More artists headed to Salisbury
Another four performers have been announced for the 79th National Folk Festival in downtown Salisbury. The National Folk Festival returns for the second year of the festival’s three-year residency in Salisbury from September 6-8, 2019.
“The artistic program for the 79th National Folk Festival is shaping up to be an amazing, expansive display of our nation’s premier traditional artists—from stalwarts who have earned well-deserved accolades for carrying forward their art forms for decades to up-and-coming artists who will be making their National Folk Festival debut in Salisbury this September,” said Lora Bottinelli, executive director of the National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA).
The audience is sure to be electrified by the swift moving sights and sounds of a master of the Telecaster, fun-loving dance hall zydeco, the fast flying fingers of the Blue Ridge piano, and a mesmerizing mix of martial arts and dance that has achieved worldwide appeal from its modest origins in Brazil. The four artists announced today include:
Bill Kirchen (Austin, Texas) – master of the Telecaster
This “Titan of the Telecaster” and living guitar legend will take audiences on a high-energy romp through the last 50 years of American guitar history.
Capoeira Luanda (New York, New York) – Brazilian capoeira
Led by the nation’s foremost capoeira mestre (master), this ensemble will astound with their display of an Afro-Brazilian tradition that fuses dance, martial arts, and acrobatics.
Jeff Little Trio (Boone, North Carolina) – Blue Ridge piano trio
With breathtaking speed, precision, clarity, and a distinctive two-handed style, this remarkable musician continues a hidden, yet fascinating Blue Ridge piano tradition.
Terry & the Zydeco Bad Boys (Duson, Louisiana) – zydeco
This rising star from the heart of French Louisiana is filling the dance halls with a zydeco sound that is both highly innovative and deeply respectful of tradition.
Approximately 350 artists—musicians, dancers, storytellers, and craftspeople—will take part in the National Folk Festival, with more than 35 different musical groups performing on seven outdoor stages throughout downtown Salisbury.
To learn more about these artists and their stories, please visit nationalfolkfestival.com/performers.
