2020 Performers

Aurelio

Aurelio

Garifuna
Plaplaya, Honduras, and New York, New York

One of the most extraordinary Central American artists of his generation, Aurelio Martinez is a musical ambassador and champion of the Garifuna, a culturally threatened African Amerindian ethnic minority living primarily along the Caribbean coasts of Belize, Honduras, Guatemala, and Nicaragua. Hailing from the small community of Plaplaya in Honduras, he grew up immersed in Garifuna rhythms, rituals, and songs. With powerfully evocative vocals; talent as a composer, guitarist, and percussionist; and over 30 years’ experience, Aurelio is central to the perpetuation and innovation of this unique tradition.

Los Texmaniacs

Los Texmaniacs

conjunto tejano
San Antonio, Texas

Emerging from San Antonio’s vibrant music scene, Los Texmaniacs are among the most exciting exponents of conjunto tejano, a musical form that emerged in the late 19th century when German, Czech, and Polish immigrants introduced the button accordion into the lively dance music of Mexican working-class communities in southern Texas. Melding classic conjunto sounds with rock, blues, and R&B, Los Texmaniacs perform “hip music that everybody in the world can relate to, with the traditional conjunto elements, not ever losing your cultura,” explains bandleader Max Baca.

Martha & Emily Spencer

Martha & Emily Spencer

old-time
Whitetop, Virginia

Hailing from Whitetop, a tiny Appalachian community nestled in the rugged Blue Ridge Mountains of Grayson County, mother and daughter duo Martha and Emily Spencer are a living testimony to the vitality and deep roots of traditional music in Southwest Virginia. Both women are gifted multi-instrumentalists and singers. They carry on the multigenerational legacy of one of the region’s most beloved musical families, known for keeping alive the old-time music tradition unique to Grayson County.

The Quebe Sisters

The Quebe Sisters

Texas fiddling and western swing
Dallas, Texas

When Texas sisters Grace, Sophia, and Hulda Quebe (rhymes with “maybe”) take to a stage to fiddle, and sing, in three-part harmony, they delight audiences with their sparkle and verve as well as their instrumental and vocal virtuosity. Add stellar backup by Simon Stipp on swinging rhythm guitar and Daniel Parr on upright bass to their sound, and it’s as if the Andrews Sisters had joined up with Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys in musical heaven.

Rahim AlHaj

Rahim AlHaj

Iraqi oud
Albuquerque, New Mexico

A 5,000-year-old musical tradition from the heart of Mesopotamia is alive and well in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the adopted home of renowned Iraqi oud virtuoso Rahim AlHaj. AlHaj is a cultural ambassador for the deep musical heritage of his homeland. His music evokes the experience of exile, new beginnings, and “the message of peace and compassion and love” that he shares with audiences to heal a world beset by conflict.

Vishtèn

Vishtèn

Acadian
Prince Edward Island and Magdalen Islands, Québec

Vishtèn’s music is a hardy mixture of Acadian, Irish, and Scottish styles, with fiery fiddling and powerful step dancing taking front and center. Formed in 2000 on their native Prince Edward Island, Vishtèn is a trio of young musicians and dancers founded by twin sisters Pastelle LeBlanc (piano accordion, piano, dance, vocals) and Emmanuelle LeBlanc (bodhrán, whistles, mandolin, piano, dance, vocals). Rounding out the trio is Pascal Miousse—from the nearby Magdalen Islands—on fiddle, mandolin, guitar, and vocals.

Walter “Wolfman” Washington & the Roadmasters

Walter “Wolfman” Washington & the Roadmasters

funk and R&B
New Orleans, Louisiana

Walter “Wolfman” Washington is New Orleans’s preeminent funk master. He first appeared on the city’s music scene six decades ago as a budding guitarist, learning licks from his elders. Today he is regarded as another in the long line of singular characters and musical personalities to come out of the Crescent City, known for his unique vocal delivery and a distinctive rhythm and blues sound that has touches of sophisticated soul and jazz.