Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival Announces Schedule

First, let me disclaim a little bit: I am an employee of the Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival. It's also the first place I ever heard world music, so the soft spot that I have for the festival is big (as evidenced by the fact that even still, I leave my home in Louisiana and head for the Ithaca, NY area, where I live in my Mother's basement for a month each year to help organize the festival). Anyhow, I won't ramble on about how much I love it, because I think the lineup speaks for itself; see the full GrassRoots lineup or check out the 2006 Schedule.

GrassRoots Selected Schedule Highlights For World Music Fans:
Thursday:
5:45 pm (Cabaret Hall): Irish fiddler Johnny Donegan with young musicians and Irish dancers The Grady Girls.
9:00 pm (Infield Stage): Boston-based reggae band John Brown's Body.
9:45 pm (Grandstand Stage): All-female Irish music supergroup Cherish The Ladies.
12:00 am (Grandstand Stage): St. John, Virgin Islands-based reggae band Inner Visions.

Friday:
10:30 am (Infield Stage): Hopi musician and storyteller Moontee Sinquah, performing native songs and dances, including the sacred hoop dance, with his sons Scott and Sampson.
3:15 pm (Grandstand Stage): Canadian world-grass band The Duhks.
6:15 pm (Dance Tent):Leaders of the Mexican Son Jarocho movement Son de Madera
8:00 pm (Infield Stage): Afro-Amerindian Garifuna performer Aurelio Martinez.
10:00 pm (Infield Stage): Socially conscious reggae jam-rockers Michael Franti & Spearhead.

Saturday:
4:00 pm (Grandstand Stage): Psychedelic modern dance fusion troupe Galumpha.
5:45 pm (Grandstand Stage): Classical Indian music meets gypsy music in Musafir.
9:45 pm (Grandstand Stage): Extremely lively world-fusion percussion ensemble Cyro Baptista & Beat The Donkey.
10:30 pm (Infield Stage):Legendary Zimbabwean musician and political activist Thomas Mapfumo.
12:00 am (Grandstand Stage):Ugandan flute player and thumb pianist Samite.

Sunday:
11:15 am (Dance Tent): Old-time band The Bubba George Stringband.
3:00 pm (Dance Tent): Zydeco legend Preston Frank & His Zydeco Family Band.
4:00 pm (Infield Stage): Fusing traditional Colombian music with urban jazz, Folklore Urbano.
6:00 pm (Infield Stage): Jeli kora player Mamadou Diabate.

Image (c) Jeff Folkins, 2005