & Crosby Kemper Foundation

Martin Guitar Charitable Foundation

Thank You to Our Sponsors

& at MAY 19, 2022

4:30PM – 8:45PM CST

Liberty Room Westin Crown,

Kansas City, MO

may 19, 2022

4:30 Bassett 5:15 Villages 6:00 Raine Hamilton String Trio 6:45 Amanda Rheaume 7:30 Barbra Lica

Mark your calendars for the 35th annual Folk Alliance International Conference on February 1-5, 2023, in Kansas City, MO at the Westin Crown Center Hotel! Stay tuned to folk.org/conference for registration and event details coming soon!

COMING SOON! Music is ingrained in the soul of Louisiana. The birthplace of jazz, zydeco, Cajun, and swamp pop, Louisiana has also inspired genres ranging from blues and country to hip-hop, gospel, rap, bounce, and rock ‘n’ roll. The history of the state’s music, and its outsized inﬂuence in popular music everywhere, can be traced to creole cottages, parlors, churches, and street corners as well as concert halls and auditoriums. Oﬃcially under development, The Louisiana Music Trail will tell the story of the state’s many historic contributions to music and celebrate the legacies of its greatest music innovators.

For more info go to: louisianatravel.com/music / crt.state.la.us/culture

SCHEDULE AT-A-GLANCE May 18

Friday May 20

Saturday May 21

10 am – 2:30 pm Compose Your Career x fai

8 am – 9 am Yoga

3 pm – 4 pm first Timer’s orientation

9 am – 9:30 pm first Timers Coffee

9 am – 12 pm panels & Gatherings

Sponsored by Grassy Hill Entertainment

9 am – 12:30 pm panels & Gatherings 9:30 am – 1 pm folklorist summit

Hosted by American Folklife Center at Library of Congress and American Folklore Society

10 am – 11:30 am archive Challenge 10 am – 12 pm book your own Meeting 12 pm – 4 pm exhibit hall

Supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts

12:30 pm - 1 pm shirley Collins keynote interview

9 am – 10:30 am all regions Coffee & Gatherings

10am – 12 pm book your own Meeting

1 pm – 4 pm panels & Gatherings

10:30 am – 12:30 pm book your own Meeting

10:30 am - 11:30 am Wisdom of the elders

1 pm – 4 pm book your own Meeting

10:30 am – 12:30 pm Meet the folk dJs

12 pm – 4 pm exhibit hall

4:30 pm – 8:15 pm official showcases

11 am – 12:30 pm panels & Gatherings

12:30 pm – 1:30 pm Madeleine peyroux keynote address, artist in residence

10:30 pm – 3 am private showcases

May 19

12 pm – 4 pm exhibit hall 1 pm – 2 pm peer sessions and panels 2 pm - 3 pm CommuniTY Gathering 3 pm - 4 pm Group Gatherings 4:30 pm – 9 pm official showcases

2 pm – 4 pm panels & Gatherings 2 pm – 4 pm book your own Meeting 4:30 pm – 9 pm official showcases 10:30 pm – 3 am private showcases

Schedule At-A-Gl ance

Wednesday

Sunday May 22

9:30 am – 3:30 pm Creative resilience: The art of Mass Gatherings in kansas City 8 pm Closing party at the american Jazz Museum

10:30 pm – 3 am private showcases Schedule At-A-Gl ance

WELCOME LETTER Welcome Letter

Hello conference attendees! On behalf of ArtsKC and our extended community, I would like to welcome all of you to Kansas City.

After two years of the pandemic, and another two years when Folk Alliance was in Montreal and New Hello conference attendees!

Orleans, we are thrilled to not only have all of your music and voices back, but also to celebrate the first of three years that the conference will be hosted here.

On behalf of ArtsKC and our extended community, I would like to welcome all of you to Kansas City. The presence the conference not only has a profound economicwhen impact Folk locally,Alliance but more importantly, After two years of theof pandemic, and another two years was in Montreal and New it provides a window to the world through the power of music. FAI is a welcome disruptive leader in Orleans, we are thrilled to notthat only have oftheyour music andserves voices back, buttraining also to celebrate the first terms of advancing issues impact us all,all and annual conference as an important and networking pad for many artists industryhere. members in our city and the Midwest Region. of three years that thelaunch conference will be and hosted Heartfelt thanks to the Board and staff of FAI for all of the incredible work here since 2014 and I want to

extendof our fondest wishes to Aengus Finnanhas as heapresents his final conference before stepping down but more importantly, The presence the conference not only profound economic impact locally, from his role as Executive Director. it provides a window to the world through the power of music. FAI is a welcome disruptive leader in terms of advancing that and impact all,alland annual conference as an important training Please enjoy issues your time here, be sureus to visit that the the city has to offer when you areserves able. and networking launch pad for many artists and industry members in our city and the Midwest Region. Sincerely,

Heartfelt thanks to the Board and staff of FAI for all of the incredible work here since 2014 and I want to extend our fondest wishes to Aengus Finnan as he presents his final conference before stepping down Dana from his role asKnapp Executive Director. ArtsKC President & CEO

Please enjoy your time here, and be sure to visit all that the city has to offer when you are able. Sincerely,

Advancing Lives Through The Arts

Dana Knapp ArtsKC President & CEO

Advancing Lives Through The Arts

106 Southwest Blvd — Kansas City MO 64108 — 816.994.9227 — theartscouncil@artskc.org — ArtsKC.org

Welcome Letter

Letters from Leadership

Hi everyone, Welcome back has never felt so good to write. We missed you, and we’ve missed being in community. Following last year’s Folk Unlocked Virtual Conference, this year marks the first time in FAI history that we are producing a hybrid conference. We’re proud of the modified conference we have been able to produce and the diverse Living Traditions program assembled. We know this year that not everything is exactly how it was in the past, but business is not back to “as usual,” and in many ways “as usual” was a little broken to begin with. So as we venture back into conferences and concerts, let's consider how we use this time to rebuild in healthier, more sustainable, and more equitable ways. If we are indeed a “folk” alliance, not just a “music” alliance, then there is a deeper purpose to our efforts than simply booking the next act or gig. To that end, FAI has publicly committed to a 10-year commitment to achieve 20% representation and allocate 30% of artistic and vendor fees to organizations for and individuals who identify as Black, Indigenous, people of color, women, individuals with disabilities, and LGBTQ2IA+ persons. I invite you to use this time to reconnect with friends, to reflect on the stillevolving state of affairs as a result of the pandemic, to network with industry colleagues, and to help envision a more dynamic, nimble, and inclusive industry moving forward. Naturally we look forward to seeing you back in Kansas City for our 35th conference on February 1-5, 2023 which will focus on all elements of sustainability. Finally, as announced earlier in the year, this is my final conference as your Executive Director. It has been the joy of my life to lead this organization, and I know that the next person at the helm will have the support of an amazing board and incredible staff, all of whom I have been honored to work with during my time here. I won’t be far, and who knows, perhaps I’ll pick up my guitar a bit more and get back to the music. All the best,

Aengus Finnan Executive Director, Folk Alliance International 22

Letters from Leadership

Dear friends and peers, On behalf of the Board of Directors, I’d like to welcome you all back to Kansas City for our annual Folk Alliance International Conference! While the arrival of every conference is always a joyful and highly anticipated week on the calendar, I can genuinely say I have never been happier to see all of you in person here at our 2022 event. This year should be something of a joyful family reunion, where we can come back together to celebrate our milestones and mourn our losses as a community. One positive benefit to come from the past few years is the introduction of our first true hybrid conference. For the first time, attendees need not be limited by location, budget, or circumstance, but can connect with the week’s programming from anywhere in the world through our online offerings. We have many other formative opportunities ahead of us this year: the official launch of the Cultural Equity Council, the development of our new Strategic Plan, and the search for the next Executive Director. I have no doubt that each of these endeavors will present their own challenges, but if I’ve learned anything from the last two years, it’s that Folk Alliance can face these things head on and come out stronger on the other side. Author and journalist Susan Orlean said, “The reason it matters to care passionately about something is that it whittles the world down to a more manageable size.” The reason we’re all part of this organization is because we care passionately about folk music and the people who make it. In a world that often feels overwhelming and unpredictable, this community is what makes it all more manageable. I want to say a sincere thank you to Aengus, the FAI staff, the Board - including our incredible roster of retiring directors and incoming slate of new faces - and to every one of you for making my life not just more manageable, but more wonderful on the whole. Welcome back to your Folk Alliance! Cheers,

Amy Reitnouer Jacobs Board President, Folk Alliance International Letters from Leadership

FAI Board and Board Alumni

FOLK ALLIANCE INTERNATIONAL BOARD Current board Members President: Amy Reitnouer Jacobs - The Bluegrass Situation - Glendale, CA, USA Vice President: Reid Wick - Recording Academy - New Orleans, LA, USA Treasurer: Kevin Dalton - Wiles+Taylor & Co. - Nashville, TN, USA Secretary: Laura Thomas - ComboPlate Booking - Austin, TX, USA At Large: Rosalyn Dennett - Folk Music Ontario - Smiths Falls, ON, CAN Ayappa Biddanda - Concord - Nashville, TN, USA^ Lynn Cingari - Wasserman Music - Monterey, CA, USA Iona Fyfe - Traditional Music and Song Association - Glasgow, Scotland^ Catalina Maria Johnson - Beat Latino - Chicago, IL, USA Michael Kornfeld - AcousticMusicScene.com - Huntington, NY, USA Sara Leishman - Calgary Folk Festival - Calgary, AB, CAN Gary Paczosa - Rounder Records - Nashville, TN, USA Chris Porter - Porter Productions LLC - Seattle, WA, USA Ann Powers - NPR Music - Nashville, TN, USA^ Caroline Randall Williams - Vanderbilt University - Nashville, TN, USA Ashley Shabankareh - Artist Corps New Orleans - New Orleans, LA, USA Alka Sharma - Canadian Arts Presentation Fund - Ottawa, ON, CAN Guillermo Subauste - Stream Tune-Up - Whitby, ON, CAN^ Gerald Torres - Yale University - Fairfield, CT, USA Brandi Waller-Pace - Decolonizing the Music Room - Fort Worth, TX, USA

Current Committee Members (non-board Members) Maria Ivey

Lisa Schwartz

Meredith Krygowski

Ellen Stanley

founders Clark & Elaine Weissman* * denotes being part of the original Steering Committee ^ New board members who were seated on March 31, 2022, at the Annual General Meeting ** Retired at the 2022 Annual General Meeting

FAI Board and Board Alumni

1989 steering Committee Caroline Paton

Robert Cohen

Jim Hirsch

Sonny Thomas

Juel Ulven

2019 - 2021 Lisa Schwartz**

2006 - 2007 Leslie Berman

1996 - 1997 Carolyn Bigley

2017 - 2019 Matt Smith

2005 - 2006 Tom Neff

1995 - 1996 Jeri Goldstein

2015 - 2017 Michelle Conceison

2004 - 2005 Meredith Carson

1993 - 1995 Phyllis Barney

2013 - 2015 David Hirshland

2003 - 2004 Rick Simon

1991 - 1993 Michael Miles

2011 - 2013 Renee Bodie

2001 - 2003 Dave Humphreys

1990 - 1991 Art Menius

2007 - 2011 Dan Navarro

1998 - 2000 Pierre Guérin

2007 - 2007 Val Denn

1997 - 1998 Angelo Joaquin, Jr.

FAI Board and Board Alumni

past presidents

past board Members Kwasi Aduonum

Wyatt Easterling

Barbara Karol

Judy Peiser

Dugg Simpson

Derek Andrews

Mike Elcessor

James Keelaghan

Eric Peltoniemi

Ann Smiley

George Balderose*

Linda Fahey

William Kennedy

Dan Perrin

Matthew Smith

Sarah Bates

Joan Fenton

Joan Kornblith

Charlie Pilzer

Mark Smith

Erin Benjamin

Jenni Finlay

Alan Korolenko

Randy Pitts

Jean Spivey

Becky Blackley

Dom Flemons

Joel Rafael

Ellen Stanley

Anne Blaine*

Mike Flynn

Cheptoo KositanyBuckner

Millie Rahn

James Lee Stanley

Margo Blevin Denton*

Ann Forbes

Bob Riesman

John Stiernberg

Ray Bloom

Randi Fratkin

Warren Robinson

Denise Stiff

Allison Brock

Chris Frayer Herschel Freeman

Carolina Rojas Posada**

Ralph Sutton

Camilla Bryce-Laport

Dave Marsh

Peggy Bulger

Bill Garrett

Bill Marshall

Shelly Romalis*

Enrique Chi**

Gilbert Gastelum

Susan Martinez

Jim Rooney

Mary Cliff

Don Gest

Tom May

Garth Ross

Eileen Cline

Susie Giang**

Deana McCloud**

Gloria Rosson

Rose Cousins

Chloe Goodyear

Cheryl McEnaney

Bruce Rouse

Doug Cox

Mike Gormley

Tim McFadden

Tamara Saviano

Dan Crary

Mike Green

Andres Mendoza

Jack Schuller

John D’Agostino

Karen Haggman

Doug Miller

Carla Sciaky

Donald Davidoff

Scott Hargadon

Ed Miller

Anthony Seeger

Hardin Davis

Sara Hickman

Mark Moss

Mike Seeger

lou DeMarco

Kira Hilley

Joann Murdock

Matt Sever**

Valerie Denn

Ken Irwin

Bruce Newman

Jordy Sharp

Juan Dies

Ralph Jaccodine

Sandy Paton*

Gene Shay

Phil Doolittle

Greg Johnson

Tom Paxton

Anya Siglin

Sam Lee Jo Long Chris Lunn

Dianne Tankle* Meg Tarquinio Greg Torrington MarySue Twohy Bil VornDick Wendy Waldman Jeff Warner David Warren Rich Warren Clark Weissman Keli Wenzel Janie Wilson Erika Wollam Nichols Randy Wynne Carol Young

FAI Board and Board Alumni

COVID-19 SAFETY Covid-19 Protocals

We modified several elements of the conference this year to minimize the risk of exposure to COVID-19. Here are a few of the changes to expect. FAI reserves the right to add or modify the precautions in place for your safety as we continue to monitor the situation.

➽

ALL attendees are required to provide proof of vaccination before receiving their conference badge.

➽

Masks are required during all conference activities and in all dedicated conference spaces.

Mask Policy Masks are required at all times in conference areas (meeting and showcase rooms, private showcase rooms and hallways, registration, etc.). The only exception is for artists while they are onstage performing. Conference registrants may briefly pull down their mask to take a drink or a bite of food, but should immediately pull up their mask. FAI encourages attendees to wear masks in other areas of the hotel, but this is not a hotel requirement, and other hotel guests and visitors may or may not wear masks or be vaccinated. In order to create a safe and comfortable environment for all, we have taken into consideration our many international attendees who have testing requirements for crossing borders, and those who are at high risk for complications from COVID-19. This is why we have chosen to continue to require masks during our event, despite the host city not having a mask mandate in place.

Vaccination Policy Conference attendees are required to provide proof of vaccination before securing their badge. Entry to conference spaces will be monitored to limit entry to registered badge-holders wearing their vaccine verification wristband (received at registration). Do be aware that outside of dedicated conference spaces, other hotel guests and visitors have access to certain common areas in the hotels and may or may not be vaccinated.

Letting people know your level of comfort Different colored lanyards will be provided to visually indicate your comfort level around others.

➽ Maroon: I’m keeping my distance (please keep at least three feet from me) ➽ Gold: Ask me before handshakes/hugs ➽ Green: I’m ok with handshakes, hugs, and high-fives! Financial support for COVID protocol supplies and procedures provided by: Bear Productions, Scott Twiford President, http://bearmusic.com and Grassy Hill Entertainment.

Covid-19 Protocals

fai Mobile app

instrument Check

Download our mobile app for free in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store! Search for “FAI Conference”.

Located in Penn Valley daily and rooms 704/705 during the evening Private Showcases, Instrument Check is available for anyone to keep their instruments in a secure place while they’re not using them. Band sound systems, tote bags, and other equipment will not be accepted. Instrument Check is not available on Sunday.

online Conference Content As in-person attendees, you also have access to all virtual-only content like virtual Private Showcases, international gatherings, the Compose Your Career Bio Makeover Session, and more! It’s all available on the app or you can access it on your desktop computer as well.

Thing s to Know

THINGS TO KNOW

Penn Valley (Ballroom Level) Wednesday: 11 am - 10:30 pm Thursday-Saturday: 9:30 am - 10:30 pm Rooms 704/705 (Private Showcase Floor) Wednesday-Saturday: 10:30 pm - 3 am

alWaYs Wear Your badGe and WrisTband

please be courteous!

It is required for access to all conference events. The replacement cost is $575 for FAI members and $675 for non-members.

Do not block high traffic areas or leave instrument cases in walkways or common areas. This is a safety hazard especially in the Private Showcase halls. Keep instrument cases within ten feet, and do not leave them unattended.

lost and found

Jamming

Store passports and valuables in your hotel room’s safe. If you see any suspicious behavior, report it immediately to hotel and conference staff. All lost and found items are handed over to the hotel. Please go to the hotel front desk if you have lost an item.

During Official Showcases and daytime events, jamming is restricted to the hotel lobby. Remember to invite others to play! Do not attempt to turn jams into personal showcases. Have fun, enjoy the community, camaraderie, and a chance to make music offstage and from the heart.

vintage Merch store

no smoking

Get your vintage FAI merch at hugely discounted rates at the merch table in the Century Foyer!

Smoking is not permitted in the hotel.

Thing s to Know

JOIN US FOR OUR NEW SEASON!

VICTOR & PENNY FRI / Sep. 2

Ticket packages are on sale now. Individual tickets go on sale June 6.

J C C C . E D U/M TC

Box Office: 913–469–4445 / Mon.–Fri. / 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

MAKING MOVIES FRI / Aug. 26

JOHN MCCUTCHEON SAT / Mar. 11

Scan this code to purchase best seats.

THE SMALL GLORIES SUN / Feb. 5

First-Timers Orientation Wednesday, May 18 3 pm - 4 pm Washington Park Place 2/3

First Timer's Events

FIRST-TIMERS EVENTS Are you overwhelmed by the dozens of meetings and panels, not to mention the hundreds of performances on the schedule? Unsure how to make the most of your time at the conference? Come to this gathering to hear advice from conference veterans on how to navigate the next several days and make connections with folks from around the world who are joining our community for the first time!

First-Timers Networking Friday, May 20 9 am - 9:30 am

A chance to meet up with fellow first-timers to share stories and deepen connections.

Century C

QUESTIONS? Throughout the week, look for conference veterans with “ASK ME” buttons. They’re available to answer your questions!

First-Timers Events Sponsored by Grassy Hill Entertainment

First Timer's Events

Spotlight Week

SPOTLIGHT WEEK

Kari Estrin Mgmt/Consulting & Radio Promo Presents FAI Folk Chart #1 Artists The Accidentals Becky Buller Jud Caswell Tim Grimm Reggie Harris John McCutcheon Over the Moon Diana Jones Mark Schatz and Bryan McDowell Peggy Seeger

Becky Buller

Yep Roc Spotlight Showcase Michaela Anne Aoife O'Donovan Eli Paperboy Reed Jonah Tolchin

Eli Paperboy Reed

Canadian Music. East Coast Style Spotlight Showcase Ana & Eric The Hypochondriacs Inn Echo Émilie Landry Kristen Martell Quote The Raven Shane Pendergast Dave Sampson

Ana & Eric

BreakOut West Spotlight Ila Barker Carter Felker Ellen Froese Gunner & Smith Kyle McKearney Ila Barker 34

Spotlight Week

Sierra Noble

SPOTLIGHT WEEK Scan QR code to view Spotlight Week:

Spotlight Week

A virtual presentation of talented acts from around the world in one-hour prerecorded showcases as part of the virtual programming for the 2022 Folk Alliance International Conference. Don’t miss these incredible performances!

Sounds Australia CLOSE UP Bobby Alu Nancy Bates Ruby Gill Georgia State Line Joel Havea Martha Marlow Parvyn Loren Ryan Glenn Skuthorpe We Mavericks The Weeping Willows Parvyn

Gretta Ziller

Kerrville Folk Festival Spotlight Showcase Chuck Brodsky Spencer LaJoye Chris Pierce Jackie Venson

Jackie Venson

New Zealand @ FAI 2022 Kylie Price Terrible Sons Luke Thompson WHIRI TŪ AKA

WHIRI TŪ AKA

Circulart presents Musical Diversity from Colombia Agua e Lulo Trio Alejo García Las Guaracheras Tonada

Tonada Spotlight Week

These focused sessions are intended to re-introduce a deeper connection to the processes, people, and policies behind the scenes that help establish and maintain the rich ecology of folk music. These summits shake up the standard panel format and provide an opportunity for a global network of industry-specific peers to convene in one place to share knowledge, ideals, and goals. Past summits have focused on field reports from archivists, funders, ethnomusicologists, and more.

Centering Disability in the Music Industry Summit Presented in partnership with Global Toronto A virtual, pre-conference event that took place on April 21. Join the Centering Disability in the Music Industry Summit Summary and Findings to discover findings and hear calls to action. Friday, May 20th 2:30 pm - 3 pm Century C

Folklorist Summit: Tradition as Profession Hosted by American Folklore Society and the American Folklife Center Presented by FAI This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts Friday, May 20th 9:30 am - 1 pm Empire (Sheraton Hotel)

Global Summits

GLOBAL SUMMITS

The Centering Disability in the Music Industry Summit was a half-day online convening bringing together folks with disabilities who work in the music industry or belong to the folk music community. Participants had the opportunity to discover some of the programs and organizations making advances in the field of disability inclusion; examined and reflected upon how recently collected data provides a framework for a more committed reckoning with disability equity in the sector; and co-created a concrete message that offers a roadmap for a multi-directional pathway of activation, coalition-building, and celebration of disability culture.

This day-long in-person session will address the professionalization of traditional arts and how there has been a tendency to define a “folk artist” as specifically not a professional within the academic discipline of folklore. This historical perspective can have the unintended effect of suggesting that traditional artists should not be able to make a living from their art and can lead to inequity in payment for folk and traditional musicians. We’ll address questions about authenticity, equity, value, payment, and more in the field of folk and traditional arts during this Folklorist Summit. It is by invitation only to folklorists and academics as well as pre-approved artists and industry professionals whose work intersects directly with folklorist study.

Join us for the Folklorist Summit Summary on Saturday, May 21, from 2-3 pm in Century C, which will outline the findings and discussions that took place at Friday's Folklorist Summit: Tradition as Profession.

Global Summits

Living Traditions - Theme + Artwork

Folk.org Living Traditions - Theme + Artwork

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HEALTH+WELLNESS Health + Wellness

Talk for FREE with licensed local family doctors about any of your health concerns or ways to maximize your health and quality of life in COVID times and beyond!

The HART Fund Clinic Thursday, May 19 Saturday, May 21 1 - 4 pm Century Foyer

RockDoc/Heartland Song Network + Midwest Music Foundation Clinic Wednesday, May 18: 5 - 7 pm Thursday, May 19: 2 - 6 pm Friday, May 20: 1 - 5 pm Room 542

The HART Fund is offering many health services FREE of charge to all conference attendees! Stop by to get comprehensive blood testing for anemia, cholesterol, diabetes, thyroid/kidney/liver function, and prostate cancer screening. Results will be available in a few days. They’ll also have an onsite physician for consultation if needed!

Have an urgent (but non-emergent) health need while onsite? You can call 913-735-5880 from 8 am to midnight! Stop by the Heartland Song Network + Midwest Music Foundation Clinic Private Showcase room for a one-on-one chat with a doctor who’s volunteering their time this week. Blood pressure + blood sugar checks and COVID tests for symptomatic folks will be available! Sign up for an appointment at folk.org/health. Walk-ups available, too!

Health + Wellness

FAI is determined to address the environmental impact of the annual conference as well as year-round events and programs.

We have not produced pocket guides this year, and program books are only available for those who opted in during the registration process. The entire schedule for showcases and daytime programming is available in our conference mobile app.

2. 3.

Remember the four R’s: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle!

BYOB: Bring your own water bottle!

4. 5.

Together for a Greener Conference

TOGETHER, FOR A GREENER CONFERENCE

To cut down on waste at this year’s conference, disposable water cups will not be available. We have a small amount of FAI-branded water bottles available for purchase at the merch shop.

Be mindful of trash and recycle whenever possible!

Posters and flyers are not allowed on the lobby and conference levels. Postering is allowed at a designated area on the Ballroom Level for artists, and by Private Showcase hosts on the Private Showcase floors.

Together for a Greener Conference

WISDOM OF THE ELDERS entertained the idea of presenting legends and luminaries of the folk community in small group settings where they could interact and share stories and perspectives about their experiences over a lifetime in folk music. This year, the elders being honored are Wanda Fischer, Mitch Greenhill, and Reggie Harris.

Wanda Fischer

Wisdom of the Elders

With so many new voices on the scene, countless changes in technology and communication, and the passing of friends and folk legends each year, it’s worth pausing every now and then to celebrate our elders. Many of these community leaders and folk music pioneers have been interviewed individually over the years, but in 2010 Sonny Ochs

Born in Tennessee and raised in the Boston area, Wanda Fischer learned about folk music as a child from her father, who was a close friend of members of the Carter Family. During the 1960s, she frequented the Bostonarea coffeehouses, sometimes as a performer, sometimes a spectator. In 1975, she volunteered at a community radio station and found herself doing a folk music show on the air for four years. After moving to the Albany, New York, area in 1982, WAMC-FM, a major NPR affiliate, finally acquiesced and gave her a spot on Saturday night, following A Prairie Home Companion. She’s celebrating 40 years on air with WAMC this year.

Mitch Greenhill Mitch Greenhill is president of FLiArtists/Folklore International. His father, Manny Greenhill, founded the company in 1957 and his son, Matt, continues the tradition. The company has represented Doc Watson, Joan Baez, Taj Mahal, and others. Mitch is the author of "Raised by Musical Mavericks." His latest album as a performer is "Mitchology”, a collection of original songs. He has appeared at the Newport Folk Festival, Merlefest, Royce Hall, and other major venues. He also composed music for productions at regional theaters and on Broadway.

Reggie Harris Singer-songwriter Reggie Harris uses the power of song to build community and to educate for justice and social change. His performances, lectures, and recordings all serve as vehicles to educate, inspire, and inform people of all ages. He is a Fellow for the Council of Independent Colleges, a John F. Kennedy Center teaching artist, and Co-President and Musical Education Director for the Living Legacy Project. He’s also a 2021 recipient of the W.E.B. Dubois Legacy Award and a recipient of a Spirit of Folk Award from FAI.

Interviewed by Marilyn Rea Beyer Marilyn Rea Beyer is the host of The Midnight Special at WFMT 98.7. Growing up in Illinois, concerts at Orchestra Hall, the Earl of Old Town, and Navy Pier fueled her passion for folk music. After moving to New England, Marilyn spent many years as an on-air folk radio host and music director at Boston’s WUMB and served on the board of legendary Club Passim. In 2019, she returned to Chicago and was tapped to take over from Rich Warren as host of The Midnight Special in 2020.

Wisdom of the Elders

Southeast Regional Southeast Regional Folk Alliance Alliance Folk

Preserving music of of the the southeastern southeasternUS US Preserving and and promoting promoting folk folk & & roots roots music with and support support every every day day with aa conference conference in in May May and www.serfa.org www.serfa.org

SERFA Showcase SERFA Regional Showcase Friday evening evening 10:30 10:30 10:50 10:50 11:10 11:10 11:30 11:30 11:50 11:50 12:10 12:10 12:30 12:30 12:50 12:50 1:10 1:10

Mike Younger Younger Wes Collins Friction Farm Lilli Lewis Jess Klein Jess Klein Lyal Strickland Lyal Strickland Afton Wolfe Afton Wolfe Clay Parker Clay Parker & & Jodi Jodi James James Alice Hasen Alice Hasen

REGIONAL UPDATES Regional Updates

Updates from Our Regions Our regional affiliate organizations have also pivoted their normal offerings and shifted to digital programming over the last couple of years. Enjoy these updates from each region on

FARM (Folk Alliance Region Midwest) In 2021, FARM committed to continuing its Virtual Connections programming created in response to the COVID-19 restrictions. Virtual Connections provides regular peer sessions for radio, presenters, and our combined community along with our near-weekly Tuesday Tech Talks where members of our community share their knowledge of some of the tools we needed more than ever. The Virtual Connections team under the leadership of Conference and Virtual Connections Director Annie Capps, produced our first full virtual conference, “The Gathering”, that featured a stirring keynote address by Carrie Newcomer. Wisdom of the Elders was re-imagined as an intergenerational panel titled Wisdom Across the Ages with John Gorka, Josh White Jr., Lillian Werbin, and Humbird (Siri Undlin). The virtual conference was presented completely live to allow all in attendance to take advantage of networking opportunities, participate in our panels and workshops, and enjoy our many showcases as can only be experienced at a live event. Thank you all for sharing this new experience with us! We appreciate the financial and volunteer support along the way. We look forward to continuing Virtual Connections and returning to an in-person conference in Lisle, Illinois. Learn more at farmfolk.org Upcoming Conference: October 19-23, 2022, in Lisle, Illinois

FAR-West (Folk Alliance Region West) Inspired by FAR-West’s new mission to be a year-round hub for creativity, education, and community, our inaugural virtual conference, October 14-16, 2021, gathered 300 lovers of folk music and storytelling. The conference kicked off with showcases spotlighting venues and artists from the western territories of the U.S. and 110

Regional Updates

what they’ve been up to and how you can join them at their next conferences. Don’t forget to also stop by their booth in the Exhibit Hall! Canada. In addition to our Venue's Choice Concert and Private Guerrilla Showcases, events included "Community Music and Stories," highlighting our diverse geography and genres; educational panels, and intimate Peer Group conversations. This year's Best of the West Awards went to Nina Gerber for contributions as instrumentalist, arranger, and pre-eminent accompanist for folk and Americana artists; and Lark Camp founder Mickey Zekley for years of serving artists’ needs through legendary music retreats for the folk community. Dan Navarro was awarded the inaugural Humanitarian award recognizing his inspiration, resilience, and pandemic-era work in education, community, and performance. We continue to expand our music and educational programs including semi-monthly Campfires, FAR-West Teaches educational workshops, Communities, and Best of the West programs all year long. Learn more at far-west.org Upcoming Conference: October 13-16, 2022

NERFA (Northeast Folk Alliance)

Regional

As a way to engage and support our community year-round, NERFA presented twenty panels, thirty peer groups, and a quarterly video spotlight feature — all online. These programs laid the foundation for the 27th Annual NERFA Conference, which took place entirely online, over the weekend of November 11-14, 2021. Nearly 700 registrants came together for community, educational panels, peer group sessions, formal and guerrilla showcases, the exhibit hall, workshops, and keynote addresses from Lisa Schwartz, Jake Blount, and Lori McKenna. NERFA recognized the Year’s Outstanding Contributions to Folk Music by presenting Awards

REGIONAL UPDATES Our 2022 conference will take place as a hybrid event, offering both in-person at Asbury Park, New Jersey, and digital registrations. Occurring November 10-13, at the Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel, this year's conference will feature formal showcasing and keynote addresses from the legendary Stone Pony venue. To access digitally, please purchase our Extended Access virtual ticket for 365 days of access! Learn more at nerfa.org Upcoming Conference: November 10-13, 2022, in Asbury Park, New Jersey + online

of business advice and celebrating the rich traditions of the region. In 2021 we held an online conference featuring Mary Gauthier as a keynote speaker. We were finally able to recognize award recipients chosen for 2020 along with new honorees David Holt and Deidre McCalla. SERFA also expanded its board to nine members in 2021, which now includes leaders from all aspects of our community: record label, presenter, DJ, publicist, teacher, and musicians covering the broad spectrum of folk. Learn more at serfa.org

Nordic Folk Alliance

SERFA's 2022 conference was May 12-15 in Black Mountain, North Carolina

Building on four years of partnerships and following FAl's 2018 ExChange event in Gothenburg, Sweden, the board of FAI authorized an initial expansion agreement for the formation of a Nordic Folk Alliance (NFA) with NOMEX/ The Nordic Music Export Offices and in partnership with the Cultural Development Administration of Region Västra Götaland and Göteborg & Co.

SWRFA (Southwest Regional Folk Alliance)

After a successful 2019 event, and two years off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Nordic Folk Alliance returned April 20-20, 2022, with its third edition in Gothenburg, with a focus on Nordic synergies and opportunities as well as Nordic indigenous music. The project was developed by the Music Export Offices from each Nordic country (Music Export Sweden, Music Norway, Music Finland, Tempi, and Music Iceland) in close relationship with the Cultural Development Administration of Region Västra Götalandt, Göteborg & Co, the local folk music communities and local partners. Learn more at nordicfolkalliance.com

SERFA (Southeast Regional Folk Alliance) Our tradition of holding the annual conference in the spring left SERFA in a tight spot for 2020. We canceled our scheduled conference in Chattanooga with no time to plan an online event. Instead, we dove into supporting and connecting our region with monthly SERFA Sessions offering a wide variety

Regional Updates

to Crys Matthews and Heather Mae for Artist Activist of the Year; Adam Ezra for Creator of the Year; Tom PrasadaRao for Song of the Year for $20 Bill (for George Floyd); and the Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to David Amram.

The annual SWRFA Conference will be in Austin, Texas, at the Holiday Inn, Austin-Midtown, on Sept 21-25, 2022. We have open mics, Official Showcases, and In-Room showcases. The seminars and panels during the day on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday address many facets of the music business — booking and tour planning, agents and managers, music law, the internet, getting airplay, studio know-how, song sharing and discussion, wellness while on the road, looking for alternate ways to get our music to the world, and many more topics. We eat meals together and form wonderful new relationships and renew old ones. And we are certain to have FUN! Artists, managers, agents, venue operators, as well as folks who come to listen enthusiastically, are all encouraged to attend. Please join us this year! Learn more at swfolkalliance.org Upcoming Conference: September 21-25, 2022, in Austin, Texas Also, please be sure to join us in person this week on Thursday morning from 9:30-10:30 am to meet up, talk about our regional programming, and sign up to win a registration to the 2022 conference.

Regional Updates

Mari Black CHAMPION MULTISTYLE FIDDLER

“One of the brightest young fiddlers around today”

“Superb, inspiring, and unforgettable! Her magic is such that she sweeps audiences along with the sounds she and her instrument make.”

- Brian O’Donovan, host of WGBH radio’s “A Celtic Sojourn”

— Willie Ruff, Director of the Ellington Jazz Series, Yale University

“Particularly impressive” - The Boston Globe

Glenfiddich Fiddle Champion of Scotland

“The first fiddler who inspired me to want to learn how to dance. Her skill and infectious joy in fiddling is beyond words.”

2-Time U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Champion 2-Time Maritime Fiddle Champion

Canadian Novelty Fiddle Champion

Freshgrass Fiddle Awards, Finalist

— Rich Warren, WFMT "Folkstage"

MASC Songwriting Competition, Instrumental Gold Medal

www.mariblack.com | info@mariblack.com | 617-446-3832

OFFICIAL SHOWCASE

Saturday, 4:30 p.m. in Century C PRIVATE SHOWCASE

Friday, 10:30 p.m. in the Traditional Music Room (Room 746) COME VISIT AT BOOTH #504

MAP OF FAI'S NORTH AMERICAN REGIONS Regional Updates

Regional Updates

23RD ANNUAL

2022

SEPT. 21-25, 2022 | AUSTIN, TX

Madeleine Peyroux and Shirley Collins

Madeleine Peyroux Keynote Address

Keynote Presenters

KEYNOTE PRESENTERS Friday, May 20, 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm In-person: Century C Madeleine Peyroux is a world-renowned jazz, blues, and folk artist whose 2004 breakthrough album Careless Love went platinum internationally. Born in Athens, Georgia, Peyroux got her start as a teenager busking the streets of Paris’ Latin Quarter. Offering compelling original material and insightful interpretations of classics and modern tunes by the likes of Billie Holiday, Bessie Smith, Bob Dylan, Hank Williams, and Leonard Cohen, she has recorded with Allen Toussaint, Walter Becker (of Steely Dan), Marc Ribot, Meshell Ndegeocello, and Bill Wyman (of the Rolling Stones) and sung on stage with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. Her atmospheric version of Serge Gainsborough’s La Javanaise was used in the soundtrack of Oscar Winner The Shape of Water and her countless accolades include the coveted BBC International Artist Of The Year honor. Thirty years after her formative busking days, Peyroux is the proud curator of nine beguiling albums and an acclaimed performer with sold-out worldwide tours.

Shirley Collins Keynote Interview with Will Hodgkinson

Saturday, May 21, 12 pm - 12:30 pm Broadcast: Century C Shirley Collins is an English folk singer, song collector, and perhaps the greatest living embodiment of the musical threads that connect the country with its history. As a significant presence during the Second English Folk Revival, she helped launch British folk-rock’s “golden age.” Following a period of silence, Collins released her acclaimed record Lodestar in 2016 – a collection of English, American, and Cajun songs dating from the 16th Century to the 1950s. This was followed by her most recent full-length, Heart’s Ease, in 2020. In January 2022, a revised and updated edition of her singular memoir America Over the Water was released, chronicling her journey through America’s southern states with Alan Lomax documenting music and culture. Collins is a Member of the Order of the British Empire, was awarded a Gold Badge by the English Folk Dance and Song Society, is a recipient of a BBC Radio 2 Folk Award, and is currently patron of the South East Folk Arts Network and Folk South West.

The Times’ Will Hodgkinson will interview Collins, presented in partnership with British Underground. He is the chief rock & pop critic for The Times newspaper (UK). Will is an author, has written for Mojo magazine, The Guardian, The Independent, and Vogue, and presents the Sky Arts TV show Songbook (UK).

Keynote Presenters

816.842.5500 300 W. 12th Street Kansas City, MO

2022 Project

Friday, May 20 12:30 - 12:45 pm CT Century C

This year’s commissioned work is in partnership with champion fiddle player Saskia Tomkins and England's The Mixed Museum. Her composition is an instrumental piece weaving Roma, Trad., and blues elements to accompany a photo/video essay exploring her family’s search to find her grandfather, a segregated AfricanAmerican G.I. forbidden to marry his white girlfriend and required to return to the US while his daughter (Saskia’s mother) was twice forced into an orphanage as part of England's buried and rarely-discussed "Brown babies/half castes" era.

Artist in Residence

ARTIST IN RESIDENCE

The Artist: Saskia Tomkins saskiatomkins.com Saskia Tomkins is a master musician of violin/fiddle, viola, cello, and nyckelharpa. She is classically trained with a folk background, holds B.A. (Hons) in Music (Jazz), and won the All Britain Champion Irish Fiddler Award. She has appeared with countless artists including The Chieftains and she originated the “Celtic-ifying” of the broadway hit “Come From Away”. She performs solo, with multiple ensembles, and is part of several orchestras.

MI ED

MUSEUM

The Partner: The Mixed Museum mixedmuseum.org.uk Established in 2012, The Mixed Museum is a non-profit organization seeking to preserve and share the history of Black, Asian, and wider ethnic minority presence and racial mixing in Britain. The museum’s “Brown Babies” exhibition exploring stories of children born to black G.I.s and white women in the Second World War received a 2021 award from the Museums Association 2021 Museums Change Lives awards!

About Artist in Residence Created to foster cultural cross-pollination, diversify audiences, and nurture artistic growth, FAI’s Artist in Residence program (AIR) pairs folk musicians with institutions and community organizations through innovative partnerships. Past projects have paired artists with UNESCO, the WWI Museum, Topeka Correctional Facility, KCPD,

Artist in Residence

7pm Friday, May 20, at the Garden Terrace Sponsored by MerleFest & Come Hear North Carolina Listen & Learn: henhouseprowlers.com

It is music & dancing that make me at peace with the world. N E L S O N

M A N D E L A

Workshops and Educational Programs Cross-Cultural Collaborations Listen and Learn: bluegrassambassadors.org

Freeman Vines and Hanging Tree Guitars, in conversation with Dom Flemons

Feature Interview

FEATURE INTERVIEW Friday, May 20, 2 pm - 2:45 pm Broadcast: Roanoke

freeman vines

dom flemons

In this intimate conversation, renowned musician and scholar Dom Flemons sits down with Freeman Vines, a self-taught luthier and sculptor born in Greene County, North Carolina, in 1942. For over fifty years, Freeman Vines has transformed materials culled from a forgotten landscape in his relentless pursuit of building a guitar capable of producing a singular tone that has haunted his dreams, including a series using wood from a tree used for lynchings. Vines befriended photographer Timothy Duffy in 2015, and the two began to document the guitars, culminating in The Hanging Tree Guitars book and project.

Feature Interview

THE H SONGS & RESENT OUSE OF CACHE P

NORTHWEST

WEDNESDAY

T H U R S DAY

F R I D AY

S AT U R DAY

MAY 18 MAY 19 MAY 20 MAY 21

SCAN FOR ARTIST INFO

STEPHEN CLAIR!

TO THE TREES! LET IT OUT!

JESS KLEIN "A songwriter with a voice of unblinking tenacity" --The New York Times NEW ALBUM

COMING LATE 2022

JESSKLEIN.COM for info & contact

www.PJBworld.com

Phil Jones Bass amplification is showcased on every stage at FAI. Visit the PJB booth!

TONE TO GO

INTERNATIONAL FOLK MUSIC AWARDS 2022

IFMAs Cover presented by

IFMAs Presented by YAMAHA

R is

ing Tide

le Peop ’s Vo he Award ic The People’s Voice Award is presented to an individual who unabashedly embraces social and political commentary in their creative work and public careers.

Jason Mraz

le’s V p o e P o i e c h Award

IFMAs Presented by YAMAHA

participated in Farm Aid. Mraz took part in a non-profit rescue mission in Ghana to liberate children sold into slavery, performed in Myanmar to raise awareness about human trafficking, and was present at Standing Rock. His own foundation benefits multiple organizations addressing issues he is committed to, and in 2020, Mraz donated all profits from his "Look for the Good" album to Black Lives Matter and other groups working toward equality and justice.

Jason Mraz is a multi-platinum GRAMMY Award-winning singer-songwriter known for his positivity and a consistent attention to conservation, human rights, and LGBTQIA+ issues. A vegan “short supply-chain” organic farmer, Mraz is an investor in Café Gratitude and a supporter of Why Hunger, founded by the late folk singer Harry Chapin and radio DJ Bill Ayres. To raise awareness about the environment, he has visited Antarctica, endorsed The Nature Conservancy, and

The People’s Voice Award is presented to an individual who unabashedly embraces social and political commentary in their creative work and public careers.

IFMAs clearwater Jason Mraz Jason Mraz is a multi-platinum GRAMMY Award-winning singer-songwriter known for his positivity and a consistent attention to conservation, human rights, and LGBTQIA+ issues. A vegan “short supply-chain” organic farmer, Mraz is an investor in Café Gratitude and a supporter of Why Hunger, founded by the late folk singer Harry Chapin and radio DJ Bill Ayres. To raise awareness about the environment, he has visited Antarctica, endorsed The Nature Conservancy, and

IFMAs Presented by YAMAHA

The Rising Tide Award was launched in 2021 to celebrate a new generation (under 30) artist who inspires others by embodying the values and ideals of the folk community through their creative work, community role, and public voice.

IFMAs Presented by YAMAHA

g T n i i d s i e R Award

IFMAs rising tide Mali Obomsawin Mali is an award-winning Smithsonian Folkways Recordings artist from Odanak Wabanaki First Nation. She is a bassist, singer-songwriter, and composer who embraces multiple music traditions and has toured internationally as part of the band Lula Wiles. She is also a proud member of Welcome to Indian Country, an Indigenous performance production, and has worked with Red Sky Performances. Her latest project, Sweet Tooth, explores concepts of Indigenous identity, colonization, and resistance. Known for her sardonic songwriting, beyond the stage Mali is also a freelance journalist,

penning insightful must-read articles for The Boston Globe, National Performance Network, and Smithsonian Folklife Magazine. She is a tireless advocate for Indigenous sovereignty and collective liberation, and works with the organizations Racial Equity and Justice as well as the Sunlight Media Collective. She is the founder and Executive Director of Bomazeen Land Trust, a Wabanaki-led nonprofit for land rematriation and food sovereignty. Mali is currently scoring and serving as musical supervisor for the upcoming film We Are The Warriors, addressing racist mascots and verbiage.

IFMAs Presented by YAMAHA

o f Fol t i r i p k

These awards are presented to honor and celebrate people and organizations actively involved in the promotion and preservation of folk music through their creative work, community building, and demonstrated leadership.

Eugene Rodriguez is an acclaimed musician, educator, and documentary producer who founded Los Cenzontles, both as a band and as a non-profit music academy and community space for Latinx artists, youth, and families in the San Francisco Bay area. He has produced over 30 recordings of Mexican roots music and cross-cultural projects and was nominated for a GRAMMY for the bilingual recording “Papa’s Dream”. He has produced three documentaries for the Cultures of Mexico in California series and conceived of the film project Linda and The Mockingbirds. He serves as a board member of the Arhoolie Foundation and has received numerous awards for his cultural and community service.

IFMAs Lilli Lewis LAA is a composer, producer, and performing artist with three critically acclaimed releases on Louisiana Red Hot Records where she serves as VP and the Head of A&R. She conceived of and hosted the ongoing “Committing to Conservation” initiative to develop safe space for diversity within the folk community and spearheaded the “Country Soul Phone Book” as a developing directory of BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and disabled artists under served by the music industry. She co-produced the inaugural “Black Opry Fest”, an event designed to reclaim the legacy of Black artists in Americana, folk, and country music. She also co-wrote/ produced and performed “Mask Up” as an anthem for a New Orleansfocused public health campaign.

Gaelynn Lea was the 2016 winner of the NPR Tiny Desk Contest and has since toured 45 states and nine countries, captivating audiences with haunting original songs and traditional fiddle tunes. A champion of disability rights and venue accessibility, she uses her music as a platform to advocate for disabled people, to engage and inform allies, and to promote positive social change. Gaelynn is the co-founder and Vice President of RAMPD – Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities, and is an in-demand speaker as featured on TEDx Talks, The Moth Radio Hour, PBS NewsHour, and On Being with Krista Tippett. She is currently creating original music for a Broadway production of Macbeth starring Daniel Craig and Ruth Negga.

IFMAs Presented by YAMAHA

Erin Benjamin began her career as a singer-songwriter and label owner before becoming the inaugural Executive Director of Folk Music Ontario, establishing the organization’s conference as the national gathering of the Canadian folk music community. She went on to lead the Canadian Arts Presenting Association and currently serves as the President and CEO of the Canadian Live Music Association providing industry leadership, advocacy, and resources. She is the founder of the Ottawa Women in Music Industry group and led major community relief fundraising. She is an FAI Board alum and continues to serve multiple organizations including Unison Benevolent Fund, Ontario Creates, and the Ottawa Board of Trade.

Amado Espinoza

IFMAs Best of

is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and instrument maker from Cochabamba, Bolivia, who has called Kansas City home since 2014. Amado specializes in the Charango and Andean flutes, performs with multiple ensembles, and is the co-founder of Resonation Music and Arts, using educational programming to inspire curiosity and respect for world cultures through music, dance, and storytelling. He is a Charlotte Street Foundation Performing Arts Fellow, Lighton International Artist Exchange recipient, TedxKC presenter, and Adjunct Professor in the Graduate Student Theatre Department at UMKC.

Shain Shapiro, PhD is the founder and CEO of Sound Diplomacy. Focused on assessing the value of music, his work has influenced over 75 cities and countries to invest in music and culture and his co-founded Music Cities Convention has become the world’s largest convening of city planners, developers, policy makers, and music industry representatives. He is also the Managing Director of the Center for Music Ecosystems, a global nonprofit. A writer, consultant, and speaker, his music advocacy work has influenced the UN, OECD, European Commission, and Greater London Authority.

IFMAs Presented by YAMAHA

Sponsored by Global Toronto

Chris Pierce 4:30 PM

Dan Weber 4:45 PM

Al Qahwa 4:45 PM

HuDost 4:30 PM

Matt The Electrician 5:15 PM

JM Stevens 5:30 PM

The Pairs 5:30 PM

Jeffery Straker 5:15 PM

John Wort Hannam 6:00 PM

Max ZT 6:15 PM

Beny Esguerra and New Tradition Music 6:15 PM

Treya Lam 6:00 PM

Big Little Lions 6:45 PM

Thea Hopkins 7:00 PM

Don't Chase the Lizard 7:00 PM

The Hello Darlins 6:45 PM

Rachel Baiman 7:30 PM

Jack Dappa Blues 7:45 PM

Ventanas 7:45 PM

Diana Jones 7:30 PM Official Showcase Schedule

111

Official Showcase Artists A-B

official showcase artists

A Tale Of Two Nashville, TN, USA

Friday 7:00 pm Roanoke

Oozing an infectious stage presence and chemistry that carries over from the music to the back and forth banter between songs, “A Tale Of Two” offers a different kind of Americana: storytelling by a swampy pair of retro raconteurs spinning blues arias with soul, intrigue, and power. Aaron Lessard 774-644-2592 aaron@taleoftwomusic.com

harp); Ernie Tollar on wind instruments; Demetri Petsalakis on oud, and Naghmeh Fahrahmand on percussion. They perform original compositions, as well as popular traditional Arabic repertoire from Sufi Devotional Love songs from the Arab World to popular folk songs, to classic Egyptian songs made famous by the stars of Egypt (the Hollywood of the Middle East). They will be joined by guests Fethi Nadjem, Waleed Abdulhamid, and Roula Said. Maryem Tollar 647-918-7127 maryemhassantollar@gmail.com

Los Angeles, CA, USA

Thursday 6:00 pm Pershing North

Los Angeles, CA, USA

Thursday 5:30 pm Roanoke

Abby Posner has been a working musician in Los Angeles for the past 16 years. She is best known for her ability to play nearly any instrument that she can lay her hands on, twisting genres, and pushing the boundaries of folk and roots music. Her newest release Kisbee Ring hits the charts in Nov 2021. Louise Baker 828-450-5385 louise@bakerbooking.com

Alice Howe’s soulful, impeccably-tuned voice and crafted poetry are at once timeless and original. Raised on her parents’ vinyl collection, her music reflects a deep connection to 60s and 70s folk/rock, and blues. Her forthcoming album was recorded at iconic FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Jim Fleming 734-995-9066 x.18 jim@flemingartists.com

Adrian+Meredith's music embodies the spirit of the human story with a nod to punk, the heart of folk, flavor of Polka, and bounce of swing. They spend 100+ dates a year touring the USA and Europe. Their live show will have you on your feet dancing, clapping, and stomping along. Tyler Rehm 608-225-3287 tyler@thetragency.com.

Amanda Rheaume is an awardwinning Métis singer-songwriter with a slightly gritty, deeply personal, and instantly accessible Americana sound. Nicole Rochefort 416-953-5752 info@aimbookingagency.com

American Patchwork Quartet Thursday 5:00 pm Online Virtual Showcase

Toronto, ON, CAN

Saturday 4:45 pm Shawnee Mission Al Qahwa Ensemble is composed of Maryem Tollar on vocals, riqq (Arabic tambourine) and qanun (Arabic table

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Official Showcase Artists A-B

With a voice described as ‘truly astonishing’ by Rolling Stone, Anna Smyrk is a powerful singer, song-maker, and storyteller from Australia. She makes anthemic music about far-flung places and long-distance love that appeals to word nerds and melody obsessives alike. Anna Smyrk 61438318177 bookings@annasmyrk.com

Annie Mack

New York City, NY, USA

Al Qahwa

Songwriter, producer, and filmmaker Amilia K Spicer's music evokes languid landscapes and gritty ache with textures between the longings. Solo or with her scorching band. Festivals she's played include Kerrville, Woodyfest, 30A, Topanga Days, Americanafest (Official). Spicer has taught songwriting at Kerrville, Lamb’s Retreat, and music video production at FARM. David Tamulevich 734-622-8486 david@tamulevich.com

Saturday 7:45 pm Pershing East/West

Thursday 6:45 pm Liberty

Friday 7:30 pm Pershing North

Thursday 6:45 pm Pershing North

Melbourne, VIC, AUS

Ottawa, ON, CAN

Nashville, TN, USA

Los Angeles, CA, USA

Anna Smyrk

Amanda Rheaume

Adrian + Meredith

Amilia K Spicer “A seriously gifted songwriter”American Songwriter Magazine.

Alice Howe

Abby Posner

songs that highlight America’s immigrant roots. Dan Peraino 617-254-0007 dan@thekurlandagency.com

GRAMMY-winning guitarist/vocalist Clay Ross, 3x GRAMMY-winning drummer Clarence Penn, GRAMMY-nominated vocalist Falu Shah, and highly acclaimed bassist Yasushi Nakamura showcase the dynamic diversity of contemporary culture by reimagining timeless songs from America’s past. APQ draws on a repertoire of centuries-old American folk

Rochester, MN, USA

Friday 6:15 pm Pershing East/West

Lauded by artists like Taj Mahal, visionary blues and roots artist Annie Mack branches out on her new EP Testify, mixing folk, rock, and country gospel into her unique soulful sound. Digging deep, she embarks on a journey of self-discovery and empowerment as she takes the reins as songwriter and producer. Although only 5 tracks, this power-packed release features Mack at her finest, singing her truth with strength, conviction, and unflinching honesty. Confirming her status as Minnesota's heir to the Mavis Staples throne (Star Tribune), Testify is indeed the album we

official showcase artists

Beny Esguerra and New Tradition Music

Big Little Lions

Saturday 6:15 pm Shawnee Mission

Big Little Lions are an award-winning duo who were born out of a collaboration that won them a JUNO Award in 2014. Since then they have been cranking out infectious folk pop songs that sound like the product of two people working side-by-side instead of living in different countries. Teresa Nelson 204-979-3456 teresa@traversemusic.ca

Toronto, ON, CAN

Barbra Lica

Toronto, ON, CAN

Thursday 7:30 pm Liberty

Juno-nominated Barbra Lica is a Torontobased jazz and folk vocalist and songwriter of exceptional talent and has been receiving accolades for her unique vocal ability that stresses subtlety, grace, and expression. Barbra’s performances have captivated audiences all over North America with her genuine warmth and engaging stage presence. Danielle Devlin 802-393-7120 danielle.canismusic@gmail.com

Ruben “Beny” Esguerra arrived as a child to Tkaronto from Bacatá (Bogotá, Colombia) as a political refugee with his parents, who were receiving threats for their human rights activism. Today, he is a JUNO nominated multi-instrumentalist/ producer, spoken-word poet, arts educator, and community worker. In 2021, he was chosen as the laureate of the 2020 Ontario Arts Foundation Arts Educator Award. Sergio Elmir 416-843-7473 info@newtraditionmusic.com

Royston, Springboro, BC, CAN/USA

Saturday 6:45 pm Pershing North

Official Showcase Artists A-B

need right now - honest, soul-filled songs to lift our spirits and spring us into action so we can make ourselves and the world a little more loving. Craig Grossman 612-703-0151 craig@flemingartists.com

Buffalo Rose

Pittsburgh, PA, USA

Friday 4:45 pm Garden Terrace

Beth Bombara Basset

Toronto, ON, CAN

Thursday 4:30 pm Liberty

Toronto-based folk duo, Basset, will take you from a beekeeper’s fields to the haunted basement of a second-hand store in a style all their own. Basset bring a deep love of the natural world to their gorgeously meditative debut album, In The Clay, set to release in Fall 2022. Yasmine Shelton 647-904-8683 basset.theband@gmail.com

St. Louis, MO, USA

Friday 6:15 pm Roanoke

Beth Bombara has spent much of her adulthood on the road, carving out her own award-winning mix of modern folk and electrified folk-rock. From Aimee Mann’s quirky indie-folk to Neil Young’s heartland rock, she sources inspiration from iconic sources while slowly stitching together her own quilt of sounds. Kit Hamon 618-292-1311 booking@bethbombara.com

Wildly charismatic six-piece folk/pop group Buffalo Rose will change your entire perspective on acoustic music. They take the singer-songwriter tradition to a new level, crafting original songs which are emotive, meticulously arranged, and inspired by a world of idiosyncratic influences that never let a dull or predictable moment creep in. Stephanie Coronado 320-333-9935 Ginger@GingerRootsAgency.com

Bywater Call Toronto, ON, CAN

Thursday 6:30 pm Online Virtual Showcase

Beatrice Deer

BettySoo

Thursday 8:00 pm Online Virtual Showcase

Thursday 4:30 pm Shawnee Mission

Montréal, QC, CAN

Beatrice Deer, Award-Winning singersongwriter and healthy lifestyle activist, is from the northern village of Quaqtaq (population 406) in Nunavik, Quebec. Half Inuit/half Mohawk, Deer has created a body of work consisting of six albums, in which she uniquely blends Traditional Inuit Throat Singing and Contemporary Indie Rock, whilst pioneering the music genre known as ‘Inuidie’. Michael Felber 514-967-5654 info@beatricedeerband.com

Austin, TX, USA

BettySoo is a Texan-Korean-Americana artist. She’s won awards: Kerrville, MountainStage, Sisters; and played stages: SXSW, E-Town, WoodSongs, Bob Harris. She records harmonies for Eliza Gilkyson, James McMurtry, Jaimee Harris, and many others. Live-streaming, BettySoo cuts a unique path: connecting with authenticity through Nobody's Happy Hour, featuring a guest each Tuesday. Laura Thomas 512-423-7667 Laura@ComboPlateBooking.com

Toronto-based 7-piece band Bywater Call came together out of a love for southern soul, blues & roots music. Their live show brings audiences to their feet and has been enjoyed by crowds of all ages. The band is eager to release their second studio album in 2022. Nicole Rochefort 416-953-5752 info@aimbookingagency.com

Official Showcase Artists A-B

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Official Showcase Artists C-D

official showcase artists

California Guitar Trio

Charly Lowry

Chris Pierce

Thursday 6:45 pm Century C

Friday 5:30 pm Washington Park Place 2/3

Saturday 4:30 pm Pershing North

West Hollywood, CA, USA

The universe of guitar knows no boundaries for The California Guitar Trio. Since 1991, the group has enthralled listeners with a singular sound that fearlessly crisscrosses genres. The trio’s questing spirit drives it to explore the intersections between rock, jazz, classical, and world music. It even throws in the occasional surf or spaghetti Western tune for good measure. Jeff Laramie 608-664-8160 jlaramie@sroartists.com

Lumberton, NC, USA

Charly Lowry, a musical powerhouse from Pembroke, NC, is proud to be an Indigenous woman belonging to the Lumbee/Tuscarora Tribes. Among her community, Native women are traditionally barred from the hand-drum and relegated to singing behind the men’s drum and/or dancing instead. Lowry defies that norm, following in the footsteps of her mentor, an artist and heir to the Tuscarora Indian Nation, Pura Fé. Matt Greenhill, FLi Artists 310-451-0767 mattg@fliartists.com

Moncton, NB, CAN

Kellogg, IA, USA

Colombian-Panamanian ensemble Calle Sur is living proof that the terms Latinx” or “Hispanic” can't be summarized. Their music expresses urban and rural, multiracial and multicultural, female and male perspectives. As a duo or as an innovative jazz quartet, Calle Sur transports audiences through gorgeous cascades of sound and positive energy. Rachel Cohen 310-701-9191 rachel@cadencearts,com

Charm of Finches Melbourne, VIC, AUS

Thursday 7:00 pm Online Virtual Showcase

Sister duo Charm of Finches from Melbourne, Australia, make intricate, dreamy indie-folk with many stringed things, awash with seamless blood harmonies traversing melancholy and wonder in equal measure. Their 3rd album, Wonderful Oblivion (2021), was produced by acclaimed Canadian producer Daniel Ledwell. Lara Supan 734-995-9066 x23 lara@flemingartists.com

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Singer-songwriter Christine Melanson from Moncton (NB) has more than one string to her bow. The multidisciplinary artist, poet, and storyteller created a highly colorful folk-pop universe. Cent millions d’années (A Hundred Millions Years) is her sophomore album, nominated for two Music New Brunswick awards in 2020. Christine Dubé 506-227-4196 contact@coolcatsagency.ca

Munster, COR, IRL

Friday 6:00 pm Liberty

Fort Collins, CO, USA

Colorado musicians Cary Morin (guitar, vocals), Celeste Di Iorio (harmony vocals), Luke Hunter (bass and vocals), and Jordan Pasquin (drums, percussion, and vocals) unite to form a high-energy roots rock band, intent on getting folks up and out of their seats! Sara Vale 916-955-0121 sara@flemingartists.com

Thursday 8:30 pm Online Virtual Showcase

Clare Sands

Cary Morin & Ghost Dog Friday 7:45 pm Washington Park Place 2/3

Chris Pierce gained national prominence with “We Can Always Come Back to This,"" which aired on ‘THIS IS US,’ then peaked at #1 on the Billboard Blues Chart. His 2021 album 'AMERICAN SILENCE' garnered massive critical acclaim from NPR, SiriusXM, The Bluegrass Situation, NoDepression, Rolling Stone Country, and many more. Chris Rusk 865-217-6363 chris@praterday.com

Christine Melanson

Calle Sur

Thursday 8:30 pm Online Virtual Showcase

Los Angeles, CA, USA

Chloe Foy

Cheltenham, GLS, UK

Thursday 5:30 pm Washington Park Place 2/3

With her strikingly beautiful voice and emotionally direct and soothing songwriting, Chloe has captured the attention of global audiences. Chloe’s music has accumulated over 18 million plays on Spotify and earnt praise from NPR’s Bob Boilen and airtime on BBC Radio 2 and Radio 6. Highlights include SXSW 2018, Folk Alliance 2020, a 2020 headline UK tour, Greenman and Cambridge Folk Festivals, and UK/EU/US tour supporting Jesca Hoop. Ryan Terpstra +447809 589599 ryan@kmmltd.com

Channeling the music of her ancestors through deep-rooted traditional fiddling & bilingual song, Clare Sands is a unique force in Irish music. A 6th generation fiddler, singer-songwriter, and multiinstrumentalist. She makes pulsating Folk music with influences from around the world, creating an invigorating new sound for the young and the old, brave and bold. David Shaughnessy 816-456-6251 david@uptownartistgroup.com

official showcase artists

D'DAT

Dani Larkin

Friday 4:45 pm Roanoke

Saturday 6:45 pm Century C

Friday 5:15 pm Liberty

Nashville, TN, USA

A mesmerizing storyteller and a cinematic lyricist, Claudia Nygaard is a winner of both the Kerrville and Tumbleweed Music Festival songwriting competitions. Her songs are heartfelt, humorous, scrappy, and sensual little slices of Americana that reveal a daredevil’s vulnerability delivered in between outlandish monologues by an amber honey voice. Claudia Nygaard 615-336-1392 naturaltalentbooking@gmail.com

Colin Lillie

Alice Springs, NT, AUS

Friday 4:30 pm Pershing North

Colin Lillie is certainly one of a kind. Finding his truth in Central Australia, this award-winning Gypsy Scotsman has thrived as a songwriter nationally and internationally. You don’t have to delve deep into Colin’s lyrics or voice to know he is driven by all the shades of life’s experiences. Clinton Parkes 61293315888 clintonp@theharbouragency

Compton & Newberry Nashville, TN, USA

Thursday 5:30 pm Garden Terrace

Mike Compton and Joe Newberry, masters of old-time mandolin and banjo/guitar, dig deep into early country music and blues. Their duet-singing, two-man string band ranges between traditional songs, instrumentals, "mother" ballads and original tunes. It’s not about the number of notes with Compton and Newberry, but telling the truth and respecting the song. Mark Ross 615-581-5233 x.316 mark@livearts.biz

Farmington, NM, USA

D’DAT is just at home in an intimate venue as it is on a festival stage, as the past several years have proven. The group has burned up smaller clubs, but it also has taken part in such memorable international collaborations as its concert with Mongolian master throat singer Baatarjav Erdene Tsogt. Andre Bouchard 267-253-1033 andre@indigenousperformacnce.org

Belfast, DOW, IRL

Hailing from the Armagh-Monaghan border, Dani Larkin is being heralded as one of Ireland's finest songwriters. A storyteller by nature, her music is inspired by the folktales she was raised with, entwined with elements of traditional melodies and rhythms from around the world in a seamless and timeless tradition. Conrad Bird conrad@midnightmango.co.uk

Dan Navarro

Danny Schmidt

Friday 6:45 pm Century C

Thursday 6:00 pm Shawnee Mission

Venice, CA, USA

A career singer-songwriter and voice actor for decades, Dan Navarro charts a unique artistic course via hit songwriting, acclaimed recordings, stirring concerts, and major films. His stories are steeped in richness, heart, and insight delivered everywhere on his ongoing NomadDan van tour. His next album, "Horizon Line," releases this Spring. Laurel Falkenstein / Silverleaf Booking 717-249-6812 laurel@silverleafbooking.com

Dan Weber

Richardson, TX, USA

Saturday 4:45 pm Roanoke

Dan Weber is a four-time finalist in the Kerrville ‘New Folk’ competition and winner of the prestigious Woody Guthrie songwriting contest. A former Park Ranger, he's been described as reminiscent of early John Prine. Ramblin' Jack Elliott said, "I love Dan’s songs, and he tells really good stories." Dan Weber 360-737-7737 deweber911@gmail.com

Official Showcase Artists C-D

Claudia Nygaard

Austin, TX, USA

Drawing comparisons to Townes Van Zandt and Leonard Cohen, Schmidt’s a preeminent writer, building a cult following for his powerful poetic lyricism and razor sharp social commentary. Sing Out Magazine proclaimed: "Schmidt is a force of nature. He is perhaps the best new songwriter we've heard in the last 15 years." Craig Grossman (612) 703-0151 craig@flemingartists.com

Dave Sharp Worlds Quartet Ann Arbor, MI, USA

Thursday 8:00 pm Online Virtual Showcase

Recognized in the Jazz Times 2010 Critic’s Poll, the DAVE SHARP WORLDS QUARTET masterfully blends rhythms, sounds, and textures from across the globe with world music inspired original compositions. Featuring oud, violin, electric bass, synthesizer, and world percussion, DSWQ explores music traditions from Turkey, Egypt, Ukraine, India, Bulgaria, and Greece. Aileen Rohwer 734-276-8558 glpaaoffice@gmail.com

Official Showcase Artists C-D

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Official Showcase Artists D-H

official showcase artists

David Laﬂeche

Digawolf

Duo Perse-Inca

Friday 6:45 pm Shawnee Mission

Thursday 5:00 pm Online Virtual Showcase

Friday 4:30 pm Shawnee Mission

Sainte-Adèle, QC, CAN

Emerging artist David Lafleche launched his first solo album, "Everyday Son," on May 7th, 2021. Inspired by his family, his childhood, and his many road trips throughout the United States, he is now ready to take on his experience as a musical director to become the true artist he has always been. Jacynthe Plamondon-Émond 514-726-8246 jacynthe@intempomusique.com

David Starr

Cedaredge, CO, USA

Thursday 6:00 pm Online Virtual Showcase

David Starr possesses “a compelling voice, something truly special, both accessible and passionate” (Elmore), honed by releasing ten albums, touring internationally, and opening shows for esteemed artists. His new project, Touchstones, features a digital single release every month for one year. His 2020 release, Beauty & Ruin, showcases his timeless songwriting. Kate Richardson 615-970-7474 Hello@RichlynnGroup.com

Yellowknife, NT, CAN

Two-time Juno nominee, Digawolf’s music bridges the gap between modernity and tradition. Inspired by his Tlicho culture, Diga’s work is fused with the land and people of Canada’s North. His latest album High Arctic was featured on NPR's New Music Friday: The Top 10 Albums Out On Nov. 6, 2020, where he was referred to as “an artist you might not know, but should.” Jesse Reid 867-445-3559 jesse@talkingraven.ca

Diogo Ramos Montréal, QC, CAN

Saturday 4:30 pm Liberty

Diogo Ramos is a Brazilian singer-songwriter living in Montreal. Ramos has been working professionally for 25 years as a music producer, having released 20 albums between composition and production. During the year 2019, he toured Canada, South America, and Europe with his album “Samba sans frontières” (Samba Without Borders). In 2021, he presents Raro Efeito EP, a new concept, mixing samba funk and electro-hip-hop with several artists. Julien Senez-Gagnon 438-938 9033 communications@pasamusik.com

Saturday 7:30 pm Washington Park Place 2/3

Award-winning American singer-songwriter Diana Jones has been called the “Emily Dickinson of song” and “the female Johnny Cash” in reviews and rightfully so. Bu, a journey of adoption and reunion as mysterious as her songwriting led to the gritty, authentic Americana storytelling that has become her life’s work. Denis Grabill (Black Oak Artists) 937-216-4397 denis@blackoakartists.com

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Official Showcase Artists D-H

Showan Tavakol and Federico Tarazona, two musicians with deep roots in the rich traditions of Iran and Peru, met in Montreal and formed Duo Perse-Inca in 2018. They create a music that invokes a dialogue between two ancestral peoples, embodied by two of their iconic instruments, the Iranian kamancheh and the Andean charango. Frédéric Léotar 514-616-9943 diffusion@centredesmusiciens.com

Durham County Poets Ormstown, QC, CAN

Thursday 6:30 pm Online Virtual Showcase

Juno-nominated, Durham County Poets are a lively, soulful group who write and perform an eclectic blend of blues and roots music. Their joie-de-vivre is reflected in the good times audiences consistently have at their shows. They’ve toured North America, released four albums, and are working on a fifth, all under fearless leader Kevin Harvey. Heidi Fleming 514-827-4830 heidi@famgroup.ca

Eliza Gilkyson

Diana Jones

New York City, NY, USA

Montréal, QC, CAN

Taos, NM, USA

Don't Chase the Lizard

Santiago, Region Metropolitana, CHL

Saturday 7:00 pm Shawnee Mission Tomás Del Real is an award-winning Chilean songwriter, producer, and guitarist, with an outstanding international career, participating in countless festivals, tours, and projects in more than 25 countries. Tomás has established himself as one of the most active and versatile Chilean musicians of the new generations and has inspired a fresh way of presenting the new folk music. Tomás del Real 37254540513 contacto.tomasdelreal@gmail.com

Thursday 4:30 pm Online Virtual Showcase

Twice-Grammy nominated folk singer Eliza Gilkyson takes a break from the sociopolitical music of her last 6 recordings, releases “Songs from the River Wind”-snapshots of people, places, lives, and loves lost and found over years of wandering the West, a musical minstrel searching for her heart’s home. Judy Werle 206-706-7960 judy@suite5.com

official showcase artists Greg Kastelman 415 501 0446 greg@ unbound-artists.com

Ensemble Ibérica Kansas City, MO, USA

Giulia Millanta

Friday 7:30 pm Century C

Ensemble Ibérica performs music from Ibéria (Spain and Portugal) and other areas of the world connected to the Iberian diaspora while educating the public about Ibérian cultural influence. Beau Bledsoe 816-304-7067 info@ensembleiberica.org

Fellow Pynins Portland, OR, USA

Friday 4:45 pm Pershing East/West

Fellow Pynins delivers original and traditional ballads in contemporary form, saturated with vocal harmony. Wielding claw-hammer banjo, Irish bouzouki, mandolin, and acoustic guitar, the live performance breathes spontaneous and clever banter, mirth, and woe - you will probably cry and laugh a lot. Finn De Harte 541-363-1491 Finn@rowboatmusic.com

Austin, TX, USA

Thursday 6:45 pm Shawnee Mission

Geneviève Racette Montreal, QC, CAN

Friday 6:00 pm Shawnee Mission

Geneviève Racette was awarded 2020 CFMA Emerging Artist of the Year. Through her compelling, vulnerable lyricism, ethereal vocals, and honest stories about love, Geneviève is set to launch her third album, Satellite, in March 2022. This rising star in the Canadian Folk Music scene has recently collaborated with international artist Dallas Green. Jacynthe Plamondon-Émond 514 726-8246 jacynthe@intempomusique.com

Mill Valley, CA, USA

Saturday 5:30 pm Pershing East/West

Forest Sun enlivens audiences around the globe with his wealth of songs and stories, all sung and told in a laid-back California style. His songs mine his deep folk roots and embrace his love of gospel, reggae, Americana, country, soul, jazz, and funk. Forest Sun 415-320-2618 forest@forestsun.com

Thursday 5:30 pm Online Virtual Showcase

Georgia Mooney Sydney, NSW, AUS

With beloved band, All Our Exes Live in Texas, Georgia Mooney has received international acclaim. In 2021, Georgia recorded her debut solo record with producer Noah Georgeson (Joanna Newsom, Devendra Banhart). Rich in lush arrangements and transcendent melodies, Georgia’s beguiling songs artfully carry you from the intimate to the allegorical. Georgia Mooney 61425248598 georgiacmooney@gmail.com

Thursday 4:30 pm Online Virtual Showcase

Thursday 7:00 pm Washington Park Place 2/3

Gaelynn Lea won NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Contest in 2016. Since then, she has played over 600 shows in 45 states and 9 countries. Gaelynn has performed in both SXSW

Hayde Bluegrass Orchestra Thursday 5:30 pm Online Virtual Showcase

Los Canarias, ESP

Duluth, MN, USA

This group masterly brings together the Quebec repertoire and the Irish repertoire. This is an absolutely magical fusion, thanks in particular to the real-life union of Sophie Lavoie from Lac-St-Jean and Fiachra O’Regan from Ireland. The legendary André Marchand (La Bottine souriante, Les Charbonniers de l’Enfer) is the third member of this talented trio. Genevieve Nadeau 450-909-0940 spectacle@ciedunord.com

Oslo, Oslo, NOR

Germán López

Gaelynn Lea

Grosse Isle

Saint-Antoine-sur-Richelieu, QC, CAN

Thursday 5:30 pm Online Virtual Showcase

Forest Sun

Giulia Millanta is a singer/songwriter and guitarist based in Austin, Texas. Her unique style is an Indie Rock, AlternativeAmericana cocktail with a European twist. She is feisty, humorous, raw, yet introspective and evocative. Giulia Millanta 512-765-2430 giuliamillanta@gmail.com

Official Showcase Artists D-H

and Winnipeg Folk Festival, and she's opened for the bands LOW, Wilco, and The Decemberists. She is Co-Founder of RAMPD, Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities. Gaelynn Lea 218-461-1785 booking@gaelynnlea.com

Germán López is considered to be the world’s leading virtuoso on the timple, a small melodious five-stringed guitar native to the Canary Islands. While acknowledging the instrument’s folkloric past, López takes the timple into new territory, inspired by jazz, Cuban, African, and Latin American sources and by maestros such as Pat Metheny, Richard Bona, and Paco De Lucia.

Hayde Bluegrass Orchestra is an eightmember band from Oslo, Norway. The crew consists of fiddle, banjo, guitar, mandolin, dobro, and upright bass, as well as the addition of the somewhat unconventional bluegrass instrument accordion. Their music features lots of vocal harmonies. Joakim Borgen 4790883392 JoaBorgen@gmail.com

Official Showcase Artists D-H

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Official Showcase Artists H-J

official showcase artists

Haymakers Wichita, KS, USA

Saturday 7:00 pm Garden Terrace The music made by Wichita, Kansasbased Haymakers is the intersection of folk, bluegrass, country, blues, and more. The quartet has honed their sound over a decade of touring throughout the Midwest and beyond, playing songs and telling the stories behind them everywhere from festivals to rowdy bars to living rooms. Dustin Arbuckle 316-258-9342 haymakersict@gmail.com

Heidi Talbot

Edinburgh, Scotland, SCT

Thursday 6:15 pm Pershing East/West

Originally from Co. Kildare in Ireland, singer-songwriter Heidi Talbot was a former member of Irish American band Cherish The Ladies and has shared the stage and recorded with Mark Knopfler, Graham Coxon (Blur), Eddi Reader, Idlewild, Matt Rollings, Swedish super group Väsen, Dervish, Tim O'Brien and Jerry Douglas. Mark Anstey 447801823136 mark@uniquegravity.co.uk

Henhouse Prowlers Chicago, IL, USA

Friday 7:00 pm Garden Terrace

The Henhouse Prowlers have toured over 25 countries across the globe. Their experiences with people and musicians across the planet have shaped the band’s worldview and broadened the group’s direction towards bridging cultural gaps with music and educational programs. The Prowlers incorporate international elements into their repertoire of American music. Mike Kaiz 866-531-2172 x.3 mike@skylineonline.com

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Official Showcase Artists H-J

Hillary Klug

Jack Broadbent

Thursday 7:45 pm Roanoke

Thursday 9:00 pm Online Virtual Showcase

Nashville, TN, USA

Hillary Klug is a dancing fiddler with humble beginnings as a street performer in Nashville. She became a social media sensation with 1.2 million Facebook followers, 100k YouTube followers, and 100k Instagram followers. She has numerous viral videos with 350 million total views. She’s also the National Buck Dancing Champion. Evan Winsor 203-216-3908 booking@hillaryklug.com

Sutton, QC, CAN

Hailed as “the new master of the slide guitar” by the Montreux Jazz Festival and “the real thang” by the legendary Bootsy Collins, Jack Broadbent has spent the past few years wowing audiences across the globe with his blend of virtuosic acoustic and slide guitar and blues-inspired vocals. His songs span from a beautiful folk ballad to straight-ahead rock and roll. Seth Rappaport 917-209-8383 SethRappaport@paladinartists.com

HuDost

Nashville, TN, USA

Saturday 4:30 pm Washington Park Place 2/3

Electric-Folk, World-Rock ensemble, HuDost, has a new album that will be released November 19th. HuDost’s last album "of Water + Mercy" received rave reviews as an independent release, reached #24 in the BILLBOARD SALES CHARTS for Folk/ Americana, and won The Independent Music Award for Social Action Song. Val Denn 512-413-8461 valdenn@valdenn.com

Jack Dappa Blues Bowling Green, KY, USA

Saturday 7:45 pm Roanoke

With a national guitar and bottle neck slide, Lamont “Jack Dappa Blues” Pearley presents a performance of original delta blues traditions, sharing stories, singing songs, and engaging the audience through the oral history of African American Traditional/Tribal Music called The Blues. Lamont Pearley Sr 646-463-4074 lamontjackpearley@ jackdappabluesradio.tv

Humbird

Minneapolis, MN, USA

Thursday 8:00 pm Online Virtual Showcase

Humbird combines a wintry longing with the warmth of a familiar folktale. This music moves between experimental folk and environmental Americana to embrace the unexpected. Humbird's songs invite a refreshing dissonance into the house and leave breadcrumbs along the path, reflecting light back at the stars. Elyse Allbright 541-727-8334 elyse@rowboatmusic.com

Jeffery Straker Regina, SK, CAN

Saturday 5:15 pm Washington Park Place 2/3

2020 Saskatchewan Music Awards “RootsFolk Artist of the Year," Jeffery Straker writes story-driven songs with the power to transport listeners to a new place and time. His music draws comparisons to Harry Chapin, Kris Kristofferson, and Billy Joel. Straker is an energetic performer. His music is firmly supported by a message of hope. Aaron Schubert 778-235-8185 aaron@ paquinartistsagency.

official showcase artists

Jenner Fox

JigJam

Thursday 6:15 pm Garden Terrace

Friday 6:00 pm Century C

Sisters, OR, USA

Jenner Fox a multi-faceted singer-songwriter from Sisters, Oregon, and experienced river guide. His influences come from river canyons, urban communities, John Prine, Josh Ritter, people, roads, and stories. His lyrics will make you laugh one moment and wipe away tears the next. Jenner released “The Planet I’m From” in 2021. Louise Baker 828-450-5385 louise@bakerbooking.com

Tullamore, OFF, IRL

When virtuoso Irish playing jumps the pond running naked through the wide open fields of Bluegrass and Americana. Best Americana Album 2020 - Independent Music Awards. Matt Greenhill 707 529 3158 mattg@fliartists.com

JM Stevens Austin, TX, USA

Saturday 5:30 pm Roanoke

Jess Klein

Hillsborough, NC, USA

Friday 6:15 pm Garden Terrace

The New York Times calls Jess Klein “a songwriter with a voice of unblinking tenacity." The Bluegrass Situation describes her music as "one part grassroots social activism, two parts alt-country guitar rock, a combo we can certainly get behind." Jess’s forthcoming new album is due out in 2022. Jim Sellick (UK) +44 01392 861271 jim.sellick@mypostoffice.co.uk

Invisible Lines makes an apropos title for the solo debut from JM Stevens. The Austin-based singer-songwriter who fueled Moonlight Towers through 15 years, four albums, and thousands of miles crisscrossing the country on shoestring tours has a knack for tapping the intangible elements of pop songcraft that elevate the enduring from the ephemeral. Laura Thomas 512-423-7667 comboplatebooking@gmail.com

Denbigh, Wales, WAL

Ottawa, ON, CAN

Thursday 7:00 pm Garden Terrace Award-winning songwriter Jessica Pearson takes you on a journey with her haunting melodies, chilling voice, and enticing story telling. With harmonies, stories and comedy, Jessica focuses on sharing her joy, love and life with you at every show. Jessica Pearson 613-805-1554 jessicapearsoneastwind@gmail.com

Parkville, MO, USA

Thursday 4:45 pm Roanoke

One of seven artists selected to represent the USA for Global Music Match 2021, Julia Othmer’s music is vibrant and emotionally potent. The child of European refugees, she draws from a broad and richly cultured palette of experience to create her intensely human yet otherworldly songs. Her pianodriven performances are a mesmerizing and superconscious fusion of raw power, vocal artistry, and joy. Julia Othmer 816.721.3865 julia@juliaothmer.com

Julian Taylor

Fenelon Falls, ON, CAN

Friday 4:45 pm Washington Park Place 2/3

John Smith Jessica Pearson and the East Wind

Julia Othmer

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length recording. Over the years, he has garnered a few feathers in his hat that include a JUNO nomination, a Canadian Folk Music Award for Best Album of the Year, and a Kerrville Texas New Folk win. John Wort Hannam 403-308-6082 johnworthannam@telus.net

Saturday 6:15 pm Pershing East/West

English songwriter and celebrated guitarist, lately a resident of the Welsh mountains: John is an international touring artist with 60 million Spotify streams, who began his career opening for John Martyn & Davy Graham, and has since played with Joan Baez and Jackson Browne. He's an unashamedly romantic, genuine storyteller. Lori Peters 617-969-0810 lori@concertedefforts.com

John Wort Hannam Lethbridge, AB, CAN

Saturday 6:00 pm Pershing North Twenty years into his career, John Wort Hannam is releasing his eighth full-

After a 20-year career of making great music, Julian Taylor enjoyed a breakthrough year in 2020, when his second solo acoustic album, The Ridge, earned more than three and a half million plays on Spotify, praise from press worldwide, and airplay from America to Australia to the U.K. Ralph James 416-646-7373 rjames@apa-agency.com

Justin Golden Richmond, VA, USA

Friday 5:30 pm Roanoke

Justin Golden’s origins are deeply vested in the blues. With roots in the Mississippi Delta, Chicago, and the Piedmont of Virginia, he has always felt most connected to the blues. First picking up the guitar at age 19, his first Piedmont Blues original tune came to him in a dream. From then on, Golden did what came naturally and let the music flow through him. With an extremely diverse musical palette, Golden aims to bring some new ideas to traditional blues forms. Justin Golden 757-377-8560 Official Showcase Artists H-J

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official showcase artists justingoldenmusic@gmail.com

Wailuku, HI, USA

Thursday 6:30 pm Online Virtual Showcase

Two-time Grammy winner Kalani Pe’a is a charismatic performer with a gorgeous voice and charming stage presence. The first Hawaiian performer presented at Lincoln Center's American Songbook (soldout), his repertoire embraces Hawaiian classics to original songs, bringing him to the forefront of Hawaiian music for traditionalists and a new generation. Karen A Fischer 808-283-7007 karen@pasifika-artists.com

Ken Yates

Creemore, ON, CAN

Thursday 7:45 pm Washington Park Place 2/3

2017 Canadian Folk Music Award winner for Songwriter of the Year and New Artist of the Year, Yates has established himself as one of Canada's premier songwriters with the recent release of his album Quiet Talkers. Ken Yates 647-273-1007 ken@kenyates.com

Laura Cortese & the Dance Cards

Boston/Gent, MA/Eastern Flanders, USA

Friday 5:15 pm Century C

Schooled in the lyrical rituals of folk music, Laura Cortese & the Dance Cards (vocals, fiddle, cello, bass/guitar) combine their extensive string music background with bold grooves that inspire rock-n-roll hip swagger. Their edgy pop sensibility elegantly stretches the boundaries of what indie-folk can be. Hailey Phelps 248-909-6543 hailey@madison-house.com

Official Showcase Artists K-L

Kalani Pe'a

songwriters. Julie Bordelon 337-654-2051 julie@pronouncedsound.com

Kora Flamenca Montréal, QC, CAN

Saturday 7:30 pm Liberty

Katherine Priddy Birmingham, WMD, UK

Thursday 6:15 pm Washington Park Place 2/3

Katherine Priddy’s songwriting conveys maturity, depth, and tenderness, earning her a rapidly growing following. June 2021 saw the release of her Official UK Folk Albums Chart topping debut album on Navigator Records, leading to national press coverage, rave reviews, a headline Winter tour, and dates alongside Richard Thompson. John Fell 7814749092 john@moseleyfolk.co.uk

2020 Juno Award nominated Kora virtuoso, Zal Sissokho and flamenca guitarist Caroline Planté set out to create music that would combine flamenco with the Mandinka culture of West Africa. The result is the inspired Kora Flamenca. Through this creation, Zal seeks to push as much as possible the limits of his instrument: the kora. Centre des musiciens du monde 514-397-9226 diffusion@centredesmusiciens.com

Lauren Housley Shefﬁeld, SYK, UK

Thursday 6:00 pm Online Virtual Showcase

Soulful singer-songwriter & Yorkshire girl, who's recent album ‘Girl From The North’ received widespread acclaim, including within the Americana, Country & Folk scenes where it charted in all 3 Official charts: #4 Country, #8 Americana, and #13 Folk. The record was inspired by rediscovering her childhood roots. Bringing spirit, soul, and grounding sincerity. Lauren Housley 7967647007 laurenhousleymusic@gmail.com

Kyshona

Nashville, TN, USA

KC Jones

Lafayette, LA, USA

Thursday 8:30 pm Online Virtual Showcase

K.C. Jones moves so effortlessly between genres, traditions, and musical concepts that it’s clear she was born with an insatiable artistic curiosity. From her deeply musical Appalachian and old-time roots, she grew into a prominent figure of the vibrant Lafayette, Louisiana music scene, learning Cajun French and writing and singing songs in dual languages with progressive Cajun bands like GRAMMY-nominated Feufollet and T’Monde along the way. Queen of the In Between, her long-awaited debut solo record, knits together everything from classic country to psychedelic rock to contemporary indie roots singer-

Thursday 4:30 pm Pershing North

An Artist, Songwriter, and Music Therapist, Kyshona loves helping others find the thread in their personal stories. With her newest project, she has taken the time to center that love on her own story and legacy. Lori Peters 513-835-1071 lori@concertedefforts.com

Le Diable à Cinq Ripon, QC, CAN

Friday 7:30 pm Shawnee Mission

Inspired by the traditional pieces of Quebec’s repertoire, Le Diable à Cinq offers a lively mix of original compositions and bold arrangements. With a dazzling and dynamic stage presence, the five musicians radiate with an energetic, warm, and definitely captivating sound which blazes over the crowd. Éloi Gagnon-Sabourin 514-799-8573 info@lediableacinq.com

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Like Mother Like Son: Saskia Tomkins and Oisín Hannigan Baltimore, ON, CAN

Saturday 4:45 pm Garden Terrace Born exactly 25 years apart to the day, Oisín and Saskia have been making music together since the womb, and their connection is almost tangible. Together on bowed strings and percussion, mother and son create a musical journey founded on their complex cultural and ethnic backgrounds, influenced by the many traditions they’ve picked up on their travels. Oisín Hannigan 438-407-1463 oisinhannigan@gmail.com

Lore

Making Movies

Friday 7:30 pm Liberty

Thursday 7:30 pm Century C

Dungiven, Northern Ireland, NIR Famed for turning the legendary Teenage Kicks on its head, Lore have gone from living room dreams to Sell Out Theatre Tour success. With a strong folk influence, Lore combine their songwriting craft with soulful three-piece harmonies. Philip O'Kane 758-777-5463 38plusmanagement@gmail.com

Los Arcos Hermanos Peña Dimmitt, TX, USA

Thursday 7:30 pm Shawnee Mission

Lilli Lewis

New Orleans, LA, USA

Thursday 7:45 pm Pershing East/West

Athens, Georgia, native turned New Orleans Folk Rock Diva, Lilli Lewis is a powerhouse composer and performing artist who “sings with both compassion and conviction." - Glide Magazine. A specialist in intersectional programming, her most recent critically acclaimed release Americana reflects the compassionate lens found in her activism. Ray Coleman 985-277-9414 booking@lillilewis.com

For over 40 years, the family band Los Arcos Hermanos Peña has toured throughout the United States, entertaining audiences with their unique sound, a blend of oldschool Relampagos Del Norte-style Norteño and traditional Conjunto. The group hails from the small town of Dimmitt, Texas. Jerry Peña 806-346-4752 jerry.pena.1962@gmail.com

Reykjavík, Reykjavík, ISL

Saturday 7:00 pm Pershing East/West

During the 2020 lockdown, three long-time friends and collaborators got together to make music. There was no plan or agenda, just the idea of having a safe space to create. Something clicked in a cabin by Iceland’s biggest lake. Ásgeir A∂alsteinsson 3548471787 asgeiradal@gmail.com

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Making Movies represents a new wave in American music with a sound Rolling Stone describes as “an eclectic blend of rumbero percussions, delicate organs, and grungy fuzz rock." The band rose to acclaim through touring across the US and Latin America and collaborations with Los Lobos and Rubén Blades. Seth Rappaport SethRappaport@paladinartists.com

Mama's Broke Halifax, NS, CAN

Saturday 7:45 pm Garden Terrace

Mama’s Broke is a unique and powerful folk duo that both honors and defies tradition with their original compositions. Two strong voices blend to create haunting harmonies, while they artfully juggle fiddle, banjo, guitar and mandolin, and incorporate traditional dance and foot percussion as part of their performance. Their 2017 debut release, Count the Wicked, won a CFMA award for Ensemble of the Year. Lisa Bates 360-556-8658 mamasbrokeband@gmail.com

Los Cenzontles San Pablo, CA, USA

Thursday 9 pm Online Virtual Showcase

LÓN

Kansas City, MO, USA

Los Cenzontles (The Mockingbirds) is a Mexican American group that interprets and promotes Mexican roots music through performance, film, and their academy in San Pablo, California. They have collaborated with Mexican and cross-cultural musicians, including David Hidalgo, Linda Ronstadt, Ry Cooder, Taj Mahal, Jackson Browne, The Chieftains, and Flaco Jimenez. Eugene Rodriguez 510-233-8015 contact@loscenzontles.com

Mari Black Trio Boston, MA, USA

Saturday 4:30 pm Century C

World champion fiddler MARI BLACK delights audiences with her virtuosic playing, sparkling stage presence, and commitment to bringing people together through music. She sweeps listeners away on a spirited musical adventure celebrating tradition and exploring possibility in dance-driven music from around the world: Celtic, Canadian, & American fiddling, jazz, klezmer, and more! Mari Black 617-446-3832 booking@mariblack.com

official showcase artists

Matt the Electrician

Mehuman

Thursday 7:00 pm Pershing East/West

Saturday 5:15 pm Pershing North

Thursday 7:45 pm Garden Terrace

Boston, MA, USA

Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Mark Erelli released his most recent album Blindsided in 2020, combining the exuberance of his signature sound with the wisdom that comes in the middle of life, capturing him at a point in his career where he is digging deep and swinging for the fences. Craig Grossman 612-703-0151 craig@flemingartists.com

Mark Rubin, Jew of Oklahoma New Orleans, LA, USA

Thursday 4:45 pm Garden Terrace

Oklahoma-born, New Orleans based Bad Livers co-founder Mark Rubin is an unabashed Southern Jew, and his music reflects it. No wonder as he’s descended from a rabbi famed for songwriting. “Jew of Oklahoma” is an exploration of the Southern American experience from the Jewish perspective, including personally experienced anti-Semitism. Marilyn Gilbert 647-465-8004 marilyn@mgam.com

Austin, TX, USA

Despite the name, Matt the Electrician is no longer an electrician, focusing instead on a music career that has spanned the course of two decades, a dozen records, and thousands of shows. His newest album, 'We Imagined An Ending,' was produced by Tucker Martine and released 11/05/21 through Burnside Distribution. Laura Thomas 512-423-7667 laura@comboplatebooking.com

New York City, NY, USA

Saturday 6:15 pm Roanoke

Lauded as the “Jimi Hendrix of the Hammered Dulcimer,” Max ZT is an innovator of the instrument. Rooted in the American folk tradition, Max spent years studying in both Senegal and India. His unique perspective provides a backbone to beautiful compositions, while his unorthodox playing style has revolutionized dulcimer techniques. Max ZT 847-287-7613 yes.max@gmail.com

Mountain View, AR, USA Brooklyn, NY, USA

Friday 7:00 pm Pershing East/West

Americana Queen (Vice Noisey) and producer Mary Bragg has been heralded by Rolling Stone and NPR Music's Ann Powers, who stated, Her clear, warm alto, reminiscent of Patsy Cline, was made for confidences, and these gorgeously crafted and executed songs touch the listener on a deep level, where insight occurs. Mary Bragg 212-920-7999 mary@marybragg.com

Mehuman (pronounced ‘May-mon’) is an artist whose signature sound, ‘folk hop for hip folk’, evokes authenticity and honesty in blueness and groove. Navigating the emotional maps of the most soul-felt Americana music, Mehuman tells evocative stories of life, love, liberty, and loss that are bittersweet and true. As a global citizen, touring and traveling around the world, Mehuman weaves life experiences into wellcrafted musical accounts that relieve and revive the listener with the melodic medicine of hope and grace. Mehuman Ernst 207-691-9470 1mehuman@gmail.com

Max ZT

McKain Lakey Mary Bragg

Westbrook, ME, USA

Official Showcase Artists L-M

Mark Erelli

Friday 7:45 pm Pershing East/West “A time capsule unearthed, fine-tuned and re-imagined," McKain Lakey draws creative inspiration from far corners of the American music tradition. Their songs blur lines of old and new, referencing musical textures of past eras while unabashedly exploring topics of mental health, family separation, rural identity, and queer love. McKain Lakey 360-540-4779 contactmac@mckainlakey.com

Michaela Anne Nashville, TN, USA

Thursday 7:00 pm Online Virtual Showcase

Full of lush, sweeping arrangements and honest, deeply vulnerable self-examination, "Desert Dove" marks a bold new chapter for Michaela Anne, both artistically and professionally. While the songwriting is still very much rooted in the classic country she’s come to be known for, the record represents something of a sonic shift, incorporating more modern production elements than ever before in pursuit of a sound that owes as much influence to indie rock as honky tonk. Recently, Michaela has graced NPR’s World Cafe and Live Sessions, Mountain Stage Radio Show, and headlined a U.S. and EU tour. Michaela has been featured in the New York Times, Refinery 29, and NPR’s All Things Considered. In the fall, she will join JD McPherson on tour. Frank Riley 415-332-9292 frank@highroadtouring.com

Misty River

London, ENG, UK

Thursday 4:45 pm Washington Park Place 2/3 Trinidadian/Irish artist Misty River harmoniously blends Americana with traditional Roots music and combines soulful melodies, heartfelt lyrics, and

Official Showcase Artists L-M

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official showcase artists honey-sweet vocals. Her debut album, mixed in Nashville by Vance Powell, has attracted tastemaker support on both sides of the Atlantic and multiple major syncs. Adam Morley 0044 7947110240 management@mistyrivermusic.com

Americana or folk as she is indie-pop, Price’s music is perhaps best encapsulated by its deep-seated humanity. Natalie Price 512766-8550 nataliepricebooking@gmail. com

Peia

Asheville, NC, USA

Friday 5:30 pm Garden Terrace

Morgan Toney

Wagmatcook First Nation, NS, CAN

Friday 6:15 pm Washington Park Place 2/3

Morgan Toney is a 22-year-old Mi’kmaq Singer-Songwriter/Fiddler from Wagmatcook First Nation. Morgan combines his Mi’kmaq roots and his love of Cape Breton Celtic tunes in the creation of this fresh new music. His debut album with producer Keith Mullins is making waves nationally, having attention at the International Indigenous Summit who partnered with Apple to create mini doc’s. He was recently asked to become an ambassador for the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund and is nominated for a Canadian Folk Music Award. Keith Mullins 902-488-7546 b.keithmullins@gmail.com

Nigel Wearne Woodford, VIC, AUS

Thursday 8:00 pm Online Virtual Showcase

Nigel Wearne is an Australian singersongwriter, luthier, poet, and gleaner. Equipped with personally handcrafted instruments, he melds finger-style guitar, 'up'-hammer banjo, and honest storytelling. Gleaning diverse influence from Tom Waits, Joe Henry, and Gillian Welch, he tells stories of forgotten rebels, wandering poets, and true tales of Australian history. “Warmth flecked with grit… beauty awaits” 4 Stars – Rolling Stone. Amy Laidlaw 61412463873 amy@iheardjango.com

Peia Luzzi is an American-born song collector and writer based in the mountains of Appalachia. Like water from a deep well, she draws inspiration from her ancestral roots of Irish and Old World European folk music. With the voice of a lark, Peia dances nimbly from Child Ballads and 17th century Gaelic laments, to Waulking Songs, and Bulgarian mountain calls. She has traveled extensively over the past 10 years to uncover melodies wrinkled and wise with time, laboring to honor their language and stories while bringing a piece of herself to each song she carries. Elyse Allbright 541-708-2172 elyse@rowboatmusic.com

Peter Mulvey Florence, MA, USA

O'Connor Lee Nashville, TN, USA

Thursday 5:15 pm Century C

Nat Myers

Villa Hills, KY, USA

Friday 6:45 pm Pershing North

Nat Myers is a songwriter from Kenton County, Kentucky. One of those solitaires you hear before you see. He loves country blues and roots music, mostly. "Nat Myers’ style is homemade and unplugged. He’s an artist that transports listeners to a forgotten time with an effervescent and authentic candor, though he’ll be the first to tell you it isn’t his own." - Nicholas Edward Williams, American Songcatcher. Keith Levy / Yitzi Peetluk 615-251-4400 klevy@teamwass. com / ypeetluk@teamwass.com

O’Connor Lee (Kate Lee and Forrest O’Connor) earned national recognition as colead singers and primary songwriters of the O’Connor Band, whose lone studio album, Coming Home, debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Top Bluegrass Albums Chart and won a GRAMMY Award in 2017. They recently signed to Compass Records. Lee Olsen 615-627-2243 lee@cmcartists.com

OKAN

Toronto, ON, CAN

Thursday 6:00 pm Online Virtual Showcase

Natalie Price Austin, TX, USA

Thursday 5:15 pm Shawnee Mission

Intoxicatingly authentic and wholly original, Price is one of Austin’s most dynamic new singer-songwriters. Her ethereal, one-ofa-kind sound refuses to fall neatly into one category. Just as comfortable dabbling in

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Taking their name from the word for heart or soul in the Afro-Cuban religion of Santeria, JUNO-Award winning OKAN fuses Afro-Cuban roots with jazz, folk, and global rhythms in songs about immigration, courage, and love. Marilyn Gilbert 647-465-8004 marilyn@mgam.com

Thursday 7:30 pm Pershing North

Peter Mulvey is a veteran singer and songwriter from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Mulvey is an iconoclast within the singer/ songwriter world. Restless and inventive, he has made 20 records, spanning rock and roll, folk, Jazz, spoken word, and Americana. Mulvey continues to tour, playing over a hundred shows a year as he has for the past 25 years. This is the core of what he does: music, in a room, performed for a live audience. Check him out at petermulvey. com. Susie Giang 718-218-8203 susie@groundcontroltouring.com

Polly Barrett Schull, COR, IRL

Friday 4:30 pm Liberty

Polly Barrett began her music career 15 years ago, writing songs while training to be an actor in London. Her return to Ireland in 2007 brought Polly into the bosom of the Irish music scene, seeing her release two albums and tour Ireland and the UK extensively. This included playing support to acts like Agnes Obel, Julie Felix, Roddy Woomble, and founding member of the Wailin' Jennys, Cara Luft. Her new single, "Thinking About You," reinstates her as the Jewel of Irish Folk-pop and

official showcase artists

Raye Zaragoza

Robinson & Rohe

Thursday 5:00 pm Online Virtual Showcase

Thursday 7:00 pm Online Virtual Showcase

Long Beach, CA, USA

Rachel Baiman Nashville, TN, USA

Saturday 7:30 pm Pershing North

Rachel Baiman is a charismatic singer, songwriter, banjo player, and fiddle player based in Nashville, TN. She just released a new record, Hope It Hurts, on June 11th via highly touted indie-folk label Signature Sounds. Regularly collaborating with acts such as Mandolin Orange, Kacey Musgraves, and Molly Tuttle, Rachel puts on an incredible, engaging performance with her 4-piece band. Jesse Dunn 415-509-8581 jesse@bluesunentertainment.com

Raye Zaragoza (she/her) is an awardwinning singer-songwriter who NPR Music called “one of the most fresh and compelling voices in folk music today." Her sophomore album Woman In Color offers an intimate exploration of identity and belonging as a mixed-race woman in America. Seth Rappaport 917-209-8383 sethrappaport@paladinartists.com

Rebolu

New York City, NY, USA

Saturday 5:15 pm Century C

Raine Hamilton String Trio Winnipeg, MB, CAN

Thursday 6:00 pm Liberty

Raine Hamilton String Trio presents resonant, acoustic chamber folk with a lyric presence that cuts deep. Their prismclear vocals and strings offer an ethereal edge. Joined by cello and upright bass, expect string arrangements that push and pull as they console. Teresa Nelson 204-979-3456 teresa@traversemusic.ca

Rebolu is an outstanding Afro-Colombian musical ensemble comprised of the USA's finest ex-pat Colombian musicians. With their mix of Gaita, Tambora, Chalupa, and Bullerengue rhythms, along with modern Cumbia and Salsa - The group takes on the rich musical traditions of their ancestors; the afro-descendants of Colombia's Caribbean coast. Freshen Up Arts / David Gaar 210-840-6407 David@FreshenUpArts.com

Pointe-Claire, QC, CAN

Thursday 7:30 pm Online Virtual Showcase

Montréal, QC, CAN

Saturday 6:45 pm Liberty

Colombian-born and Montreal-based singer-songwriter Ramon Chicharron promotes a heartfelt blend of genres and identities. With a catchy groove, influenced by latin rhythms, and a touch of electronic sounds, his danceable compositions are inspired by a desire to live a simpler life, a world without borders, and the difficulties one encounters when pursuing their dreams. Maude St-Amand Courcy 514-632-7395 maude@impresaria.ca

Robinson & Rohe is the duo of Brooklyn songwriters Liam Robinson & Jean Rohe. Their long-anticipated sophomore album, Wait & See, is due in 2022 and showcases their skill as producers and arrangers, with performances by some of their favorite NYC musicians. Liam Robinson 917-414-7297 robinsonandrohe@gmail.com

Rosier

Montréal, QC, CAN

Friday 5:15 pm Shawnee Mission

Folk at its core and endowed with a great affection for detail, Rosier evolves gracefully without following the prescribed recipe of its era. Halfway between tradition and modernity, the Montreal-based band takes over an audacious approach where traditional songs become the intimate accomplice of well-crafted indie pop. Mollie Farr 941-356-3118 molliefarr@lostbuffaloartists.com

Sarah King Rob Lutes

Ramon Chicharron

Brooklyn, NY, USA

Official Showcase Artists M-S

has already been chosen to feature in a Discover Ireland campaign for West Cork this year. More releases are set for 2021, and Polly continues to write and record new music from her home on the Mizen Peninsula. John Glennon 353861704625 john@jawdroppermgmt.com

A masterful fingerstyle guitarist with an unmistakable, soulful voice, Rob Lutes has steadily built a collection of exquisite songs that inhabit the intersection of blues, folk, Americana, and the contemporary singer-songwriter genre. His 8th album, Come Around, was released in April 2021 and garnered four Canadian Folk Music Award nominations. Rob Lutes 514-515-4413 roblutes33@yahoo.ca

Ripton, VT, USA

Thursday 6:15 pm Roanoke

Sarah King inhabits the dark side of Americana, creating gritty murder ballads and feminist anthems anchored by her atmospheric voice. Her debut EP The Hour, produced by Simone Felice, marks her stunning arrival with Nightstand named 2020's #1 Best Song in Vermont. King's live show crackles with energy and devil-maycare attitude. Jason Kelly 615-431-9032 booking@sarahkingsings.com

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Sawyer Fredericks

Shaun Ferguson

South for Winter

Friday 5:30 pm Pershing East/West

Saturday 5:30 pm Garden Terrace

Thursday 5:15 pm Pershing North

Fultonville, NY, USA

"Sawyer Fredericks is thriving as an independent artist, focusing on musical growth and cultivating his folk/Americana community roots. “With his second independent album, Flowers For You, Sawyer Fredericks is expanding his sound even more, moving from bluesy folk into more expansive Americana, rock, and tinges of jazz.” ~Concert Hopper. David Priebe 734-995-9066 x.14 david@flemingartists.com

Scott Cook

Edmonton, AB, CAN

Friday 7:45 pm Roanoke

Alberta troubadour Scott Cook spent the last 14 years tirelessly touring the world, pausing only for the pandemic, and has released seven albums of straighttalking verse along the way. His latest collection, Tangle of Souls, comes in a cloth-bound, 240-page hardcover book of road stories and ruminations, equal parts introspection and insurrection. Lara Supan 519-613-7541 lara@flemingartists.com

Caraquet, NB, CAN

A true virtuoso guitarist, Shaun Ferguson is an accomplished composer and performer. Caraquet's self-taught musician offers modern, free, transcendent, and unique instrumental music. His musical language, representing a poetry rich in subtleties, is surprisingly intense and inevitably makes us travel, and this, for nearly 20 years. Genevieve Morin 418-953-1483 genevieve@uniforcepro.com

Stillhouse Junkies

Thursday 6:00 pm Century C

Thursday 4:30 pm Century C

Nashville, TN, USA

Sierra Hull’s positively stellar career started early. That is, if you consider a Grand Ole Opry debut at age 10 to be early. She played Carnegie Hall at 12; at 13 signed with Rounder Records and later issued her debut, Secrets, and garnered the first of many nominations for Mandolin Player of the Year. She eventually made history by becoming the first female to win the prestigious title. As a 20-year-old, Hull played the White House and would later be invited back for a second time. Now in her late 20s, Sierra has received GRAMMY nominations for her last two solo albums. Lynn Cingari lcingari@ teamwass.com

Born in a distillery, two-time Telluride Bluegrass band contest finalists Stillhouse Junkies play a delirious, head-spinning mixture of original roots, blues, funk, swing, and bluegrass music. With all three band members sharing lead vocal and songwriting duties, the Junkies conjure a wide range of tonal landscapes that pay tribute to the iconic sounds while breaking new musical ground with their genre-bending original material. Sidd Kalstrom 916-628-3166 sidd@bluesunentertainment.com

Ennis, CLA, IRL

Saturday 6:00 pm Century C

Official Showcase Artists S-T

Durango, CO, USA

Susan O’Neill

Portland, OR, USA

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Composed of New Zealander Nick Stone (vocals, guitar), Coloradan Dani Stone (vocals, mandolin), and Michigan cellist Alex Stradal, South for Winter’s sound is as eclectic as their origins. Elements of folk, blues, classical, and rock blend into a dynamic performance described by Americana UK as “a journey well-worth taking.” Louise Baker 828-450-5385 louise@bakerbooking.com

Sierra Hull

Seffarine

Born in the ancient city of Fes, Moroccan singers Lamiae Naki and Seffarine channel their deep knowledge of both sides of the Straits of Gibraltar, the crossroad where African, Arabic, and European cultures meet. Their compositions unify flamenco rhythms and Arabic maqam into one voice, charged with texture and color. Matt Greenhill 707-529-3158 mattg@fliartists.com

Nashville, TN, USA

Sophie Lukacs Montréal, QC, CAN

Saturday 5:15 pm Liberty

Sophie Lukacs is a Hungarian-Canadian kora player and singer-songwriter. With a long foundation in classical music (violin), as well as six years studying the kora in Bamako, Mali (invited by renown kora player Toumani Diabaté), Sophie is able to move out of the traditional repertoire often associated with the kora, creating her unique sound: a melange of folk-popmandingue, with catchy original melodies. She sings in English, Bambara, and Hungarian, and is accompanied by cello and percussion. Her debut album will be released Summer 2022. Serge Sloimovitz 647-204-1351 serge@artstramusic.com

Thursday 7:30 pm Online Virtual Showcase

Ireland’s Susan O’Neill combines her soulful, husky vocals with a unique loop pedal technique whilst adding guitar, trumpet, harmonica, and whistle in her mind-blowing solo performances. Susan creates an enchanting musical experience where timeless frequencies infuse the air in a powerful blend of the old and the new. Ana Muira 613-864-0516 Info@bluegracemusic.com

official showcase artists

Taylor Abrahamse

The Burney Sisters

Thursday 6:00 pm Online Virtual Showcase

Friday 6:00 pm Pershing North

Thursday 7:00 pm Roanoke

Wainﬂeet, ON, CAN

A Saskatoon native transplanted to the Niagara Region of Ontario, Canada, Suzie Vinnick is the proud owner of a gorgeous voice, impressive guitar and bass chops, and an engagingly candid performance style. Suzie has won 10 Maple Blues Awards, 1 Canadian Folk Music Award and is a 3X Juno Nominee. She has also twice won the International Songwriting Competition – Blues Category. Suzie Vinnick 416-988-5229 suzie@suzievinnick.com

T. Buckley

Calgary, AB, CAN

Saturday 4:45 pm Pershing East/West

T. Buckley stands quietly among a disappearing ilk of true craftsmen. Shadowed by his Western roots, his soul and voice are unmistakably genuine, and the result is a class of songsmith long revered and scarcely achieved. Tim Buckley 403-390-5096 bookings@tbuckley.ca

Toronto, ON, CAN

Singer-songwriter, studio owner, and voice actor on a mission to free the world through powerful, authentic songwriting. Taylor’s carefully crafted originals and soaring vocals share themes of love, loss, gender identity and the complexities of mental health. Hear for yourself why Eddie Kramer (Bowie, The Beatles) insisted on producing his debut record. Kara Jayne 705-808-4768 kara@639records.ca

Thursday 6:30 pm Online Virtual Showcase

Tara MacLean is a singer, songwriter, and award-winning recording and touring artist. From break-out pop hits (“If I Fall”) to country-crossover (“Happy Baby”), her style is reflective of her deep roots in Gospel and the Folk Music of her East Coast Canadian upbringing. She has been signed with Nettwerk, Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Capitol Records, and EMI Canada (with her band Shaye). Her three solo albums were released to high acclaim, garnering extensive film and television placements, as well international touring and radio play. Sherry Sinclaire 416-888-8401 sherry@sinclairecreativesolutions.com

The Burney Sisters, comprised of sisters Olivia, Emma, and Bella, create music with a maturity and emotional intelligence that belies their age. They write keen and knowing songs while arranging for multiple instruments and structuring unique and resonant harmonies. The result — personal and penetrating music that connects with and captivates the listener. Liz Barnez 970-988-0674 liz@blackoakartists.com

The Accidentals

The Heart Collectors

Friday 4:30 pm Century C

Thursday 5:00 pm Online Virtual Showcase

Nashville, TN, USA

Billboard says, “The Accidentals display a genre-hopping range of influences and some smart songwriting skills to go with their abundant musical chops.” NPR says, “Some of the most compelling writers of our time... they display equal interest in the focused musical forms of indie rock and pop and the expansive potential of orchestral arrangements, jam band open-endedness, and impressionistic singer-songwriter expression.” Amber Buist 231-409-1549 moreaccidentals@gmail.com

Tara MacLean

Charlottetown, PE, CAN

Columbia, MO, USA

The Arcadian Wild Nashville, TN, USA

Thursday 4:30 pm Online Virtual Showcase

With its unique combination of formal vocal music roots and progressive folk, bluegrass and pop influences, The Arcadian Wild confidently inhabits and explores an intersection of genres, blending the traditional with the contemporary in order to create a unique acoustic sound that is simultaneously unified and diverse. Ryan Slone 615-649-9500 x.2 ryan@bonfiremusicgroup.com

Official Showcase Artists S-T

Suzie Vinnick

Tyalgum, NSW, AUS

With soaring cello, intricate guitar, sparkling mandolin, boot banging banjo, passionate strikes of a tambourine, and the thundering of the bodhran, The Heart Collectors are four charismatic performers that create real musical synergy, marrying progressive folk/rock sensibilities and clean classical precision. Get ready to have your heart collected. Tristan Dafoe 455685021 info@theheartcollectors.com

The Hello Darlins Calgary, AB, CAN

Saturday 6:45 pm Washington Park Place 2/3

THE HELLO DARLINS is an award-winning powerhouse cast of some of Canada's most in-demand session musicians combining their skills and influences to forge a distinct hybrid of country, gospel, and blues. With their debut Album “Go By Feel,” released June 2021, The Darlins have quickly risen to international acclaim. Rob Cyrynowski 403-615-3400 rob@livestar.ca

Official Showcase Artists S-T

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official showcase artists

The North Sound

The Pairs

Tim Easton

Friday 7:00 pm Washington Park Place 2/3

Saturday 5:30 pm Shawnee Mission

Thursday 5:30 pm Pershing East/West

Saskatoon, SK, CAN

With haunting metaphors and a sound balanced between today's modern production and the era of Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris blazing the highways, The North Sound was formed in 2014 by lead singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Forrest Eaglespeaker with his partner Nevada Freistadt carrying the harmonies. The North Sound was created to share stories in keeping with Forrest’s Blackfoot identity and traditions from Treaty 7 Territory. Forrest Eaglespeaker 306-221-8115 forrest.eaglespeaker@gmail.com

London , ON, CAN

With soaring harmonies, The Pairs share stories of life’s hope, hilarity, and hardship. Their unbottled chemistry quickly connects them with their audiences, blurring the line between stage and crowd. The Pairs create acoustic harmony pop tunes grounded in unique rhythms that will hug your eardrums and inspire you to dance. Renée Coughlin 519-859-2005 info@thepairsmusic.com

Nashville, TN, USA

Dedicated troubadour, songwriter, producer, and friend to travelers worldwide, Tim Easton's music comes from a life of studying songs and playing them from the streets of Europe to the concert halls of Russia and the wild bars of Alaska. A story teller, flat-picker, and armchair anthropologist who has just released his 10th album, You Don't Really Know Me, on Black Mesa Records. Coming to a living room or stage near you. Denis Grabill 937-216-4397 denis@blackoakartists.com

The Trials of Cato

Wrecsam, North Wales, WAL

Saturday 7:30 pm Century C

The Ocelots

Wexford, WEX, IRL

Thursday 7:30 pm Online Virtual Showcase

Situated in Wexford, twins Brandon and Ashley combine to create The Ocelots. They fuse their songwriting and musical experience together to produce a forceful blend of rich harmonies and raw acoustic folk. The Ocelots got their start busking around Ireland before playing their music on many stages across Europe. The brothers are known for their ability to capture an audience with their mesmerizing melodies and charming stage presence. Jackson Lynch 491743270857 theocelotsmusic@gmail.com

The Once

St. John's, NL, CAN

Thursday 4:30 pm Online Virtual Showcase

The Once is a modern indie-folk trio from Newfoundland. They have collected a trio of Canadian Folk Music Awards, numerous ECMA awards, were named Artist of the Year by the Newfoundland & Labrador Arts Council, and have earned two JUNO nominations for best Roots/ Traditional album. Tim Des Islets 647-233-7824 tim@noisemaker.ca

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Official Showcase Artists T-W

The remarkable rise of BBC Radio 2 award-winning trio The Trials of Cato on the UK folk scene has been the subject of massive critical attention. Dubbed the "Sex Pistols of folk” (J Davis), they pay clear homage to the tradition whilst twisting old bones into something febrile and modern. Ethan Proctor +44 7938 062 506 ethan@midnightmango.co.uk

Thea Hopkins

Treya Lam

Brooklyn, NY, USA

Saturday 6:00 pm Washington Park Place 2/3

Treya Lam is a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter. A member of the Resistance Revival Chorus, ‘Dawn' was featured on their debut album, ‘This Joy,’ released on Ani DiFranco’s Righteous Babe Records, and performed at Newport Folk Festival. Lam’s upcoming audiovisual album ‘otherland’ explores grieving as a catalyst for self-acceptance and healing. Greg Kastelmann 415-501-0446 greg@unbound-artists.com

Somerville, MA, USA

Saturday 7:00 pm Roanoke

Performing songwriter Thea Hopkins, an Aquinnah Wampanoag tribal member, calls her music - Red Roots Americana. Thea’s EP, “Love Come Down,” was nominated for a 2019 Indigenous Music Award. Her song, “The Ghost Of Emmett Till," was awarded the 2020 Great American Song Contest Grand Prize in March 2021. Dan Gewertz 857-523-8600 redrootsamericana@gmail.com

Ultan Conlon Galway, GAL, IRL

Friday 6:45 pm Liberty

Irish singer-songwriter, Ultan Conlon has shared the stage with the likes of John Fogerty, Mavis Staples, Shelby Lynne, Jackson Browne, Bryan Ferry, John Grant, Eddi Reader, Patty Griffin, and Richard Hawley, among others. Ultan has also performed duets with Glen Hansard and John Martyn, and Martyn recorded Ultan’s song “Really Gone” in 2005. ‘There’s A Waltz’ produced by Grammy Awardwinner Sean Watkins, is Ultan’s fourth record. Ultan Conlon +353861067743 ultanconlons@gmail.com

official showcase artists

Asheville, NC, USA

Thursday 8:30 pm Online Virtual Showcase

Get to know the joyful soaring voice of Molly Rose and her acoustic guitar and the distinctive styling of Eleanor Underhill’s open-back banjo and salty-blues vocals. Their close harmonies and charisma make most think they are sisters, and with their song-centered original compositions, Underhill Rose creates music that is real and inspired. Denis Grabill 937-216-4397 denis@blackoakartists.com

Villages

Wallis Bird

Thursday 5:15 pm Liberty

Thursday 5:30 pm Online Virtual Showcase

Halifax, NS, CAN

Embracing the unique aspects of Cape Breton music and combining them with highly personalized songwriting and innovative production techniques, Villages are proving that striking the right balance between the past and present often yields stunning results. Tom Kemp 416-598-0067 kemp@feldman-agency.com

Waahli

Montréal, QC, CAN

Ventanas

Toronto, ON, CAN

Saturday 7:45 pm Shawnee Mission

Tamar Ilana is a powerful and versatile Canadian singer and flamenco dancer of mixed descent, renowned for her ability to sing in multiple languages and collaborate with various artistic communities from around the world. Tamar has recorded three albums with her world music fusion project, Ventanas, which has been nominated 4 times with Canadian Folk Music Awards (2014 & 2015). Danielle Devlin 802-393-7120 danielle.canismusic@gmail.com

Saturday 6:00 pm Liberty

Waahli is an artist, musician, and member of Nomadic Massive. He is known as a trilingual MC. Following the release of his first solo album Black Soap in 2018, Waahli toured the United States and Europe. Recently, he released Soap Opera, an excellent EP, mixing Hip-Hop, Haitian and Afro-Caribbean influences. Barbara Vivet 438-765-3031 waahlimanagement1@gmail.com

Wexford, WEX, IRL

Wallis Bird has been enrapturing audiences for ten years. Having lost a finger as a child, Wallis developed her own unique style resulting in multiple Irish and German national awards. Known for her incredible energy on stage, she’s performed at Europe’s biggest festivals and headlined worldwide. Rachel Doe 404-793-7023 rachel@crossovertouring.com

Official Showcase Artists T-W

Underhill Rose

Westbound Situation Ann Arbor, MI, USA

Friday 7:45 pm Garden Terrace

Westbound Situation blends the precision of classical chamber music, the rhythmic drive of bluegrass, and the colorful expression of jazz into a new style of chamber music, chambergrass. The quartet, comprised of Grant Flick on violin, Jake Howard on mandolin, Zach Brown on cello, and Jacob Warren on bass, mixes composition and improvisation seamlessly into their entirely memorized arrangements. Amanda Stanger-Read 734-276-8558 glpaaoffice@gmail.com

Waipuna

Honolulu, HI, USA

Friday 5:15 pm Pershing North

Vigüela

El Carpio de Tajo, Toledo, ESP

Thursday 7:00 pm Online Virtual Showcase

Jota, fandango, and seguidilla are their core reasons. Voices, skin, and wood are their assets. The history of Vigüela is the story of a vital surrender to a cultural legacy of a wild and very ignored beauty: the traditional music of the center of the Iberian Peninsula. The hidden music from the land of Don Quixote. Araceli Tzigane 34676302882 info@mundimapa.com

Winner of 8 Na Hōkū Awards (Hawai‘i’s “Grammys”), Waipuna combines powerful musicianship, beautiful harmonies, and deep affection for their Hawaiian roots. The trio of Kale Hannahs, Matt Sproat, and David Kamakahi share a fresh and contemporary energy that makes them popular favorites as they bring tradition into the 21st century. Karen A Fischer 808-283-7007 karen@pasifika-artists.com

Willi Carlisle

Fayetteville, AR, USA

Thursday 4:45 pm Pershing East/West

Willi Carlisle is a folksinger and storyteller from the Ozarks. The Washington Post says he is “powerful,” “both down-home and brainy." The Guardian calls him “the greatest Americana artist you’ve never heard of.” A multi-instrumentalist and poet, Willi's sing-alongs and tall-tales evoke the tradition of Utah Phillips and Pete Seeger. Willi Carlisle 815-651-0585 willicarlislemusic@gmail.com

Official Showcase Artists T-W

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official showcase artists

Windborne Boston, MA, USA

Saturday 6:15 pm Garden Terrace

“The most exciting vocal group in a generation,” Windborne’s captivating show draws on the singers’ deep roots in traditions of vocal harmony, while the absolute uniqueness of their artistic approach brings old songs into the present. Known for the innovation of their arrangements and commitment to social justice, their harmonies are bold and anything but predictable. Mike Green 734-769-7254 mikeg@mikegreenassociates.com

Xani

Melbourne, VIC, AUS

Thursday 7:30 pm Online Virtual Showcase

Fearless in her defiance of boundaries, celebrated violinist, improviser, and collaborator XANI has “never strived for anything but freedom, using what I’ve learned in one world to build a bridge to the next.” New album, From the Bottom of the Well, is XANI’s brave, intimate, and cutting exploration of personal growth. Amy Laidlaw 61400883750 amy@iheardjango.co

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Ad Index

AD INDEX BY PAGE NUMBER Inside Front Cover .............Yamaha Guitar Group

52 ............................................... Mari Black Trio

6..................................................... Shubb Capos

54 ............................................................ NERFA

8.............................................. Bose Professional

55 ........................................................... SWRFA

9............................................. Art Menius Media

56 ................................... FAR-West Folk Alliance

9............................................................ CD Baby

58 ................................................... Folly Theater

10-11 ........ Kari Estrin Mgmt/Consulting + Radio Promotion

60.................................. Bluegrass Ambassadors

12 ........................................................ Blackstar 13 ....................................................... Folquébec 16 ....... Canadian Independent Music Association (CIMA) 18 ....... Louisiana Office of Cultural Development 20...... Association of Performing Arts Presenters 24 ....................... Tom's Town Distilling Company 25 .................. Smithsonian Folkways Recordings 25 .............................................. SoundExchange 28 ...................................... Kerrville Folk Festival 30 ....................................... British Underground 30 ............................................. Local 1000, AFM 32 ........... Midwest Trust Center | Johnson County Community College 32 ........................................... Mundial Montréal 36 .......................... World Music Expo (WOMEX) 38 ...................................... Big Bear Productions 40.................................... Blue Ox Music Festival 40............................ Franzke String Instruments 41 ...................................... Compose Your Career 42 ............................................... Redirect Health 44 ......................... Americana Music Association 46 .......................................................... Amptup 46 .............................. TreeHouse Custom Drums 48 ............................................................ SERFA

62 ................................. CACHE / House of Songs 63 ........................ Country Dance & Song Society 63 ........................................................ Jess Klein 63 .................................................. Stephen Clair 63 Advancing Indigenous Performance / Western Arts Alliance 64 ................................................ Phil Jones Bass 73 .......................................... Ed Sweeney Music 73 ........................................................... Yep Roc 74 .................................. American Jazz Museum 75 .................................. Kansas City Irish Center 76 ........................................... English Folk Expo 84 .............................................. SRO Artists, Inc. 84 ....................... Shaun Ferguson (UniForce Pro) 84 ...................................... Uptown Artist Group 92 .................................... Woody Guthrie Center 93 ..... International Bluegrass Music Association 102 .................................................... Ethno USA 120 ................................... The Blues Foundation 120 ......................... Music Connection Magazine 131 ................................................................ Vox 132 .............................................. Unsigned Only Inside Back Cover ...... Mortimer and Mimi Levitt Foundation Outside Front Cover ...... Compass Records Group

49 ............................................................. FARM

Ad Index

133

Ad Index

AD INDEX BY NAME Advancing Indigenous Performance / Western Arts Alliance ................................... 63 American Jazz Museum ................................. 74 Americana Music Association ....................... 44 Amptup ........................................................ 46 Art Menius Media ...........................................9 Association of Performing Arts Presenters ....20 Big Bear Productions ..................................... 38 Blackstar ....................................................... 12 Blue Ox Music Festival ...................................40 Bluegrass Ambassadors .................................60 Bose Professional ............................................8 British Underground .....................................30 CACHE / House of Songs ............................... 62 Canadian Independent Music Association (CIMA) .......................................................... 16

Ad Index

Local 1000, AFM ...........................................30 Louisiana Office of Cultural Development ...... 18 Mari Black Trio .............................................. 52 Midwest Trust Center | Johnson County Community College ....................................... 32 Mortimer and Mimi Levitt Foundation .................. Inside Back Cover Mundial Montréal ......................................... 32 Music Connection Magazine ........................ 120 NERFA .......................................................... 54 Phil Jones Bass .............................................. 64 Redirect Health ............................................. 42 SERFA ........................................................... 50 Shaun Ferguson (UniForce Pro) ..................... 84 Shubb Capos ...................................................6

CD Baby ..........................................................9

Smithsonian Folkways Recordings ................ 25

Compass Records Group ..... Outside Front Cover

SoundExchange ............................................ 25

Compose Your Career ..................................... 41

SRO Artists, Inc. ............................................ 84

Country Dance & Song Society ...................... 63

Stephen Clair ................................................ 63

Ed Sweeney Music ......................................... 73

SWRFA ......................................................... 55

English Folk Expo .......................................... 76

The Blues Foundation ................................. 120

Ethno USA .................................................. 102

Tom's Town Distilling Company ..................... 24

FAR-West Folk Alliance ................................. 56

TreeHouse Custom Drums ............................. 46

FARM .............................................................51

Unsigned Only .............................................132

Folly Theater ................................................. 58

Uptown Artist Group ..................................... 84

Folquébec ......................................................13

Vox .............................................................. 131

Franzke String Instruments ...........................40

Woody Guthrie Center ................................... 92

International Bluegrass Music Association .... 93

World Music Expo (WOMEX) ......................... 36

Jess Klein ...................................................... 63

Yamaha Guitar Group ........... Inside Front Cover

Kansas City Irish Center ................................. 75

Yep Roc ......................................................... 73

Kari Estrin Mgmt/Consulting + Radio Promotion .................................... 10-11

134

Kerrville Folk Festival .................................... 28

NOTES

135

NOTES

Notes

136

COMMUNITY through

MUSIC

The Levitt Foundation partners with communities coast to coast to activate underused public spaces, creating welcoming and inclusive destinations through the power of free, live music. Levitt stages feature acclaimed, emerging talent to seasoned, award-winning artists World Bluegrass Country Jazz Classical Rock Folk Hip-Hop Blues Reggae Latin Big Band Funk Americana Zydeco R&B

levitt.org

@levittfoundation

@levittfdn

COMPASS RECORDS GROUP AT FOLK ALLIANCE OFFICIAL SHOWCASES: LAURA CORTESE & THE DANCE CARDS Bitter Better

O’CONNOR LEE COMING SOON:

While We’re Here

“There’s a thoroughly likable lilt to the digital-analog mix that is BITTER BETTER.” —Associated Press

Available Fall 2022

OFFICIAL SHOWCASE: THURSDAY, MAY 19 5:15 PM - 5:45 PM CENTURY C BALLROOM

OFFICIAL SHOWCASE: FRIDAY, MAY 20 5:15 PM - 5:45 PM CENTURY C BALLROOM

STEVE POLTZ Stardust and Satellites “Steve Poltz is a living example of the American music tradition, a songwriter who can bend your ear with a hooky melody, then break your heart with a wry observation about the human condition.” —Popmatters Produced by Oliver Wood and Jano Rix of The Wood Brothers.

MR SUN Extrovert (feat. Darol Anger, Grant Gordy, Aidan O’Donnell, Joe K. Walsh)

“The instruments sing, sparkle, skip, sob and scream like voices.” –Bluegrass Unlimited The sophomore release picks up where the much-lauded debut left off, exploring the grooves and melodies that exist at the intersection of bluegrass, jazz and swing.

ANDY IRVINE & PAUL BRADY (Special Edition) “Andy Irvine and Paul Brady (former Planxty members) team up for one of the greatest albums ever of traditional Irish songs. Their unique sound will stay with you long after the music has stopped.” —AllMusic Remastered from the analog tapes.

CHASTITY BROWN COMING SOON:

Sing to the Walls Available June 2022. “Chastity Brown approaches music with a troubadour’s spirit, never content to rest in one place or on one style for too long.” —NPR Chastity Brown embraces modern soul and evolves her sound on

COMPASSRECORDS.COM

COLIN HAY Now and the Evermore “He’s got the same familiar voice, the same charming smile and a legion of loyal fans.” —The Baltimore Examiner A personal acknowledgement of the relentless march of time, with Colin exploring the universal feelings of contemplating one’s own identity and eternity.

THE BROTHER BROTHERS COMING SOON:

Cover to Cover Available Summer 2022. With Sarah Jarosz, Rachel Price and Michaela Anne. “...Close harmonies that suggest Simon & Garfunkel over Willie Nelson...” —Rolling Stone Country

KATE TAYLOR Why Wait!

THE WHITMORE SISTERS Ghost Stories “Their sisterly harmonies add a sweetly assured, down-home sound that rings with immediate appeal.” —Holler Magazine The Whitmore Sisters are real life sisters Eleanor Whitmore (The Mastersons, Steve Earle) and Bonnie Whitmore (Hayes Carll).

“Decades after she traded rock stardom for life in a teepee, Kate Taylor is back.” —Rolling Stone Featuring renowned session musicians Russ Kunkel, Danny Kortchmar, Leland Sklar and legendary producer, Peter Asher.

ALISON BROWN

I DRAW SLOW

COMING SOON:

Available Summer 2022. “Like James Taylor’s voice or B.B. King’s guitar, Alison Brown’s banjo is an instrument possessed of a unique sonic signature and an inescapable beauty.” —Billboard

Available Fall 2022. “I Draw Slow are one of the most beguiling and singular acts currently on the circuit.” —Irish Independent “Flat out brilliant.” —Folk Radio UK

On Banjo

I Draw Slow

REDHOUSERECORDS.COM