Sunday, May 25

Global Drums & Dance Showcase

The Bagley Wright Theatre rocked and thumped to the beat of percussion traditions from all over the world over on Sunday morning. Yaw Amponsah, Ghanaian master drummer, led his group Akoma in Asante court drumming rhythms. Then Kaze Daiko gave an athletic taiko drumming performance. Fare o Tamatoa captivated the audience with powerful Tahitian drumming and dance. Finally, the audience was blown away by Mawungira Enharira, an incredible mbira group visiting from Zimbabwe.

Center House Theatre

Our friend Peter Rothbart from Found Magazine visited Folklife to share his latest finds. Listen to find ot what Found is all about.

Danbert Nobacon gave a raw, punked out folk blues concert afterwards.

Global Women's Voices

Sunday evening, the Center House Theatre was home to a global contingent of talented female vocalists and musicians. Music from India, Appalachia and Japan rubbed shoulders in this intimate, informal concert.

Indigenous & Indigenius Hip Hop

As part of the 2008 Cultural Focus: Urban Indians, this concert presented young Native poets, actors, and MCs who are telling their stories through drama and hip hop. Red Eagle Soaring is a local youth drama program, and they performed an original play. Komplex Kai cam down from Tulalip to represent Northwest Coast hip hop. Culture Shock Camp, a group of Naive American musicians and activists from across the Western U.S. finished up the show .

Raisin' a Ruckus: New Old Time Bands

Old-time musician, dancer and superhero Charmaine Slaven coordinated this show, which put the best young old time musicians we know of up on the Fisher Green for 3 hours of pickin' and stompin'.

Harmony duos, fiddle tunes, and old-timey novelty was in full swing as these bands showed that even though it's old, it ain't going away on their watch.

Africa in the Northwest

These bands represent the spectrum of contemporary West African music in the Pacific Northwest. Amadanyo is groove-laden Afro-pop at its finest, Soyaya plays guitar-based palmwine jams, and Yeke Yeke is a traditional Senegalese percussion ensemble that never ceases to bring Folklife audiences to the height of ecstacy.

Arab Showcase

These artists are influential contributors to the musical lives of Northwest Arab communities, and the filled theatre attested to how much they are appreciated.

Awesome Celtic Show!

Program Coordinator Devon Leger insists this is indeed an awesome Celtic show. With Uilleann pipes, accordians, Sean-nos dance, and driving jigs and reels, the Northwest Court audience certainly agreed with him.