American Folk Festival Announces Second Round of Performers for 2016

The American Folk Festival has announced its second round of performers for this summer, so here are their names and links to their music!

The Folk Festival is celebrating its 15th year this summer. It began as the latest 3-year stopping place for the National Folk Festival, beginning in 2002. When that group moved on to a new location at the end of the 2004 event, Bangor's city planners decided to continue it as the American Folk Festival. So, in recognition of 15 years on the Bangor Waterfront, organizers are bringing back a few of the favored performers from the past.

Here's the list of the latest performers to be announced. Click on the name of each group to get a sample of their music, so you can start planning now for which performances you don't want to miss!

• The Treme Brass Band is a New Orleans Parade Band, which will lead the American Folk Festival's kick-off parade this year. They appeared at the National Folk Festival hosted in Bangor in 2002, and will return this year with their traditional New Orleans-style brass band music.
• The Jeff Little Trio was part of the AFF in Bangor in 2006, and then came back in 2007. A crowd favorite, this Acadian performing group has a piano as its lead instrument, which is unusual in this genre.
• Vishten will once again bring Quebecois to the Bangor Waterfront, as it did in 2004. The group recently won the East Coast Music Association 2016 award for Roots/Traditional Group Recording of the Year for their latest ablum, 'Terre Rouge.'
• Maine fiddle music will be represented through Erica Brown, who appeared at the Festival in 2005. Brown has performed around Maine and New England for more than 25 years, winning a number of fiddle contests throughout New England and Canada.
• The Northern Kentucky Brotherhood Singers first appeared at the American Folk Festival in 2011, performing a capella gospel. When Hurricane Irene wiped out the Sunday schedule for the Festival, the group stuck around to perform the following Monday at Husson's Gracie Theatre.
• Cajun music is always a fan favorite at the Festival, and this year it will be brought by Bonsoir Catin. The Louisiana group is making its first visit to the American Folk Festival, blending ancient ballads, dancehall era gems, swamp pop stylings, and rock n' roll blues.
• Finally, the Lurrie Bell Band is a Chicago Blues group. lead by a man whose been playing guitar since the age of five. Boston Blues News called Bell 'the premier guitarist in the Windy City.'

The American Folk Festival will once again fill the Bangor Waterfront with music on August 26th to the 28th. The event is free, although organizers suggest a $10 per day donation to help cover the costs of bringing all these amazing performers to Bangor. And don't forget to be generous with the Bucket Brigade!