Folkways Tent
Saturday, September 21
11 AM Songs of Our Ancestors: Sparky and Rhonda Rucker
Sparky and Rhonda Rucker have long been ambassadors of cultural heritage, accompanying themselves with bottleneck slide guitar, old-time banjo, harmonica, piano, spoons and bones. Over 50 years, Sparky and Rhonda have performed at the Kennedy Center and the Smithsonian Folklife Festival as well as on NPR’s “On Point,” “Prairie Home Companion,” “Mountain Stage” and “Morning Edition.” Their recording, “Treasures and Tears,” was nominated for a W.C. Handy Award, and their music is also included on the Grammy-nominated anthology, “Singing Through the Hard Times.”
NOON Irish Dance With Madalyn Higgins
Jump into Irish dance with Madalyn Higgins! Dancers of all skill levels, backgrounds and ages will enjoy this workshop as Higgins cover the basics of Irish step dance and céilí dance. You can wear soft-sole shoes, leather-bottom shoes or light sneakers. Participants will learn how to glide across the floor, take a few leaps, partner dance and bring it all together with a céilí (social dance) at the end. Higgins will be accompanied by Jeff Thomas on concertina and Myles Thomas on fiddle for an authentic and lively session.
1 PM Appalatin – Central American and Appalachian Folk Music Roots
ARTS BEYOND THE STAGE, ARTS FOR ENRICHMENT
Explore Central American and Appalachian folk song traditions with Nicaraguan folk musician Marlon Obando and Eastern Kentucky-based singer/songwriter Yani Vozos. Discuss the rhythms and cultural traditions of Central American and Appalachian folk music styles and learn how they combine to create Appalatin’s signature sound.
2 PM Old Songs from the Allegheny Highlands of West Virginia with Michael and Carrie Kline
This session will offer unaccompanied songs the Klines have learned first-hand from older singers, songs passed down through family and community sources.
throughout the region. The Klines have sat at the feet of singers such as Maggie Hammons, Sherman Hammons, Currence and Minty Hammons, Phyllis Marks, Hazel Stover, Hazel Dickens, and Nimrod Workman. The list goes on. Beginning with one of the oldest songs in the English language, Michael and Carrie Kline sing songs and tales of hunters and the hunted. The Klines will invite the audience to join in where there are refrains, as well as imbibe sung and narrated details of both the singers and the songs.
3 PM Appalatin – Andean Folk Music and Instruments
ARTS BEYOND THE STAGE, ARTS FOR ENRICHMENT
Join Ecuadorian master luthier and musician Fernando Moya to explore the history and culture of Andean music and learn about the region’s native people and celebrations. Discover the musical traditions and instruments of the Andes – including flutes, recorders and charango – and discuss Appalatin’s unique blend of Andean and Appalachian musical styles.
4 PM Folk Punk: A Round Table
Folk punk, sometimes called rogue folk, fuses folk instrumentation and themes and fuses them with punk energy, highlighting the close relationship between the two musical traditions. This panel will bring members together to discuss traditional instruments and traditional forms of music in punk music.
On Saturday night, The Deep End in Frostburg will host a punk show with The Bastard Bearded Irishmen after the festival’s capstone concert.