Northwest Folklife

This year at Folklife we are proud to present some of the best musicians and dancers in the world!  Some of these masters come from far away and some come from right next door, but they will all give unforgettable performances.  Don’t miss these events!


National Heritage Award Winners
This award, granted by the National Endowment for the Arts, is the highest honor for traditional artists in the USA.  It is based on the Living Treasures awards of Japan.  We are pleased to feature four National Heritage Award Winners at the 2009 Northwest Folklife Festival: Kevin Burke, Yuqin Wang & Zhengli Xu, and Bob McQuillen.  And we bet that you’ll be hearing some of the next generation’s awardees at Folklife this year!

Kevin Burke
Irish fiddle master Kevin Burke has literally redefined Irish traditional music for his generation.  From his work with the seminal Bothy Band to his highly acclaimed solo recordings, Kevin is a Northwest  treasure!  

   Kevin Burke in the Fiddler’s Showcase:
   Saturday, May 23, 1:40pm, Charlotte Martin Theatre
   Kevin will be joined by other master fiddlers, such as contra dance fiddler David Kaynor, Transylvanian village fiddler Laszlo Orban and more.

   Kevin Burke on Fisher Green
   Saturday, May 23, 5:20pm, Fisher Green Stage
   Kevin Burke and guitarist Cal Scott.


Dragon Art Studio (Part of the AYP Centennial Cultural Focus)
Yuqin Wang & Zhengli Xu represent more than one thousand years of history in their masterful puppetry.  With over 30 years of experience touring in China’s most renowned puppet troupes, they have settled into Northwest life, teaching others their art and sharing their puppetry with people of all ages.

   Yuqin Wang & Zhengli Xu perform in a show for children!
   Saturday, May 23, 11:00am, Fisher Green Stage

   Yuqin Wang & Zhengli Xu in The A-Y-P Centennial Showcase
   Saturday, May 23, 7:50pm, Bagley Wright Theatre

   Yuqin Wang & Zhengli Xu present a special theatre show in the EMP!
   Sunday, May 24, 12:00pm, JBL Theatre


Bob McQuillen
A renowned contra dance tune composer and musician, Bob McQuillen lives in New England but loves to visit the Northwest every year for the Northwest Folklife Festival.  He has mentored the current generation of contra dance musicians, and his carefully built tune compositions have delighted dancers throughout the nation.

   Mac’s Quackers w/Bob McQuillen play for Roadhouse contra dancing
   Monday, May 25, 6:00pm, Roadhouse


UW Ethnomusicology Visiting Artists
The Ethnomusicology program at the University of Washington has been bringing master musicians from all over the world to live and teach in residency since the 1960s.  These musicians in turn influence the music of the Northwest and create new musical communities.  Please join us in welcoming the 2009 UW Ethnomusicology Visiting Artists!

Li Bo (Mongolia)
Sunday, May 24, 5:10pm, Fisher Green Stage
Master of the Mongolina morin khuur, or horse-head fiddle, Li Bo’s virtuosic playing evokes the sights and sounds of the Mongolian steppes.  

Mudzunga Davhula (South Africa)
Sunday, May 24, 7:20pm, Center House Theatre
Global Women’s Voices Showcase
Mudzunga is a performer, teacher, and community leader from the Venda area of the Limpopo Province, South Africa. She engages her students in the musical traditions of the Venda culture primarily through instruction in an ensemble including drumming, reed pipes, and singing.



Master Musicians from a Variety of Genres:

Juan Medrano Cotito & Ensemble
(presented by The AFrican ConXion Project 09)
Juan Medrano Cotito is a world-renowned master of the cajon, an Afro-Peruvian percussion instrument that is essentially a wooden box.  Cotito is the Grammy-award winning cajonero for Susana Baca!  You can learn more about the percussion and dance traditions of Afro-Peruvian culture at a drumming workshop Saturday at 1pm in the Rhythm Tent and a dance workshop Monday at 4pm in the Rainier Room.

   Friday, May 22, 8pm, Northwest Court Stage
   Passport to Latin American Showcase

   Monday, May 25, 12:50pm, Bagley Wright Theatre
   Arts of the World

Sabrepulse
8-Bit or chiptune music is the creative repurposing of 1980s video game music for today’s electronic dance fans.  Considered to be the best chiptune artist in the world, Sabrepulse is flying in from his native Scotland to spread the gospel of 8-Bit music in the Northwest.

   Saturday, May 23, 9:25pm, The Vera Project Stage
   8-Bit Showcase

 

 

 

 

The Indigo

The Indigo, featuring Rachel Brice (yeah, that’s right, RACHEL BRICE!), Mardi Love and Zoe Jakes, make up the best tribal bellydance troupe anywhere.  They present an amazing fusion of bellydance styles, but have a very distinctive aesthetic that has influenced pretty much everyone in the tribal bellydance community.  They will be joined onstage by the Gallus Brothers AND the Crow Quill Night Owls.  The Indigo is flying up from to California to play Folklife, and they’re donating their performance to the Festival.  WOW!  Be sure to check this out!

   Saturday, May 23, 9:15pm
   Tribal & Fusion Bellydance


Clinton Fearon
Clinton Fearon’s roots go back to Jamaica in the 1970s, where he sang in the legendary group The Gladiators and was a house musician at Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry’s studio.  Now firmly established in the Northwest, Clinton’s work with his band is the best way to end your Folklife experience.  The Monday night Reggae Show, “Roots & Revelations”, is a must-see event.

   Monday, May 25, 8:15pm, Mural Amphitheatre
   Roots & Revelations


Seattle Chinese Orchestra (Part of AYP Centennial Cultural Focus)
Led by renowned Chinese erhu player, Warren Chang, the Seattle Chinese Orchestra has been introducing Western audiences to the profound depths of Chinese classical music for over 20 years. 

   Sunday, May 24, 7:00pm, Charlotte Martin Theatre
   Chinese Arts Showcases


Nukariik (Part of AYP Centennial Cultural Focus)
Two sisters, Karin & Kathy Kettler, will be traveling from Nunavik, Canada, to showcase the throat songs and games of the Inuit of the Arctic Circle.  The sound of Inuit throat singing is unlike anything you’ve heard and it’s visually a treat too, as each singer tries to outdo the other with interesting sounds and melodies.

   Saturday, May 23, 8:45pm, Bagley Wright Theatre
   The AYP Centennial Showcase

   Sunday, May 24, 12:20pm, The Vera Project Stage
   Indoor performance

   Sunday, May 24, 4:00pm, Narrative Stage
   Panel on Inuit Culture and Music
 

Laura Love & Orville Johnson
Laura Love has enjoyed a most eclectic musical career.  From topical singer-songwriter to bluegrass innovator, her music consistently surprises and enlightens.  Recently her work infusing bluegrass and traditional old-time songs with a contemporary African-American perspective has met with rave reviews and happy festival audiences.  Matching her independent spirit with much-loved Northwest dobro master Orville Johnson is a sure recipe for success.

   Monday, May 25, 3:45pm, Fisher Green