Takoma Park Folk Festival Turns 30 on September 16th

Takoma Park Folk Festival Turns 30 on September 16th

Fun for All Ages! Music! Dance - Performance and Participatory! Juried Craft Show! Children's Activities! Fabulous Food!

Admission, Performances, Dancing are Free!

TAKOMA PARK, Md., Aug. 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Some may remember when "never trust anyone over 30" was the phrase du jour. But everyone can trust the Takoma Park Folk Festival to deliver a joyful day when it turns 30 on Sunday, September 16, 2007 at Takoma Park Middle School, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Admission is free, and performances are appropriate for all ages. Seven stages of performances include an international variety of folk music and an array of genres that encompasses singer-songwriters, bluegrass, blues, European folk dances, African storytelling, belly-dancing, and much more. One stage is devoted to participatory dance, and another stage will host the Festival's fourth Performer Showcase, which highlights new singer-songwriters. Many performances will be interpreted for the deaf and hard of hearing.

The Festival also includes a juried craft fair with more than 40 artisans selling their hand-made crafts, and more than 100 Community Tables sponsored by local non-profits. There's also a games area for young children, next door to the Grassy Nook Stage that features child-oriented performances.

Festival attendees can choose from both healthy and decadent food selections from more than 20 vendors. The decadence is somewhat mitigated by plans to recycle leftover cooking oil into biodiesel. Bottles and cans will also be recycled.

Highlights include: the U-Liners, gutsy and progressive roots-rock; the non-traditional klezmer stylings of the Alexandria Kleztet; Marimba Pequena Internacional, a family band playing beautiful folk music of Guatemala; Soul In Motion, High-energy African drumming and dance; Storm the Unpredictable, Danceable hip-hop with spitfire lyrical delivery; and Head-Roc, politically and socially conscious hip-hop.

A special tribute session early in the day will recognize the life and musicianship of labor activist Joe Glazer. Playing in the Joe Glazer tribute will be Saul Schniderman, the DC Labor Chorus, emma's Revolution/Pat Humphries & Sandy O, Joe Hickerson, and Joe Uehlein with Laural Blaydes. At the end of the day, the Festival will feature a Paul Simon tribute set.

Festival fans can kick up their heels at the Lenore Robinson Dance Stage, with Cutting Edge Sword Dance; Contra/Squares with Janine Smith & the New Southern Cowtippers, followed by free style Jazz/Swing dance with the Buffalo Nickel Band. Then Soul In Motion West African drummers will move those feet, followed by the Triple Goddess Tribal Belly Dancers and their exquisite & playful dances of the Middle East & North Africa, Jamie Platt & Sarenica's lively Romanian music. Les Waltzniks end the day with uplifting waltzes. The performers are volunteers, as are the other folks involved in the Festival.

The Takoma Park Folk Festival will be held on Sunday, September 16, 2007 at Takoma Park Middle School, 7611 Piney Branch Road in Takoma Park, Md. Parking is not available on-site, and handicap-accessible parking is extremely limited. Free shuttle buses (handicap-accessible) will run from the Takoma Metro station, and the Montgomery College parking garage on Fenton Street near King Street. Complete Festival details, including walking directions from each of those sites, are on the Festival Web site, http://www.tpff.org/.

Complete List of TPFF 2007 Performers:

FIELD STAGE: ShoSho, Folk & rock artfully blended; Storm the Unpredictable, Danceable hip-hop with spitfire lyrical delivery and Head-Roc, Politically and socially conscious hip-hop; Ocean Orchestra, Ethereal & house- rocking electronic folk; Pam Parker Blues, Soulful mix of blues, jazz, folk, R&B & swing; U-Liners, gutsy and progressive roots-rock; Backroads Band, Vintage country sound with a dash of honky-tonk; and The Big Sky, Roots-rock with wanderings into alt-country, rock, blues, jazz & bluegrass.

GROVE STAGE: Michelle Swan, Dulcie Taylor, Nick Annis, Contemporary & contemporaneous singer-songwriters; Hot Soup, From sip to slurp, intricate, three-part harmony; Lea (with Willpower), Energetic & eclectic singer- songwriter, plus bass & congas; Tinsmith, High-energy alt-trad music from Ireland, Scotland & Appalachia; SONiA, Multi-lingual folk-pop with a message of peace; Siobhan Quinn & Michael Bowers, Award-winning acoustic roots, blues & folk duo, and emma's revolution/Pat Humphries& Sandy O, Inspiring, Gutsy & rockin'! An uprising of truth & hope.

ABBOTT STAGE: Takoma Mandoleers, Traditional & international mandolin orchestra music conducted by David Ruppert; Joe Glazer Memorial Session with Saul Schniderman, the DC Labor Chorus, emma's Revolution/Pat Humphries & Sandy O, Joe Hickerson, Joe Uehlein with Laural Blaydes, Oscar Brand; Bruce Hutton & Friends, Chris Romaine & Tina Chancey, Old-time American folk music; Little Bit A Blues, Piedmont blues by Warner Williams & Jay Summerour, then Mike Monseur & Donny Nuckles, Old-time music performed by 2 native Virginians, and Alan Jabbour & John Schwab, Fiddle-guitar duo playing old-time Appalachian music.

WORLD STAGE: Marimba Pequena Internacional, A family band playing beautiful folk music of Guatemala; Soul In Motion, High-energy African drumming & dance; Culkin Irish Dance with the Irish Inn Mates (Jesse Winch & Friends), Traditional Irish dance & music, Nasayem Falasteen, Young dancers share the traditions of Palestine; Nrityanjali, Vibrant & ancient dances from India; Alexandria Kleztet, Klezmer Music that's anything but traditional; Ziva Spanish Dance Ensemble, The fire & rhythm of flamenco; Pan Masters Steel Orchestra, Party to the island beat!

LENORE ROBINSON DANCE: Cutting Edge Sword Dance, the sword dance team that goes where none has gone before; Contra/Squares with Janine Smith & the New Southern Cowtippers, can help find one's inner hoedown, followed by free style Jazz/Swing dance with Buffalo Nickel Band. Then Soul In Motion West African drummers will move those feet, followed by the Triple Goddess Tribal Belly Dancers and their exquisite & playful dances of the Middle East & North Africa, Jamie Platt & Sarenica's lively Romanian music. Les Waltzniks end the day with uplifting waltzes.

GRASSY NOOK: Baba Jamal Koram, Captivating tales from African folklore; Jawbone, A "love for life" approach to music for all ages; Washington Revels' Young Revelers, St. George & the Dragon with audience participation; The Names, Appalachian tunes with an assortment of instruments; Mary Shapiro, Inspiring music that appeals to a wide variety of listeners, Miss Belle, Original children's songs & well-known kid favorites, Kids Showcase, Music for kids, by kids!

7th HEAVEN: Showcase, featuring Spencer Bates; Doug Brouder; Tony Denikos; Jim Dugan; Jim Heald; Paul Iawancio; the Roadside Fireflies; Bob Sima; the Sinai Mountain Boys. Justin Trawick, the 2006 Showcase winner, ilyAIMY, Percussive award-winning acoustic neo-folk; Howard Parker & His Hot Takeout Band, an original recipe of Zydeco, folk & blues "to go." Parker and his band also help close out that stage in a Paul Simon Tribute Set. That set will include Nick Annis and Lea, as well as ilyAIMY.

The Takoma Park Folk Festival is supported by grants from the Maryland State Arts Council, an agency funded by the State of Maryland and the National Endowment for the Arts; and by the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County and the Executive's Ball for the Benefit of the Arts and Humanities.

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Source: Takoma Park Folk Festival

CONTACT: Nancy Nickell of Takoma Park Folk Festival, +1-240-602-9618,
+1-301-589-0202, media@tpff.org

Web site:

http://www.tpff.org/
http://www.myspace.com/tpfolkfest

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