Adonis Puentes & the Voice of Cuba Orchestra
Propelled by the vibrant horns and rhythms of his sextet, this verdadero sonero (true sonero) transports listeners to his birthplace through the mesmerizing sounds of classic son. Continue reading
Albert Lee
Nicknamed “Mr. Telecaster,” this rockabilly guitar icon is noted for his unique picking technique, melodic sensibilities, and lightning speed. Continue reading
Alex Meixner
Andes Manta
Masters of the vibrant and intricate Indigenous music of the Ecuadoran Andes, these four brothers carry forward traditions that have survived 500 years of European occupation. Continue reading
Ann Porcella
Arty Hill & the Long Gone Daddys
Aurelio
One of the most extraordinary Central American artists of his generation, this composer, guitarist, and percussionist is a musical ambassador and champion of the endangered culture of the Garifuna people. Continue reading
Balla Kouyaté & Famoro Dioubaté
Two masters of the ancient West African balafon explore new musical terrain together, treating audiences to heights of virtuosity and the thrill of the unexpected. Continue reading
Bill Kirchen
This “Titan of the Telecaster” and living guitar legend will take audiences on a high-energy romp through the last 50 years of American guitar history. Continue reading
Boukman Eksperyans
This pioneering ensemble, beloved in Haiti, uplifts and amplifies their country’s traditional music and its spiritual message, combining elements of Vodou with rock and R&B. Continue reading
Capoeira Luanda
Led by the nation’s foremost capoeira mestre (master), this ensemble will astound with their display of an Afro-Brazilian tradition that fuses dance, martial arts, and acrobatics. Continue reading
Clinton Fearon & the Boogie Brown Band
A core member of the famed Gladiators and living legend of Jamaican roots reggae delivers the message and the groove. Continue reading
Cora Harvey Armstrong
Channeling Aretha Franklin, Mahalia Jackson, and Shirley Caesar, this shining light in gospel, together with her sisters, carries on a family tradition that was passed on to them by their parents. Continue reading
Dale Ann Bradley
Raised in a Primitive Baptist family in the mountains of eastern Kentucky, this acclaimed bluegrass singer transports listeners with her shimmering voice and personal songwriting.
Dancing On Air Crew
Gravity-defying head spins, twirling windmills, and rapid-fire footwork are hallmarks of this urban dance style that lies at the core of hip hop culture. Continue reading
Danny Paisley & the Southern Grass
Led by one of the powerhouse vocalists in bluegrass today, this hard-driving band is a steadfast proponent of a classic sound rooted deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Continue reading
Daryl Davis
This boogie-woogie piano master who learned at the feet of his musical heroes breaks boundaries by tapping into the shared roots of blues, R&B, and early rock and roll. Continue reading
Diunna Greenleaf & Blue Mercy
Emerging from the Houston blues scene like a force of nature, this Texas powerhouse has a commanding stage presence and a voice to match.
Don Vappie Trio
Dovie Thomason
Drums No Guns
Promoting nonviolence and community healing through diverse percussion traditions, this ensemble unlocks the rhythmic possibilities of buckets and other recycled materials. Continue reading
E.U. featuring Sugar Bear
Led by dynamic front man Gregory “Sugar Bear” Elliott, this legendary group is synonymous with the funky, quintessentially Washington, D.C., dance music known as go-go. Continue reading
Eddie Cotton, Jr.
This Mississippi master of soul blues will move audiences, body and spirit, with gritty guitar work, stirring vocals, and a hard-driving style rooted in the church of his youth. Continue reading
Eileen Ivers
Raised in the Irish American community in the Bronx, this musical pioneer and innovator has won over 30 All-Ireland medals and redefined the boundaries of Irish traditional fiddling.
Feedel Band
Gene Tagaban (Guuy Yaau)
Dancing in a stunning, hand-painted mask and feathered wings, this renowned storyteller and Raven Dancer brings audiences into active participation with timeless Indigenous teachings.
Greenbelt S.I.T.Y. Stars
A young champion jump rope team with flashy acrobatic moves, agility, speed, style, and a positive message. Continue reading
Grupo Nematatlín
This celebrated son jarocho ensemble compellingly performs the signature folk music of Veracruz’s southern coastal plain, noted for its poetic lyrics and driving, danceable rhythms. Continue reading
Hālau ‘O Lilinoe
With graceful and mesmerizing performances, this halau (school) celebrates hula and nourishes the roots of their culture, preserving it for generations to come.
Héctor Del Curto’s Tango Quartet
The elegant, subtle, and intensely passionate Argentine music and dance called tango could find no higher expression than the superb artistry of this bandoneónist and his ensemble. Continue reading
Héctor Del Curto’s Tango Quartet
The elegant, subtle, and intensely passionate Argentine music and dance called tango could find no higher expression than the superb artistry of this bandoneónist and his ensemble. Continue reading
Himalayan Heritage Band
This virtuosic ensemble provides a vital link for Boston’s growing Nepalese community, bridging their new lives in New England with their homeland high in the Himalayas.
Hot Club of Cowtown
The preeminent ensemble in western swing and hot jazz today, this trio delivers exquisite performances with impeccable style and its trademark vintage sound. Continue reading
Hot Club of Cowtown
Imamyar Hasanov & Abbos Kosimov
Haunting melodies of the Azerbaijani spiked fiddle supported by dazzling percussion—sounds honed over centuries along the famed Silk Roads of eastern and central Asia. Continue reading
Janice & Anna Marshall
Jason Samuels Smith
One of the most exciting tap dancers of his generation, a bona fide “hoofer” who upholds a great American dance tradition with verve and style. Continue reading
Jeff Little Trio
With breathtaking speed, precision, clarity, and a distinctive two-handed style, this remarkable musician continues a hidden, yet fascinating Blue Ridge piano tradition. Continue reading
Jeghetto
Recycled materials take on life as astonishing 21st-century puppets—breakdancing androids, dinosaurs, dreadlocked cellists, and more—that joyously connect with kids of all ages. Continue reading
Jerry Douglas
Jerry Douglas Trio
“Dobro’s matchless contemporary master,” the greatest innovator of the resonator guitar in the last half century—possibly the greatest ever. Continue reading
Jones Benally Family Dancers
Led by family patriarch and world champion hoop dancer, three generations will share the beauty and richness of Navajo traditional culture. Continue reading
Kahulanui
This nine-piece juggernaut’s infectious music gives new life to the meeting of Hawaiian instruments and melodies and the swinging sounds of big band jazz that swept America in the 1930s and ’40s. Continue reading
Katherine Fahey
Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne
Lafayette Gilchrist
Liz Carroll & Jake Charron
Acclaimed for her consummate musicianship and creativity, this Chicago-born fiddler is among the most influential and celebrated in the world of traditional Irish music. Continue reading
Los Pleneros de la 21
Los Texmaniacs feat. La Marisoul
One of the most dynamic bands in conjunto tejano joins forces with a soulful, East L.A. singer, breathing fresh energy into timeless songs and sharing the rich legacy of Mexican American music—with a twist. Continue reading
Lurking Class Skate Shop
A diverse crew of skaters from Salisbury’s downtown skate shop will demonstrate skateboarding’s improvisational ethos as well as classic tricks on a pop-up obstacle course.
Mangum & Company
This gospel trombone choir will raise the roof with its heavenly “shout band” harmonies, a musical tradition unique to the United House of Prayer for All People. Continue reading
Mariachi Los Camperos
Soaring, impassioned vocals, a magnificent violin section, and superb showmanship—one of the finest mariachis in the world. Continue reading
Marquise Knox
Channeling the power of old-school masters, this prodigiously talented 27-year-old is the future of the blues. Continue reading
Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper
Ten-time IBMA Fiddle Performer of the Year leads a powerhouse band, creating dynamic traditional bluegrass that has propelled them to the top of the national bluegrass scene. Continue reading
Michael Winograd & the Honorable Mentshn
Led by one of today’s premier klezmer clarinetists, this all-star band offers up celebratory Jewish music that is rousing, raucous, and poignant in turn. Continue reading
Music from China
For 35 years, this virtuosic ensemble has led the charge of Chinese musicians redefining tradition with a contemporary vision as they perform regional styles from across China. Continue reading
Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas
Led by arguably zydeco accordion’s foremost living practitioner, this rollicking group represents the crème de la crème of the vibrant Black Creole dance music native to Southwest Louisiana.
Nicolae Feraru
Stunning virtuosity and deep musical passion have made this master of the cimbalom a revered figure in Eastern European communities across the nation. Continue reading
Nukariik
A rarely heard tradition, Inuit throat singing blends breath and voiced sound to create playful, rhythmic melodies and imitations of sounds in nature. Continue reading
Orquesta SCC
These “new kings of salsa dura” are leading a revival of driving, socially conscious Latin music that brings the energy of the barrio back to salsa. Continue reading
Panfilo’s Güera
Single handedly keeping alive the conjunto fiddle tradition is the foremost practitioner of this art form that expresses the deep roots of Tejano culture on the Texas-Mexico border. Continue reading
Penn Lions
This award-winning group from the University of Pennsylvania practices an ancient Chinese tradition known for spreading joy and prosperity during Lunar New Year celebrations. Continue reading
Professor Horn’s Punch & Judy Show
This 120-year-old Baltimore institution features the wisecracking trickster Punch and his long-suffering wife Judy in a puppetry tradition that can be traced to 16th-century Italy. Continue reading
Rahim AlHaj Trio
This renowned Iraqi oud virtuoso and one-time political refugee is a cultural ambassador whose music evokes his homeland, the experiences of exile, new beginnings, and healing. Continue reading
Rahzel
Redefining the possibilities of the human voice, this one-time member of The Roots sparked a beatbox renaissance. Continue reading
Rajna Swaminathan & Ganavya Doraiswamy
Rare Essence with special guest DJ Kool
Dubbed “the wickedest band alive,” this legendary go-go band—a pioneering exponent of the DMV’s homegrown offshoot of funk—has honed its sound to near perfection. Continue reading
Rebolú
The foremost Afro-Colombian ensemble in the United States plays the rich, rhythmic, and undeniably danceable music of Colombia’s Caribbean coast. Continue reading
Red Trouser Show
This dynamic street circus duo combines precision acrobatics with daring feats and nonstop laughs, and a breathtaking finale that ends high in the air. Continue reading
Riley Baugus
Robert Clarke
Specializing in juggling and magic, this well-traveled street performer has the uncanny ability to captivate both young and old with his fun-filled, laugh-out-loud interactive family show.
Rogelio Ortiz with Eduardo Betancourt
Lively, fiery, and heartfelt tradition from Colombia and Venezuela has a champion in this singer known as el caballero del canto nacional (“the gentleman of the national song”).
Rosie Bowen & Adriana Bowen-Herrera
Samba Mapangala & Orchestre Virunga
East Africa’s most beloved singer and his amazing band are renowned for their irresistible musical blend of Congolese and Kenyan sounds. Continue reading
Sheila Kay Adams
This North Carolina treasure is the seventh generation of her family to carry on an unbroken, 350-year-old singing tradition. Continue reading
Shemekia Copeland
Schooled in the blues by her Texas bluesman father, this powerhouse singer is heir to the rich tradition of blues divas blazed by such greats as Ruth Brown, Etta James, and Koko Taylor. Continue reading
Shodekeh & Ian Hesford
Maryland Traditions Apprenticeship Award Team Continue reading
Sounds of Korea
In exquisite traditional attire, with powerful ritual drumming, lush music, and expressive dances, this accomplished ensemble offers a powerful journey into the heart of Korean culture. Continue reading
Spencer Taylor & the Highway QC’s
Audiences will feel their spirits lifted by this gospel mainstay with over 70 years of ministering in song, known for their tight vocal harmonies and hard-driving rhythm section. Continue reading
Springfield Exit
bluegrass and traditional country
Winchester, VirginiaThis exceptional ensemble of award-winning musicians, led by a powerhouse vocalist, combines bluegrass and country with sounds stemming from their Appalachian roots. Continue reading
Sri Lankan Dance Academy of NY
Staten Island’s vibrant Sri Lankan community is home to this accomplished ensemble that is introducing the nation to the fascinating traditions of Kandyan dance. Continue reading
Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys
Both deeply traditional and forward-looking, this band sets the standard for modern Cajun music—sophisticated, soulful, and never failing to move both body and spirit. Continue reading
Sylvia Stephens
Tamburaški Sastav Ponoć
A new generation of brilliant players of the exhilarating Balkan string band tradition, which is lovingly kept in communities across the industrial Upper Midwest. Continue reading
Terry & the Zydeco Bad Boys
This rising star from the heart of French Louisiana is filling the dance halls with a zydeco sound that is both highly innovative and deeply respectful of tradition. Continue reading
The Barnstormers & the RockCandy Cloggers
The Bing Brothers Band feat. Jake Krack
One of the Mountain State’s finest old-time bands ably carries on their Appalachian musical legacy with a rousing, hard-driving style. Continue reading
The Campbell Brothers
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. Continue reading
The Chankas of Perú
Carrying on the legendary danza de las tijeras (scissors dance), an ancient, highly acrobatic indigenous ritual dance from the southern Andes of Peru. Continue reading
The Del McCoury Band
Both an icon of bluegrass music’s past and architect of its future, this visionary “high lonesome” tenor keeps it in the family with his adventurous, eponymous band.
The Green Fields of America
With some of the finest Irish musicians in the States, this group sparked a renaissance by bringing together Irish vocal, instrumental, and dance traditions on the concert stage. Continue reading
The Irish American All-Stars
Though accurate to call this collection of artists a supergroup of Irish American music, it would be just as truthful to describe them as five longtime friends thrilled to perform together again. Continue reading
The Quebe Sisters
Divine three-part harmony singing and fiddling from the Lone Star State—think Bob Wills’ Texas Playboys meet the Andrews Sisters. Continue reading
The Red Trouser Show
The Savoy Family Cajun Band
One of Cajun music’s most recognizable families shares an inspiring passion for their culture, from accordion-driven house party two-steps to timeless French ballads and twin fiddles. Continue reading
The Sensational Royal Lights
The U.S. Army Blues
Acclaimed military ensemble carries on the American big band tradition with both precision and style, continuing a legacy that began with the Army Dance Band during World War II. Continue reading
Thomas Maupin & Friends with Daniel Rothwell & Overall Creek
This 83-year-old Tennessee buck dancer is the most renowned of his generation, with a distinctive style that dancers and musicians alike emulate—including the apprentices and family members joining him on stage. Continue reading
Tinkus San Simon
From Northern Virginia’s vibrant Bolivian community, this cultural fraternity carries on a colorful, high-energy parade tradition rooted in a centuries-old form of ritualized combat. Continue reading
Tremé Brass Band
From the storied Tremé neighborhood, and firmly rooted in community parade traditions, one of the Crescent City’s most beloved brass bands.
Continue reading
Walter “Wolfman” Washington & the Roadmasters
The Crescent City’s preeminent funk master is another in that city’s long line of singular musical personalities, adding touches of soul and jazz to his distinctive rhythm and blues sound.
Wendy MacIsaac, Màiri Rankin, & Mac Morin
West African Highlife Band
Acclaimed Nigerian bassist Babá Ken Okulolo and his all-star band deliver the irresistibly danceable sounds of classic highlife. Continue reading
Wylie & the Wild West
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 entertainers.
Yamini Kalluri & the Carnatic Ensemble
Featuring a 21-year-old rising star of Kuchipudi dance, this intergenerational ensemble weaves their shared heritage into a spellbinding display of South Indian music and dance. Continue reading
Yves Lambert Trio
Led by a towering figure in traditional Québécois music, this brilliant trio mines the rich musical heritage of “La belle province” to create a one-of-a-kind musical experience. Continue reading
Zuni Olla Maidens
These dancers transform their foremothers’ essential, life-giving work of carrying water—in vessels called olla balanced on their heads—into a reverent dance tradition. Continue reading
Maryland Traditions Folklife Area and Stage
Amadou Kouyaté Ensemble
Andrea Hoag & Chris Ousley
Maryland Traditions Apprenticeship Award Team Continue reading
Anna Pasqualucci & Lisa Marie Penn
Maryland Traditions Apprenticeship Award Team Continue reading
Artesanas Mexicanas
Big Howdy with special guest Jonathan Vocke
Black Women’s Hair: Salisbury Style
Blacksmith Guild of Western Maryland
Brendan Mulvihill & Emily Martin
Carla Tomaszewski
Carlene Dowell
Carolyn Rapkievian & Kristine Antanesian
Charm City Junction
Cheick Hamala Diabate
Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum
Chum Ngek & Suteera Nagavajara
Maryland Traditions Apprenticeship Award Team Continue reading
Cumberland Marbles Program
Daniel Van Allen
Gerdan
Gertie Hurley
Gwen Handler & Winnie Dreier
Habitat for Humanity of Wicomico County
Hugh Campbell & Dave Reed
James Lane
James McMartin, James Beggins, & Mark Wiest
Janice Greene & Naomi Reid
Janice Marshall
Jay Armsworthy & Eastern Tradition
Jay Martin
Joanne Guilfoil
John Van Alstine
Johnson Bay Oyster Company
Josanne Francis Quartet
Joseph Kavanagh & Patrick Kavanagh
Joyce Fitchett
Karen Ashbrook & Chao Tian
Kausik Das
Kermit Travers
Leonard “Felix” Wills
Los Hijo ‘e Plena
Lustre Quartet & Electric Avenue Quartet
Mama Linda Goss & Dr. David Fakunle
Maryland Traditions Apprenticeship Award Team Continue reading
Marimba Linda Xelajú
Mark Wiest
Mary Ada Marshall
Maryland Spirituals Initiative Ensemble
Maryland WERKS
Meki’s Tamure Polynesian Arts Group
Michael Whidbee
Mohammadreza Kazemifar & Ali Analouei
Maryland Traditions Apprenticeship Award Team Continue reading
Newell Quinton
Nuri Auger
Pablo Regis & Cissa Paz
Painted Screen Society of Baltimore
Pete Ross
Phil Langley
Phil Wiggins
Phil Wiggins Blues House Party
A harmonica wizard and a master of dance lead an exuberant celebration of Piedmont blues music and dance inspired by the rural house parties of their youth. Continue reading
Pocomoke Indian Nation
Pocomoke Indian Nation
Puerto Rico Distillery
Rhonda Aaron
Rich Smoker & Kenny Glasgow
Maryland Traditions Apprenticeship Award Team Continue reading
Rico Newman
Roger Richardson
Ruben Dario Corona & Oliver Trinidad Corona
Salisbury area Filipino community
Samia Mahbub Ahmad Quartet
Sebastian Wang & Sanghyuk Park
Maryland Traditions Apprenticeship Award Team Continue reading
