Next weekend will start the in Richmond, and if you ve never been to this event, you re in for a treat.
The festival features performers demonstrating music styles from the blues to the sounds of Appalachia and the Gulf Coast, as well as some sounds of Virginia. Of special interest to those from the Tidewater / Northern Neck areas, will be the Northern Neck Chantey Singers, a group of African-American men all in their 70s and 80s who still sing the songs they grew up with as waterman.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch has a great article about the chantey singers, including a where you can get a taste of their music.
The Folk Fest will also showcase the craft side of the working arts of Virginia, that will include such things as Chesapeake Bay boat building, tobacco farming, and iron working.
Be sure to check out the Folk Festival website linked above for a sampling of the musicicians that are scheduled to be there, an event itinerary, and directions on how to get there, for more information.
News RSS