Balla Kouyaté & Famoro Dioubaté

Two masters of the centuries-old West African balafon explore new musical terrain together, treating audiences to heights of virtuosity and the thrill of the unexpected.

Bobby Rush

Known as the “King of the Chitlin’ Circuit,” this leading soul blues artist has assumed the role once held by B.B. King as the foremost living diplomat for Mississippi blues.

The Campbell Brothers

From electrifying, raise-the-roof solos, to meditative sounds of beauty and reflection, this family-based band is among the finest ambassadors of the sacred steel tradition.

Dale Ann Bradley

Raised in a Primitive Baptist family in the mountains of eastern Kentucky, this acclaimed bluegrass singer transports listeners with her straight-from-the-holler voice and personal songwriting.

E.U. featuring Sugar Bear

Led by dynamic front man Gregory “Sugar Bear” Elliott, this legendary group, made famous in School Daze, is synonymous with the funky, quintessentially Washington, D.C., dance music known as go-go.

Eileen Ivers

This musical pioneer and innovator, raised in an Irish American community in the Bronx, has won over 30 All-Ireland medals and redefined the boundaries of Irish traditional fiddling.

Frank London's Klezmer Brass Allstars

An ensemble comprised of members of the world's leading klezmer bands, together they set out to capture the sound and spirit of the raucous, earthy old-country klezmorim of the 19th century.

Jeff Little Trio feat. Wayne Henderson

Two masters from the Blue Ridge Mountains stun audiences when they get together, with a distinctive two-handed piano style and fingerpicked guitar performed with amazing speed and fluidity.

Jeffery Broussard & the Creole Cowboys

Heir to a family musical legacy, this acclaimed accordionist delivers pack-the-floor renditions of Creole classics as well as his own rollicking brand of traditional zydeco.

John Primer & the Real Deal Blues Band

This blues legend epitomizes the journey of Chicago blues—born in Mississippi and migrating North to the Windy City, where he was mentored by the greats and held down his career for over six decades.

Korean Performing Arts Institute of Chicago

These master artists bring together all the pageantry and energy of a Korean harvest festival with their flying footwork, brilliantly colored dress, and joyful, thunderous percussion.

LOS RICOS featuring Sonia & Ismael

Known as “the golden couple” of flamenco, this pair perfectly transmits the tradition’s intimacy, grace, power, and emotional intensity, from precise, lightning-fast steps to evocative vocals.

Lutchinha

Arguably the finest to call the United States her home, Lutchinha deftly performs the lilting and soulful strains of Cabo Verdean music. This inimitable singer will delight audiences with this distinctive music tradition.

Ms. Jody

With an appeal felt deep and wide across the South, this southern soul songstress captivates audiences with her stunning stage presence and true-life stories of cheating, love, heartache, and joy.

Oka Homma Alla Hilha Alhiha

Wearing traditional dress and guided by a chanter’s song and percussive sticks, Choctaw dancers have been dancing Chahta Hihla (Choctaw dancing) for centuries, fostering fellowship and community.

Plena Libre

Underpinned by blistering percussion and punctuated by call-and-response vocals, this raucous band has dedicated themselves to the revival and preservation of one of Puerto Rico’s unique urban sounds.

Riyaaz Qawwali

This ensemble shares the centuries-old Sufi tradition known as qawwali, moving audiences and performers into ecstatic trance through repetition, call-and-response singing, and intensifying hand clapping and percussion.

The Sonic Boom of the South

One of the nation’s most celebrated HBCU marching bands, this band electrifies and entrances audiences with its high-energy performances, musical arrangements, and precise choreography.

Tres en Punto

In their stylish attire and with impeccable harmonies and fingerings, this trio is perfectly suited to carry on the impassioned tradition of this elegant and romantic music.

Wylie & the Wild West

This world-class yodeler and cowboy singer still lives the life of a working rancher and cutting-horse champion—and is one of America’s most popular western musicians and songwriters.