
American Folk Festival Announces First 7 Seven Artists for 2016
American Folk Festival organizers have announced the first seven artists for this summer's 3-day event.
Each year, at the end of August, the Bangor Waterfront is filled with music, culture, and food from around the world with the American Folk Festival. As you wander across the extensive grounds, you can hear everything from Quebecois to East African dance music, as you pass the many stages. And you can sample exotic foods like fried alligator at one booth and then have a strawberry shortcake from Governor's at the next!
This year's first seven artists, according to Executive Director Heather McCarthy, have never performed in Bangor, and that's exciting! New performers with new music will mean a fresh experience at a festival that was created to carry on what the National Folk Festival started in 2002. The artists announced this week include (click on the name of each performer to see a video):
- Acclaimed New York city-based jazz ensemble Michael Mwenso and the Shakes, featuring vocalist Brianna Thomas
- The National Women's Dance Troupe of Sri Lanka, performing traditional Sri Lankan dance
- Western Swing music from the Fort Worth, Texas-based Western Flyers
- Michael Cleveland, an award-winning Indiana-based blind American bluegrass fiddle player
- The East Pointers, a folk trio from Prince Edward Island
- Gerarde Contino y Los Habaneros, a Cuban and Latin Salsa band out of New York City.
The American Folk Festival will be held August 26th to the 28th this year, on the Bangor Waterfront. Admission is free, although organizers hope people will contribute the suggested $10 donation per day, to help cover the cost of the festival. For more information, log onto the AFF website.
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