First Eight Performers Announced for 78th National Folk Festival
Salisbury, MD – The National Folk Festival announced today the first group of artists who will be performing in downtown Salisbury from September 7 – 9, 2018. The 78th National Folk Festival in 2018 marks the first year of the event’s three-year residency in Salisbury.
Approximately 350 artists—musicians, dancers, storytellers, and craftspeople—will take part in the National Folk Festival, with more than 30 different musical groups performing on as many as seven outdoor performance venues throughout downtown Salisbury. The eight artists announced today include:
- Clinton Fearon (reggae) – A core member of the famed Gladiators and living legend of Jamaican roots reggae delivers the message and the groove.
- Imamyar Hasanov & Abbos Kosimov (Azerbaijani kamancha and percussion) – Haunting melodies of the Azerbaijani spiked fiddle supported by dazzling percussion—sounds honed over centuries along the famed Silk Road routes of eastern and central Asia.
- Mariachi Los Camperos (mariachi) – Soaring, impassioned vocals, a magnificent violin section, and superb showmanship—one of the finest mariachis in the world.
- Marquise Knox (blues) – Channeling the power of old-school masters, this prodigiously talented 27-year-old is the future of the blues.
- Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper (bluegrass) – Ten-time IBMA Fiddle Performer of the Year leads a powerhouse band, creating dynamic traditional bluegrass that has propelled them to the top of the American bluegrass scene.
- Orquesta SCC (salsa dura) – These “new kings of salsa dura” are leading a renaissance of driving, socially conscious Latin music that brings the energy of the barrio back to salsa.
- The Quebe Sisters (Texas fiddling and western swing) – Divine three-part-harmony singing and fiddling from the Lone Star State—think Bob Wills’ Texas Playboys meet the Andrews Sisters.
- Sounds of Korea (Korean music and dance) – In exquisite traditional attire, with powerful ritual drumming, lush music, and expressive dances, this accomplished ensemble offers a powerful journey into the heart of Korean culture.
Over a dozen people of different backgrounds—and with a deep knowledge of music and art forms—came together from across the Delmarva to serve as the local Musical Programming Advisory Committee. This committee’s role is to consider—and help the National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA) select—the artists who will perform at the National Folk Festival each year.
To learn more about these artists and their stories, please visit nationalfolkfestival.com/performers. The National Folk Festival will feature individual artists on its Facebook page (facebook.com/NFFMaryland), Twitter (twitter.com/NFFMaryland), and Instagram (instagram.com/NFFMaryland) throughout the rest of February.
More performers will be announced as they are confirmed.
