Wednesday folk traditions lineup 2023
June 21st
ReBelle
ReBelle is a multi-talented musical force conceived in love, rebellion and the evocative musical vigor of Manou Africa and Kalpana Devi, musicians, composers, activists, and upholders of family, love and justice. Their powerful musicianship and mystical lead vocals are contemporary, vital and spell binding.
“Few bands brave the more difficult challenges of composing new, intelligent and trail blazing music.” —DIRTY LINEN
To read more, go here.
For more information on ReBelle, visit their Facebook page.
June 28th
The Pangeans
This concert has been moved to our rain location, Wesley United Methodist Church at 98 North Maple Street in Hadley, MA.
This seven member world music ensemble performs original compositions inspired by the rhythms of Latin jazz, samba, calypso, soca, reggae, funk, and afrobeat.
“One of the Valley’s favorite World Beat bands.” —THE VALLEY ADVOCATE
To read more, go here.
For more information on The Pangeans, visit their website.
July 5th
The Wholesale Klezmer Band
The Wholesale Klezmer Band returns to Wednesday Folk Traditions with a program of Jewish Life in Song. Since 1982, the band has presented a mix of Yiddish songs of tradition and social justice, Ashkenazic Jewish prayer melodies, and instrumental music to meditate and dance to. Even if you don't understand a word of Yiddish or Hebrew, everything will be explained or translated.
Our line-up on July 5th will include vocalist Yosl Kurland,
accordionist Aaron Bousel, Brian Bender on trombone and melodica, Joe Blumenthal on Bass, and Peggy Davis on Flute.
To read more, go here.
See more about the Wholesale Klezmer band and guides to Jewish
Weddings and Bar/Bas Mitzve Celebrations and educational programs at their website.
July 19th
Tony Vacca with World Rhythms
The music of Tony Vacca and World Rhythms is a free-flowing fusion of jazz, world music, and spoken word. Combining elements of traditional African and Afro-Cuban rhythms with American jazz instrumentation, they create a sound that is both familiar and excitingly new.
“Their music dazzles the mind and spirit.” —AL EVERS, JAZZIZ MAGAZINE.
To read more, go here.
For more information on Tony Vacca, visit his website.
July 26th
The Afro-Semitic Experience
For 25 years this eclectic jazz band, The Afro-Semitic Experience, has been preserving, promoting, and expanding the cultural and musical heritage of the Jewish and African diasporas by layering beats and sharing stories. The Afro-Semitic Experience is a jazz group based in New Haven of African-American and Jewish-American musicians. Their music is expansive and eclectic, featuring global musical style inspirations and unique instrumentation. The Afro-Semitic Experience’s jazz performance defies genre by drawing upon traditions of spiritual, world-beat, funk, cantorial, gospel, salsa, and swing music. Their newest work, entitled My Feet Began to Pray, includes original compositions that are inspired by social and racial justice movements.
“…the sound of the past, the present and the great beyond all at once.”-CHRISTOPHER ARNOTT, NEW HAVEN ADVOCATE
To read more, go here.
For more information on The Afro-Semitic Experience, visit their website.
August 2nd
11th Horace Clarence Boyer Memorial Gospel Concert
Evelyn Harris with Giving Voice
Horace Clarence Boyer
Evelyn Harris, the Grammy-nominated composer and vocalist and former member of Sweet Honey In The Rock, is joined by Ellen Cogen and Mary Witt for our 11th Horace Clarence Boyer Memorial Gospel Concert. As a trio, Evelyn Harris and Giving Voice perform uplifting interpretations of the traditional African-American song cannon including spirituals, freedom songs, jazz, pop, rock 'n' roll, gospel and blues.
To read more, go here.
For more information on Evelyn Harris and Giving Voice, visit Evelyn Harris’s Facebook page or Giving Voice’s Facebook page.
Rescheduled for Sunday, October 8, 2023 at 2:00 PM
Viva Quetzal
Drawing from a variety of musical inspirations and featuring a wide array of instruments, Viva Quetzal incorporates jazz and rock into music that explores themes and sounds from across Central and South America.
“More than eclectic or rhythmic, it’s spiritual, it’s all cultures existing as one. That’s universal music!” — RAFAEL CHARRES, CASHBOX MAGAZINE (NYC)
For more information on Viva Quetzal, visit their Facebook page.
Wednesday Folk Traditions is funded, in part, by grants from: the Marion I. And Otto C. Kohler Memorial Fund at the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts; Mass Cultural Council, a state agency, through its Festivals and Programs Grants; the Amherst and Hadley Cultural Councils, local agencies funded by Massachusetts Cultural Council; Robinson and Cole; Easthampton Savings Bank; Gage-Wiley and Company, and with generous support from many local businesses.