2015_NWFolklife

2 Your donations spark the Festival’s magic. Donate today! How to give: n Visit a Donation and Information Station to give a gift, and to become a Friend of Folklife n See the Folks with the yellow donation signs. n Look for the large colorful Donation Boxes. Drop in your donation. n Give when you enter and exit the Festival. n Online, of course! www.NWFolklife.org Receive a commemorative Northwest Folklife Festival Button-of-the-Day when you donate each day! SHOW YOUR LOVE FOR FOLKLIFE! Your donation supports Northwest Folklife’s mission to provide the opportunity for all people to celebrate, share and connect. Give today! WELCOME TO THE NORTHWEST FOLKLIFE FESTIVAL! This Memorial Day weekend is a time of joyful reunion, as well as a magnificent opportunity to meet new friends.Together we’ll celebrate the wide variety of the cultures that enrich our lives all year long.We’re glad you are a part of it! Our Cultural Focus this year — Beats, Rhymes and Rhythms:Traditional Roots of Today’s Branches — explores the cross-cultural roots of arts expressions that have evolved into contemporary cultures today, specifically examining the traditional roots of Hip- Hop, first programmed at the Folklife Festival in 1994. Many of those cultures are represented in the iconic art work for this year’s Festival. How many Folklife cultures can you identify in our poster image? Do you know the Festival performers you enjoy are performing without compensation? Their love of what they do brings them to our stages annually, yet their opportunities to do so cost ever more each year.As you enjoy the Festival, we urge you to remember that this annual rite of Spring remains open to all — on and off stage — only due to generous donations.The magic of this Festival is viable only through your financial participation — it is essential in assuring a vibrant Festival now and for the next generation. Thanks to all of you who participate, volunteer and donate; to our partners at Seattle Center, our sponsors and to the thousands of people who gather on this special weekend to celebrate Folklife — what folks do. Luther F. Black, Board President Robert Townsend, Executive Director NEW AT THE FESTIVAL THIS YEAR n Back Porch Stage (#7 on back cover map) Some of you may recall the Back Porch Stage from roughly 10 years ago — we are thrilled to bring it back to life in the Northwest Court area of the Festival.The stage will showcase traditional styles of American music including roots of today’s popular music.We’ll explore the Blues, Folk, Zydeco, Old Time, Bluegrass, Country, R&B, and Indie Roots in an intimate setting. Check out the full schedule on pages 12-19. n DJs in the Beer Gardens During stage downs, you’ll find your favorite DJs spinning records including local radio stations 91.3 KBCS and 90.3 KEXP, and DJ Collective Sophisticated Mama, spinning classic Soul, Funk and R&B. n “Beats, Rhymes and Rhythms: Traditional Roots of Today’s Branches” The 2015 Cultural Focus dives into the traditional roots of Northwest Hip-Hop. Alongside a dedicated group of community members, we have curated an array of programming including music and dance performances, panel discussions, visual arts galleries and more. Learn more on pages 4-6 and explore in-depth online at NWFolklife.org/festival. n “Welcome to Our Native Land!” Powwow and Coastal Celebrations (#26 on back cover map) Join us for a participatory Native American powwow and a celebration of Coast Salish culture that includes dancing, drumming, singing, storytelling, carving, traditional crafts demonstrations,Totem teachings, and Canoe and Tipi displays. Sunday and Monday only. n Folklife Remembers Folklife is a large and ever changing family. As such, occasionally tragedy strikes, people pass on, and some of those folks have wonderful histories with our organization. We would like to honor them with you at our “Folklife Remembers”memorial wall. This space will be located on the third floor landing of the Armory. Learn more online at NWFolklife.org. CONTENTS Festival Information........................... 3 Cultural Focus: “Beats, Rhymes and Rhythms”...... 4–6 Festival Events...................................... 7 Family Fun...................................... 8–9 Indie Roots....................................... 10 Dancing at the Festival ................... 11 Festival Schedule....................... 12–19 Festival Vendors............................... 21 Thank You & Sponsors................ 22–23 Grounds Map................................... 24 Photos courtesy of Christopher Nelson Photo courtesy of Christopher Nelson