Folk Fest 2006

Another amazing year. The shots: Low in the firefly palace, this blurry shot seems to sum up the moody sparse reverb of their sound. The Indian Duo (sorry I dont' have the names handy) This is at the very end of the last raga. I always sit close cuz I love to watch the interaction between the tabla and the main player, and the little rock start flourishes they add to the performance. Cuz in India they ARE stars! Seeing Ricki Lee Jones on main stage last night was as close to a musical religous experience for me. Her effortless ability, the voice as timeless as ever, and the songs, I can admit I was tearing up at it all. I was a fan before, but now comes the respect. The telling sign is when a gaggle of other perfomers seem as excited as the crowd, she's been a major influence. The last image is of Taraq. Combining Inuit throat singing with live dance mixing, this seemed to really point how the concept of folk music is changing. Technology is everywhere, where even 8 years ago people were upset when the former singer of Mouth Music came and sang with the same setup! Taraq preserves an accident tradition and moves it forward. I knew she would rock the house cuz she was on Bjorks last one, and sure enuff,people were blown away!