New Lebanon, New York: SpiritFire Festival, a drum and dance festival which happens each June over solstice weekend - that occurs annually in upstate New York state. This year, from June 16-20 attendees will come from all over the continental U.S. and Hawaii, Canada and Europe.
The SpiritFire Festival

Trumansburg, New York: The Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival is four days, July 22-25, with over 60 bands of blues, reggae, bluegrass, jazz, rock, zydeco, latin, Hip-Hop, country and Irish music.

Among the acts in this year’s lineup: Mexican Rock –n- Rollers Los Lobos; Grammy award winning country star Jim Lauderdale; Irish traditional group Solas; Reggae legend Calton Coffie; Madagascar’s acoustic guitar guru D’Gary; West Afican’s Kusan Ensemble; Louisiana Zydeco greats Preston and Keith Frank; Native Americana magicians Keith Secola and the Wild Band of Indians; percussion-driven fiddle group Horseflies; pedal steel pioneers the Campbell Brothers; Human architecture set to music Galumpha; and Cajun perfectionists Walter Mouton & the Scott Playboys. www.grassrootsfest.org

New York, New York: Great Drum Foundation is committed to helping people reach beyond political, social, cultural, ideological and religious differences by bringing together individual master musicians of different spiritual traditions. The resulting music proclaims the aspirations we all share - to live in peace and freedom. The Foundation produce concerts of this music and distribute audio and video recordings of these performances.

visit Great Drum Foundation

Columbus, Ohio: By his mid-twenties, Tom Beardslee has made several trips to West Africa to study highlife, soukous, Afrobeat, and traditional music. He also worked in Ghana as a studio and live guitarist, playing with musicians like Okyerema Asante, Pat Thomas, Jewel Ackah, Sharon Katz, and members of Osibisa. He lived the life of a highlife bandsman with Amakye Dede's Super High Kings, with whom he toured all of Ghana, as well as in Togo and Cote D'Ivoire. Listen to MaryAnn.

Olympia Washington: Blind from the age of two, Ron Bates has faced and overcome many obstacles. For 16 years music has been the focus of his life, working on keyboards, bass, guitar, and songwriting, and experiencing the musical of genres of jazz, blues and rock. After leading several bands, Ron has embarked on a solo career. I Will Go is one of his new songs that is featured on his debut album.

Download I Will Go

New York, New York: In 2004 Jennifer Muller/The Works celebrated its 29th anniversary. As a contemporary dance company that has toured 37 countries, The Works translates its passion for dance into an experience that is shared by all ages and cultures. Its dancers, from all over the world, are renowned for their technical virtuosity and Jennifer Muller's choreography draws on the performers' acting abilities to transform abstract physical motion into a vivid theatrical experience.

San Francisco, California: Ancient Future was founded in 1978 in San Rafael, California. One of the original world fusion groups, Ancient Future combines the contemporary sounds of jazz and rock with the rhythms of African, Balinese, Indian, Middle Eastern and South American percussion, the rich harmonies of Europe, and the beautiful melodies of Asia.

Looking beyond their American roots for inspiration, the member of Ancient Future have studied with the master musicians of many world music traditions, from Balinese gamelan director Madé Gerindem to North Indian sarod master Ali Akbar Khan. They use their knowledge of world music to create something new and unique.
visit Ancient Future

Indianapolis, Indiana: The late James 'Yank' Rachell, a resident of Indianapolis for the 2nd half of his life, is regarded as the 'godfather' of the blues community. Yank, through his music and personal relationships with many of the areas blues musicians, inspired a whole generation to carry on the blues. Steve Robbins, a personal friend of Yank's, organized the tribute to keep Yank's memory, music and spirit alive.

Yank Rachell was born on March 16, 1910, on a farm near Brownsville, Tennessee. He was one of just a very few blues musicians to play the mandolin and his distinct style made him the undisputed master of the blues mandolin. Yank's recording career spanned nearly seventy years, beginning in 1929 with the now classic sessions on RCA Victor. He also recorded on the Bluebird, Vocallion, Delmark, Blue Goose, Blind Pig, the local Slippery Noodle Sound and Flat Rock labels. Yank Rachell died at his home in Indianapolis on April 9, 1997.

Submitted by Yun Hui

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