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Artists

The National Folk Festival presents the nation’s finest traditional artists from across the nation representing a broad array of America’s cultural communities. The National also strives to showcase the traditions of cultural communities historically identified with the host city, state, or region, as well as the arts of newer immigrant communities that are contributing to the state’s cultural landscape. 

 

If you are interested in performing at the National Folk Festival, check out How to be a performer at the National Folk Festival.

Balla Kouyaté & Famoro Dioubaté

balafon masters

Boston, Massachusetts, and New York, New York

Two masters of the centuries-old West African balafon explore new musical terrain together, treating audiences to heights of virtuosity and the thrill of the unexpected.

Bobby Rush

soul blues

Jackson, Mississippi

Known as the “King of the Chitlin’ Circuit,” this leading soul blues artist has assumed the role once held by B.B. King as the foremost living diplomat for Mississippi blues.

The Campbell Brothers

sacred steel guitar

Rochester, New York

From electrifying, raise-the-roof solos, to meditative sounds of beauty and reflection, this family-based band is among the finest ambassadors of the sacred steel tradition.

Dale Ann Bradley

bluegrass

Middlesboro, Kentucky

Raised in a Primitive Baptist family in the mountains of eastern Kentucky, this acclaimed bluegrass singer transports listeners with her straight-from-the-holler voice and personal songwriting.

E.U. featuring Sugar Bear

go-go

Washington, D.C.

Led by dynamic front man Gregory “Sugar Bear” Elliott, this legendary group, made famous in School Daze, is synonymous with the funky, quintessentially Washington, D.C., dance music known as go-go.

Edwin Perez y Su Orquesta

salsa dura

New York, New York

With propulsive percussion, dynamic brass lines, and emphatic, emotional vocals, this high-octane salsa ensemble inspires audiences to find both joy and meaning on the dance floor.

Eileen Ivers

Irish

Bronx, New York

This musical pioneer and innovator, raised in an Irish American community in the Bronx, has won over 30 All-Ireland medals and redefined the boundaries of Irish traditional fiddling.

Frank London's Klezmer Brass Allstars

klezmer

New York, New York

An ensemble comprised of members of the world's leading klezmer bands, together they set out to capture the sound and spirit of the raucous, earthy old-country klezmorim of the 19th century.

Jeff Little Trio feat. Wayne Henderson

Blue Ridge piano and guitar

Boone, North Carolina and Rugby, Virginia

Two masters from the Blue Ridge Mountains stun audiences when they get together, with a distinctive two-handed piano style and fingerpicked guitar performed with amazing speed and fluidity.

Jeffery Broussard & the Creole Cowboys

zydeco

Opelousas, Louisiana

Heir to a family musical legacy, this acclaimed accordionist delivers pack-the-floor renditions of Creole classics as well as his own rollicking brand of traditional zydeco.

John Primer & the Real Deal Blues Band

Chicago blues

Chicago, Illinois

This blues legend epitomizes the journey of Chicago blues—born in Mississippi and migrating North to the Windy City, where he was mentored by the greats and held down his career for over six decades.

Korean Performing Arts Institute of Chicago

pungmul and samulnori

Chicago, Illinois

These master artists bring together all the pageantry and energy of a Korean harvest festival with their flying footwork, brilliantly colored dress, and joyful, thunderous percussion.

LOS RICOS featuring Sonia & Ismael

flamenco

New York, New York

Known as “the golden couple” of flamenco, this pair perfectly transmits the tradition’s intimacy, grace, power, and emotional intensity, from precise, lightning-fast steps to evocative vocals.

Lutchinha

Cabo Verdean

Brockton, Massachusetts

Arguably the finest to call the United States her home, Lutchinha deftly performs the lilting and soulful strains of Cabo Verdean music. This inimitable singer will delight audiences with this distinctive music tradition.

Ms. Jody

southern soul 

Bay Springs, Mississippi

With an appeal felt deep and wide across the South, this southern soul songstress captivates audiences with her stunning stage presence and true-life stories of cheating, love, heartache, and joy.

Oka Homma Alla Hilha Alhiha

Choctaw social dancing

Redwater, Mississippi

Wearing traditional dress and guided by a chanter’s song and percussive sticks, Choctaw dancers have been dancing Chahta Hihla (Choctaw dancing) for centuries, fostering fellowship and community.

Riyaaz Qawwali

South Asian qawwali

Houston, Texas

This ensemble shares the centuries-old Sufi tradition known as qawwali, moving audiences and performers into ecstatic trance through repetition, call-and-response singing, and intensifying hand clapping and percussion.

The Sonic Boom of the South

HBCU marching band

Jackson, Mississippi

One of the nation’s most celebrated HBCU marching bands, this band electrifies and entrances audiences with its high-energy performances, musical arrangements, and precise choreography.

Tres en Punto

trío romántico

Mission, Texas

In their stylish attire and with impeccable harmonies and fingerings, this trio is perfectly suited to carry on the impassioned tradition of this elegant and romantic music.

Wylie & the Wild West

cowboy and western music

Conrad, Montana

This world-class yodeler and cowboy singer still lives the life of a working rancher and cutting-horse champion—and is one of America’s most popular western musicians and songwriters.

Family Area & Street Performers

Acme Miniature Flea Circus

flea circus 

Providence, Rhode Island via Barcelona, Spain

Trained by renowned psycho-entomologist Professor A.G. Gertsacov, the diminutive stars of this Victorian-style flea circus—Midge and Madge—perform death-defying circus stunts and stunning sideshow antics.

Chief Shaka Zulu

New Orleans Black masking craftsmen and stilt dancer

New Orleans, Louisiana

This master of Black masking suit design and revered stilt dancer is deeply rooted in New Orleans’s Carnival tradition as well as its interwoven history of Black and Indigenous culture.

Leaving Legacies

krump dance

Jackson, Mississippi

Led by two of Jackson’s standout dancers and instructors, this group mesmerizes audiences with a highly energetic and explosive style of hip hop dance, embracing its capacity for healing through movement.

Vasti Jackson: The Soul of Jimmie Rodgers

country and blues

Hattiesburg, Mississippi

Multitalented Mississippi guitarist, singer, songwriter, and producer presents a program exploring the underappreciated cultural exchange between blues and country music as exemplified by an American music legend.

Mississippi Folklife Area & Stage

Bessie Johnson

pine needle basketry

Tibbee, Mississippi

Bessie Johnson is a visual artist best known for her incorporation of natural materials into her signature coiled longleaf pine needle baskets, along with a new exploration into the artistry of burnt matchstick art.

Betty Crawford

mixed-media sculpture and quilting

Marks, Mississippi, by way of Alabaster, Alabama

Betty Crawford is a mixed-media artist and quilter who draws inspiration from her family, ancestors, and the endurance of the Delta, all woven into her intricate quilts and sculptures that preserve the legacy of the Mule Train and Poor People's Campaign.

Big A & the Allstars with the Delta Blues Museum Students

blues

Clarksdale, Mississippi

Raised in Clarksdale, Anthony “Big A” Sherrod is part of a living lineage of blues legends. He will be joined by the students of the Delta Blues Museum Blues Class for his performance at the 82nd National Folk Festival.

The Bland Family Farm

Black agricultural traditions

Sledge, Mississippi

For four generations, the Bland Family has been honing traditional agricultural practices including seed saving, composting, and seasonal, hand-tended cultivation, preserving the legacy of Black land stewardship in Mississippi.

Blue Monday Band

blues

Jackson, Mississippi

For nearly two decades, Blue Monday has been a staple of the live blues scene in Jackson. Hosted by legendary restaurant and musical institution Hal & Mal’s, this weekly open mic brings together seasoned performers, emerging talent, and die-hard blues fans under one roof.

Bobby Whalen

sign painting

Indianola, Mississippi

Bobby Whalen is one of the last remaining practitioners of hand-painted signage in the Delta, whose painted works include portraits, murals, and hand-lettered signs, often depicting local musicians and activists.

Change Skateboard Shop

skateboarding

Tupelo, Mississippi

Founded by Tupelo native Matt Robinson, Change Skateboard Shop serves as an oasis for the flourishing skateboard community that calls Northeast Mississippi home.

Dr. Tammy Greer & Robin Whitfield

native plant traditions, pigments, and dyes

Hattiesburg, Mississippi

Dr. Tammy Greer and Robin Whitfield specialize in medicine wheel gardens, a gardening technique rooted in traditional Native American planting and healing practices.

Eleanor Chickaway

Choctaw basket making

Conehatta, Mississippi

Eleanor Chickaway of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians is one of the living masters of Choctaw the basketmaking tradition, using vibrant colors and complex weaves to create beautiful basketry, a skill she has passed on to others in her community.

Hip Hop Showcase: Vitamin Cea, DevMacc, & Phingaprint

hip hop

Jackson and Gautier, Mississippi

Mississippi is known for its rich music scene, and its hip hop community is no exception; Vitamin Cea, DevMacc, and Phingaprint will showcase what hip hop in the state looks like.

J. Janice Coleman

quilting

Vicksburg, Mississippi

Dr. J. Janice Coleman sews quilts, cotton sacks, and other items that tell stories about her family and community by using scraps and remnants that reflect the past and present life and culture of the Mississippi Delta.

James "Super Chikan" Johnson

Delta blues and instrument making

Clarksdale, Mississippi

Mississippi Delta bluesman and visual artist James “Super Chikan” Johnson plays the guitars he makes himself, using repurposed materials from gas cans to ceiling fans, painting each “chikantar” with images from the Delta.

Jimmy "Duck" Holmes

Bentonia blues

Bentonia, Mississippi

Jimmy “Duck” Holmes is the greatest living proponent of the Bentonia blues, a highly localized style known for its haunting and eerie sound.

Keith Johnson

blues

Greenville, Mississippi

Born in the heart of the Mississippi Delta, Keith Johnson is a rising force in contemporary blues, known for blending deep Delta roots with a modern edge.

La Nueva Generación

huapango huasteco

Kosciusko, Mississippi

La Nueva Generación (Spanish for “new generation”) brings the vibrant sounds of huapango huasteco to life, honoring the deep-rooted traditions of Mexico’s Huasteca region through song, strings, and rhythmic dance.

Lucy Isadora & Justin Ransburg

punk zine making

Jackson, Mississippi

Artists Lucy Isadora and Justin Ransburg are part of Jackson's burgeoning punk zine community, helping others discover their creativity through this DIY medium.

The Mighty Gospel Warriors

gospel

Bruce, Mississippi

In a career spanning four decades, the Mighty Gospel Warriors have brought together several generations of the Judon family, along with other singers and musicians, to create one of Mississippi’s iconic gospel sounds.

Motor Mouse Motorcycle Club

motorcycle club

Indianola, Mississippi

With more than five decades of riding together throughout the Mississippi Delta, the Motor Mouse Motorcycle Club supports charitable work and fellowship among its members, while maintaining, showcasing, and riding together at every opportunity.

Oka Homma Alla Hilha Alhiha

Choctaw social dancing

Redwater, Mississippi

Wearing traditional dress and guided by a chanter’s song and percussive sticks, Oka Homma Alla Hilha Alhiha walk in the footsteps of their ancestors and foster fellowship and community through Chahta Hihla (Choctaw dancing).

Punk Showcase: Hartle Road, & Bad Anxiety

punk music

Jackson, Columbus, and Hattiesburg, Mississippi

Celebrating Mississippi’s boldest voices in punk rock, this showcase will highlight the region’s thriving DIY spirit, community-first ethos, and forms of social resistance featuring the bands Hammer & the Tools, Hartle Road, and Bad Anxiety.

Sew Every Wednesday

quilting

Jackson, Mississippi

S.E.W. (Sew Every Wednesday) is a community quilting group dedicated to preserving and sharing the traditional art of quilting and has become a creative and social hub for quilters of all backgrounds and skill levels.

Stephany Brown

quilting

Jackson, Mississippi

Stephany Brown is a traditional hand quilter from Jackson, Mississippi. Her work is inspired by history, incorporating the resilience and ingenuity of her ancestors into each piece she creates.

Tougaloo College Choir

gospel

Jackson, Mississippi

The Tougaloo College Choir represents the rich tradition of gospel music found in Jackson and throughout the state by embodying the transformative power of the tradition through performance, education, and community engagement.

The Wilkins Sisters

gospel

Bruce, Mississippi

The Wilkins Sisters, once backing singers for their renowned blues and gospel singer father, now honor that legacy and deep tradition of faith and family, backed by a soul-shaking band.

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