General news from the Montana Folk Festival.
Zydeco | Soileau, LA Keith Frank, born on October 9, 1972, in the community of Soileau, Louisiana, is an American singer, accordion player, and producer. Dubbed the “Zydeco Boss,” Frank is one of the most well-known figures in zydeco music, especially in the nouveau zydeco sound, which was influenced by other genres …
Texas Mariachi | Rio Grande Valley, TX If you are a fan of mariachi music, you will fall in love with the sounds of the all-female mariachi, Mariachi Mariposas. Mariachi Mariposas began their musical journey in the summer of 2012 in the Rio Grande Valley, South Texas, as a 12-member …
Pakistani traditional folk | Peshawar, Pakistan Khumariyaan, a renowned music band from Pakistan, is celebrated for blending traditional folk music with modern styles. The band’s name, translating to “the state of intoxication from music,” captures the essence of their music, mesmerizing and captivating listeners.Formed in 2009 in Peshawar, Pakistan, Khumariyaan …
Mali Dance music | Bamako, Mali The Bamba Wassoulou Groove was born in Bamako in 2013 on the initiative of Bamba Dembélé, (who passed in 2018) percussionist and co-founder of the Super Djata Band, mythical group of Zani Diabaté, the most original and funky guitarist of music of Mali after …
Kuchipudi Dance | Lansing, MI Yamini Kalluri, a celebrated Kuchipudi dancer, choreographer, and educator, represents the future of classical dance with her innovative blend of tradition and contemporary influence. Based in the US and India, her journey began under the tutelage of Padmasri Dr. Sobha Naidu in Hyderabad, where she …
Appalachian Old Time | Greenville, WV As a seven-time West Virginia state fiddle champion and current Grand Master Traditional Fiddle Champion, Tessa McCoy’s mastery of her unique and technical old-time fiddling style has positioned her as one of the most significant fiddlers living in Appalachia today. Born and raised in …
Bluegrass | Charlestown, IN The tension between tradition and innovation is at the core of bluegrass music, and the fiddle playing of Michael Cleveland exemplifies this musical tug of war. As a boy, Cleveland heard a local fiddler play “Orange Blossom Special,” which sparked a lifelong obsession with the tune …
Blues | New York, NY Shemekia Copeland possesses one of the most instantly recognizable and deeply soulful roots music voices of our time. The multi-GRAMMY nominee is beloved and honored worldwide for the fearlessness, honesty and humor of her revelatory songs, as well as for her winning, engaging personality. The …
Cumbia | San Jacinto, Colombia Yeison Landero was born in San Jacinto (Bolívar); that is to say, in the very heart of the mountains of María of our Colombian Caribbean. He carries in his soul a cumbiambero heart inherited from his grandfather Andrés Landero: a musician recognized as the king …
Puerto Rican Cuatro | Caguas, Puerto Rico Native to Caguas, PR, Fabiola began playing the cuatro, Puerto Rico’s national instrument, at six. She got her early music training at the Antonio Paoli School of Music in Caguas and her Bachelor’s in Music from Berklee College of Music, where in 2018, she …
Arabic | New York, NY Zahra Alzubaidi is a New York-based singer who performs a variety of Arabic music styles, with a particular focus on Iraqi music. She has taken the stage at prestigious music venues across the United States, including Lincoln Center, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Carnegie Hall, Joe’s …
Gospel | Memphis, TN Elizabeth King is a sacred soul and gospel singer from Memphis, Tennessee. Possessed of a powerful, quaking contralto, she has led church services and performed weekly on gospel radio since the 1960s. King sang from the time she could talk. At age nine, she took seriously …
Haitian Creole | Port au Prince, Haiti Paul Beaubrun is a Haitian singer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer. Born and raised in Port-au-Prince, son of the Grammy nominated band Boukman Eksperyans and the grandson of legendary Haitian comedian Languichatte.Paul has gained recognition locally and internationally for his unique art; at the …
The theme for the Montana Folk Festival focuses on attributes and qualities of life in Montana. These qualities have aptly been labeled folklife, where the land and the people of Montana are showcased for your enjoyment.
We’re working on a new and exciting list of performers for the 2025 Montana Folk Festival—stay tuned.
Ripple is a newly recognized education and research center within the Montana University System. Located at Montana Technological University, Ripple is integral to the campus and the surrounding community. Ripple is expanding the mission and vision of the Clark Fork Watershed Education Program to other watersheds in Montana, currently working …
Montana 4-H is the youth development program of Montana State University Extension. It is the largest out-of-school youth development program in the state, reaching nearly 20,000 youth in all 56 counties each year. In Silver Bow County, we serve 100 members and 25 certified volunteers. 4-H offers more than 200 …
Paint a mini canvas to add to a larger canvas mosaic! All ages and artistic abilities are welcome to help honor our community and the creative spirit in this collaborative masterpiece!
Our mission is to ensure the future of elk, other wildlife, their habitat and our hunting heritage. We provide funding for Permanent Land Protection and Land Conservation, Habitat Stewardship and Enhancement, Research for wildlife management, and Hunting Heritage Projects. Our Vision is to be the best membership-based conservation organization and …
Montana Wetlands and Waterfowl is the only Montana-based conservation and education organization focusing on waterfowl and their habitats. To do this, we work with area schools, other organizations, and agencies to hold educational events, presentations, and workshops. We have on-the-ground projects like our hen house program where we build duck nesting structures …
The Science Mine began in the 1990’s as a gleam or a dream in the eyes of a few individuals in Butte, Montana, where children could interactively play with and experience the wonders and sometimes counter-intuitive nature of the world around them. At the risk of omitting some of these …
Dalit Guscio of the Clark Fork Watershed Education Program and the Montana Osprey Program has been working with osprey in the Clark Fork for over ten years. She will walk through the process of banding osprey, our current understanding of food-chain effects from metals, and discuss the awesome evolutionary adaptations …
Joan Martin, owner of Martin’s Masks. Joan started Martin’s Masks in 2017 after the company she was working for as a laboratory technician closed its doors. She has always been an artistic person, if you asked the 5-year-old Joan what she wanted to be when she grew up, the answer …
Diane embarked on her journey into engraving in 1986, around the same time her husband, Bob, delved into crafting bits and spurs. Together, they started Sweetwater Silver. In those early days, skilled hand engravers were scarce, and when Diane finally located a potential mentor, the individual was unwilling to impart …
