2023 Ashland World Music Festival Artists & Events
We are so excited to announce a talent-packed artist line up for the 8th annual Ashland World Music Festival! Memorial Day Weekend, May 26-29, and full FREE event schedule - including TWO NEW events.
Artists performing in this year’s AWMF include rising roots-music star and ethno-musicologist Jake Blount as the headlining artist, groundbreaking Puerto Rican cuatro player/singer/composer Fabiola Mendez, renowned international sitarist Arjun Verma, and Bay-Area klezmer favorite - the San Francisco Yiddish Combo.
As always, the festival as a whole focuses on cultivating opportunities for event attendees to participate, learn, and engage with festival artists. Festival guests have the opportunity to hear artists’ personal stories at the HeartBeat Stories and to learn from a culture-bearing musician at the Percussion Workshop, both of which are staple AWMF events. This year, in collaboration with the Ashland Branch of the Jackson County Library Services, festival guests can now attend a deeper dive into the discussion of the historical/cultural context of roots-music during a Musician Talk Back with Jake Blount. And while dancing is always encouraged at the Park Performances concert series, the (NEW) Plaza Community Dance brings a block-party feel to the downtown Ashland plaza, with a dynamic performance by the local Brazilian band Exá.
“Music, dancing, and listening to stories can generate such deep joy. The Ashland World Music Festival creates the opportunity to hear the personal stories and share in the creative offerings of remarkable artists from a wide array of backgrounds as a collective.” - Ana Byers, Rogue World Music Executive Director.
"The Ashland World Music Festival is unique in southern Oregon in terms of combining multi-cultural artist performances, an exploration of cultural context of their art form/art content, shared lived experiences, and opportunities to work with local artists in the community." - Aili Schreiner, Trust Manager of the Oregon Cultural Trust
As always, this unique festival opportunity is FREE to all participants, even as it continues to grow in scope and size. The 2022 AWMF drew approximately 3000 people and this year guest numbers are anticipated to be between 4,000-5,000.
“The success of the Ashland World Music Festival revolves around the great work done by Rogue World Music connecting with communities throughout the Rogue Valley and artists around the world. Ashland Parks and Recreation’s partnership with Rogue World Music is an example of agencies with limited resources joining forces to do powerfully positive things for the entire Rogue Valley.” - Lonny Flora, APRC Recreation Manager
“The Ashland Branch of Jackson County Library System is excited to explore collaborating with Rogue World Music and this seems like a great way to start!” Kristin Anderson, Bear Creek Area & Ashland Branch Manager, JCLS.
2023 AWMF Artists:
Jake Blount: Smithsonian Folkways Recording artist, 2022 Rolling Stone Top 25 Country/Americana artist, International Folk Music Awards 2023 Artist of the Year nominee, 2023 Tiny Desk Concert performer, & Folk Alley “Best of 2022” Artist list. “An afro-futurist in roots-music garb.” - Ann Powers, National Public Radio. Blount’s performances seamlessly merge centuries-old traditional songs with the trappings and techniques of modern Black genres. 2023 AWMF events: Musician Talk Back, HeartBeat Stories, & Park Performances.
Fabiola Mendez: National & international Puerto Rican performing artist, composer (including for Alma's Way [PBS Kids] and Sesame Street's Mecha Builders [HBO Max]), educator, & 2022 Boston Landmarks Orchestra Artist in Residence. “Méndez, who also sings, is considered a master at playing the cuatro, a traditional 10-string, guitar-like instrument. In fact, she was the first to graduate from Boston’s Berklee College of Music with a specialty in the cuatro.” - Steve Feeney, Portland Herald Press. 2023 AWMF events: HeartBeat Stories, & Park Performances.
Arjun Verma: A renowned national & international sitar player (with collaborations with the London Symphony and Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra), composer (including film & tv scores, opera) and educator (North Indian Classical Music at the Ali Akbar College of Music and the East-West School of Music). 2023 AWMF events: HeartBeat Stories, & Park Performances.
The San Francisco Yiddish Combo: San Francisco-based and deeply engaged in the Jewish community of the Bay Area and Northern California, the SFYC present klezmer music through a 21st century lens, incorporating influences from from jazz, blues, folk, & hip hop. The SFYC is a returning AWMF artists group, and participated in the 2022 AWMF.2023 AWMF events: Park Performances.
Kevin Carr & The Family Carr: Southern Oregon-based folklorist, storyteller, educator, & musician Kevin Carr shares his deep love and knowledge of music of the Celtic Diaspora, pulling from music traditions in Ireland, Galicia, Brittony, Canada, Appalachia and more. The Family Carr is a returning AWMF artists group, and participated in the 2021 virtual AWMF. 2023 AWMF events: HeartBeat Stories (Kevin Carr) & Park Performances (The Family Carr).
Malinka World Music Collective: Ashland-based music collective Malinka features a “funky, eclectic mix of vibrant music of Eastern European, Romani, Latin, & hot jazz/swing,” with an emphasis on music of the Balkan diaspora for their 2023 AWMF performance. 2023 AWMF events: Park Performances.
Exá & Felipe Archer: Ashland-based Brazilian group led by Felipe Archer (formerly known as Alquimistas) brings traditional brazilian rhythms fused with a modern soundscape to the newest AWMF offering. 2023 AWMF events: SOU Percussion Workshop (Felipe Archer) & Plaza Community Dance (Exá).
2023 Ashland World Music Festival Events (All events are FREE):
Percussion Workshop: Friday, May 26. 5 - 6pm. Southern Oregon University Music Recital Hall. Learn about the samba rhythm, its history, its importance to current Brazilian music, how to ground it in movement, and how to play it!
Musician Talk Back (NEW): Saturday, May 27. 2-3pm. Ashland Library. A talk back with 2023 AWMF headlining artist and ethnomusicologist Jake Blount about the history and diaspora of roots music.
The HeartBeat Stories: Saturday, May 27. 5-7pm. Litha Park Butler Bandshell. A story-telling event, featuring stories and music of ‘home.’ Featuring stories & music by Jake Blount, Fabiola Mendez, Arjun Verma, & Kevin Carr. Featuring stories by local community members Precious Yamaguchi & Kamud Gokani.
Park Performances: Sunday, May 28. 12 - 5pm. Litha Park Butler Bandshell. Fantastic performance series in beautiful Lithia Park. Featuring Jake Blount, Fabiola Mendez (Trio), Arjun Verma, The Family Carr, The San Francisco Yiddish Combo, & Malinka World Music Collective. Food trucks & free family activities!
Plaza Community Dance (NEW): Sunday, May 28. 5:30- 7pm. Downtown Ashland Plaza. Inspired by a traditional bloco de Carnaval, featuring local Brazilian band Exá. Dancing in the street is encouraged!
SoundWalk: Downtown Ashland. Friday May 26-Monday, May 29. 6am-9pm daily. A self-guided walk through the beautiful downtown cityscape of Ashland featuring music from local, national and international musicians curated to align with art displays in local business windows.
The Ashland World Music Festival is co-produced by Rogue World Music, an Ashland-based 501(c)(3) arts nonprofit, and the Ashland Parks & Recreation Commission. Additional collaborating entities include the SOU Music Department, the Ashland Branch of the Jackson County Library Services, and the Ashland Chamber of Commerce. Founded 2016, the Ashland World Music Festival has been a free community event for the Rogue Valley Community. In 2020, it also became a fundraiser for nonprofit programs directly serving those impacted by the 2020 Almeda Wildfire.
For ongoing updates about the AWMF line up, fundraiser progress, and all the event details of the 2023 Ashland World Music Festival, follow us on Facebook or Instagram or join our mailing list.