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The
University of Rhode Island Multicultural Center
74 Lower College Road
Kingston, RI 02881
Phone: 401-874-2851
Fax: 401-874-5952
Email:
mcc1@etal.uri.edu |
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| Home
| Schedule | Artists
& Presenters | Class |
World Learning |
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World Voices World
Visions 2003
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| Artists/Presenters |
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Sandol
Astrausky
An
accomplished old-time fiddle player with a dynamic rhythm style that makes
the southern mountain tunes unforgettable. She has traveled from Brittany
and the British Isles to Scandinavia to study the traditional fiddle styles
of these countries. Her extensive repertoire and versatility are the results
of this wonderful collection of fiddle traditions. Sandol is a two year
recipient of the Master Apprenticeship Grant from the Rhode Island State
Council on the Arts. She has recorded with North Star records and can be
heard on the John Sayles film score The Secret of Roan Inish. In
addition, Sandol is collaborating with Lisa Schmitz on a contra dance tune
book for Mel Bay Publications. |
| Alan
Bradbury
Alan Bradbury
sings as well as playing button accordion and bass. He has recorded with
North Star records and Sally Rogers; and plays with several bands including
Magnolia Cajun Band, Chanterelle, French Roast, Wickford Express, The
Erinoids, and Swinging on a Gate. |
Robin
Bullock
Composer, respected instructor, workshop leader, and virtuoso multi-instrumentalist,
specializing in 6- and 12-string guitars, cittern, mandolin, piano and bass
guitar. A founding member of the innovative acoustic world-music trio Helicon
(winners of the Association for Independent Music's prestigious INDIE Award
for Best Seasonal Recording) and an alumnus of trailblazing Celtic groups
The John Whelan Band and Greenfire, Robin has toured extensively throughout
the U.S., Canada and Europe and appeared on over two dozen CDs. His own
recorded work includes four critically acclaimed solo CDs (Green Fields,
Midnight Howl, Between Earth and Sky and The Lightning
Field), as well as the already-classic mandolin collaboration Travellers
with legendary bluegrass mandolinists Butch Baldassari and John Reischman,
A Midnight Clear: A Celtic Christmas with fellow INDIE winners Al
Petteway and Amy White, and his most recent project, Celtic Guitar Summit
with California fingerstylist Steve Baughman. Robin's further credits include
three Washington Area Music Association WAMMIE Awards, a Governor's Award
from the Maryland State Arts Council, and a feature broadcast on National
Public Radio's hugely popular Celtic music program "The Thistle and
Shamrock." |
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Nils
Caspersson
A luthier from western New
York with a long history of folk traditions and interest. Traditional
music has always been a part of his life and it was just by chance, or
was it providence, that several significant factors combined to develop
his interests in traditional music and instruments. His father was from
Darlana, Sweden, where folk traditions abound. A chance meeting with a
dulcimer maker sparked a lasting desire to build affordable enduring instruments
and a natural "ear" for all genres of music supplements his
building and teaching skills. Nils is a secondary language arts
teacher from the Rochester, NY, area with a masters in education. He has
been granted several times by the New York State Council on the Arts/Folk
Arts Program to study and present folk traditions and artists and he has
demonstrated and performed at numerous folk music festivals throughout
New England and Ontario, Canada. |
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Susan
Elberger
A native Manhattanite, I
began New England-style contra dancing in upstate New York in July, 1976.
I called my first dance on 28 July 1978, and have called in New England,
the mid-Atlantic states, California, and England. I've called at
public dances, private events, and folk festivals. I enjoy calling
for dancers of all skill levels, and particularly appreciate the opportunity
to welcome newcomers to the field. |
Bob
Franke
A songwriter at the peak of his considerable
craft; brimming with the wise and spiritually generous songs for which he
is best known, along with wrenchingly convincing topical songs and sugared
with hilarious. His songs are the kind that really do have the power to
change the world by being taken into the lives of people. Bob’s songs are
considered classics, fueled by his deep faith and the real-life lessons
taught by his 30-odd years of playing everywhere from concert halls to street
corners. His concerts have
appeared in lists of the top five musical events of year.
He leads workshops in songwriting at many festivals; he was Artistic
Director of the Singer-Songwriter Project of 1999’s Bethlehem Steel Festival.
Bob has recorded six albums with much well-served critical acclaim
of his own. |
Martin
Grosswendt
Once described by U. Utah Phillips as "a
rumor in his own time," began his career as a performer, session musician
and teacher more than three decades ago. As a more recent writer has
said, “While his name is not a household word, among musicians and fans
of country, blues and folk, he is sort of an underground legend, a musician
of extraordinary talent.” A multi-instrumentalist and singer long
known as an interpreter of 1920s and '30s blues, Martin is equally at home
playing the old-time music of the Southern Appalachians or the Cajun and
Creole music of Southwest Louisiana. He plays six- and twelve-string
guitar, five-string banjo, mandolin, fiddle, bass, Cajun accordion, and
Dobro. His bottleneck guitar playing is especially highly regarded,
as is his powerful, earthy singing. His eclectic performances might
include Mississippi Delta blues by Charley Patton or Robert Johnson, East
Coast blues from Reverend Gary Davis or Blind Blake, a haunting banjo tune
by Dock Boggs, a number on fiddle from Creole master Can ray Fontenot, and
even an original or two. His musical understanding of the genres he
explores is complemented by his historical knowledge of singers and songs.
He has performed and taught at many festivals and is a veteran of countless
recording sessions. Martin lives in Providence, Rhode Island, with
his wife, Marie Malchodi, and their twin daughters, Sophia and Lydia. |
Somaly
Hay
A Cambodian dancer. Certified as a Master Teaching Artist by the Connecticut
Commission on the Arts, Somaly also presents her own story in her workshops.
She encourages young children to open their eyes a little wider and look
a little deeper, beyond their first impressions, to understand the many
levels involved in cultural differences. For older audiences, she offers
an unforgettable history lesson of a woman surviving four Cambodian regimes.
Her strength of character and creative spirit are demonstrated, both in
her dancing and her life. |
Alan
Jabbour
Alan has a long career
as a musician, scholar, and preservationist of the traditional fiddle tunes
of America. A violinist since age 7, he apprenticed under the authentic
old time players of North Carolina and Virginia. In August 1976 he became
the founding director of the American Folklife Center in the Library of
Congress, continuing in that position for 23 years. In celebration of his
retirement, he has resumed playing the fiddle more actively and is making
appearances and engagements as a musician and fiddle teacher. |
Michelle
Kaminsky
One of the musicians from the esteemed cajun group Magnolia,
Michelle has been teaching cajun and zydeco dance for over 12 years at the
various cajun festivals in and around RI as well as in her own group classes.
She learned to dance and teach from Millie Ortego, native of Opelousas,
Louisiana, in the heart of Cajun country. Her love for dancing started with
clogging back in high school. She was a founding member of the Heartland
Old-Time Dancers in Chicago, and performed with them for 10 years. Michelle
has taught clogging at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago, the
Augusta Heritage Center in West Virginia, and the Cajun festival in Rhode
Island. She can be seen clogging, wherever there is good music and she isn't
playing her fiddle! |
Rachel
Maloney
Born in the
coal mining town of Norton, Virginia where her father worked in the mines.
Deep in the heart of Appalachia, her love of fiddle music developed at an
early age. Living later in North Carolina, her repertoire continued to grow,
remaining predominantly Appalachian.
The bands she was involved in reached as far north as Canada and
as far south as Florida, remaining mostly east of the Mississippi, venturing
frequently to Europe. In 1987, Rachel was offered a position as performer,
composer & musical director at Trinity Repertory Company in Providence,
Rhode Island. During this time, she has continued to do one major tour a
year, usually to Europe, after shorter tours to North Carolina and Virginia.
Her musical interests have further developed to include film and T.V. scores,
electronic and multi-media collaborations and new music compositions. |
| Stephen
Myles
Cognitive Dissident, Stephen Myles, sings and plays mandolin, guitar and
mandola. An intermittent
itinerant musician and luthier, he returned to academia in the 90’s following
fifteen years of playing folk, bluegrass, old-time and swing music on
the club and festival circuits.
He currently joins URI colleagues Steve Wood and Paul de Mesquita
performing and teaching about the power of music and art as catalysts
for social change. |
| Osunkemi
and Sangoyemi
(Elizabeth Coleman & Barbara Eaton) are the founders of Iya Moopo
Workshop, dedicated to the preservation of Yoruba traditional culture
and the observation of Yoruba spiritual practice. Initiates to Yoruba
religion and culture under the guidance of Dr. Wande Abimbola, an authority
on Yoruba culture, thought, and divination, they are completing the research
and organizational phases for the development of a video documentary on
Egungun, the traditional Yoruba masquerade society. With the assistance
of the Rhode Island Committee for the Humanities, they are currently engaged
in transcribing, translating, and cataloguing collected materials and
consulting with scholars on content and structure.
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Ken
Perlman
Ken is both a pioneer of the banjo style known as "melodic clawhammer,"
and a master of finger style guitar. He draws his material from traditional
sources -- the music of Scotland, Ireland, Cape Breton, Prince Edward Island
and the American South. He has written some of the most widely respected
banjo and guitar instruction books of modern times, and he has been on staff
at prestigious teaching festivals around the world. He has toured much of
the world and made several recordings. |
Rhonda
Rucker
Rhonda, an accomplished harmonica player, banjoist and pianist performs
and records internationally with Sparky. She has participated in numerous
educational media projects including with National Geographic Society and
has taught harmonica in workshops at festivals, Common Ground on the Hill
Maryland & Scotland, and the Augusta Heritage Center |
Sparky
Rucker
Singer, musician, guitarist, storyteller and Kentucky Colonel James
"Sparky" Rucker has been performing for over thirty years. With
eleven recordings, he offers programs on Black Folk History and Multicultural
American History through narrative, blues, African-American folksong, popular
music of the time and his original songs. Pete Seeger says "Sparky
Rucker is unique! He’ll make you glad to be alive and struggling."
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Nicholas
Sironka
Nicholas Sironka is a Maasai by tribe and was born in Narok Kenya. A Fulbright
Scholar and Assistant Professor at Whitworth College in Washington, his
works of art, particularly batiks, are on exhibit and in private collections
throughout Kenya and the US. His work portrays his people’s culture truthfully,
with dignity and beauty. Nicholas has worked with the United Nations, and
designed and crafted the peace torch carried by African women as a sign
of unity to the World Conference for Women in Beijing, China in 1995. He
has extensive experience as a graphic designer, freelance artist and cover
illustrator for magazines and led the "Friends of Sironka" Maasai
dance troupe on a three month tour of the USA in 2002. |
Kate
Taluga & Gus Johnson
Kate and Gus are the team behind the very successful School of Arts
and Sciences Extended Day program in Tallahassee, Florida. Combining a message
of Peace Education with hands-on activities they create opportunities for
exploration through active engagement with the arts and the natural world
where they find themselves. Kate and Gus believe in affirming every child's
success in a loving nurturing environment. They've welcomed and supported
families in growth as a community of learners and friends. Young people
coming to them will find a joyous and playful attitude with realistic boundaries
set for the community's goals.
Kate is passionate about spending time with young people outside traditional
classrooms. "I love my work. We learn as we explore our interests."
A professional storyteller and avid old-time music dancer, Kate along with
her husband, Gus Johnson, spends much of her time traveling Southeastern
Folk Festivals. She also trains educators in subjects ranging from guidance
and discipline to construction with children. Her theme song is "On
the Road Again." Kate, Gus, and Kitty live on eight acres in north
Gadsden County. They have three grown children. |
| Gillian
Elberger Stewart
My parents took me dancing
before I was born, and I now enjoy traditional dancing in several genres,
among them contras, English, and Scottish. I have performed on several
ritual dance teams, doing Morris and rapper sword throughout the Boston
area for 5 years. I began learning Appalachian clogging about
6 years ago, and have performed as a clogger in the Christmas Revels and
in a benefit for the ALS Foundation.
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| Melodie
Thompson-Thomas
A poet, writer, and certified teacher who has worked with elementary
through college- level students. Her natural inclination to create, collect,
and tell stories has brought her recognition as a professional storyteller.
She has published in local, national, and collegiate periodicals and presented
educational and motivational workshops for the New England League of Middle
Schools, Roger Williams University, and the University of Wisconsin. She
was selected as one of three statewide storytellers for Rhode Island's
Office of Library Services Summer Reading Program. A RICH Independent
Research Grant supported oral history gathering and other research for
this presentation. |
Chris
Turner
Born
into a musical family in London, England, Chris Turner learned harmonica
and recorder as a child. He has been playing professionally since 1967 working
in a variety of idioms including Folk, Rock, Blues, Jazz, Country, Early
and Avant-garde music. While traveling extensively in Europe and Africa,
he assimilated many different musical styles. Early in the 1970*s, Chris
studied composition with Christopher Small and improvisation with John Stevens.
In 1975, Chris Turner was recognized for his virtuosity when he was awarded
the European Harmonica Championship. Chris has toured with numerous professional
bands and appears on many recordings .
He has worked extensively
as a Composer, Music Director, and Arranger for various theatrical organizations
including Rhode Island*s prestigious Trinity Repertory Company, as well
as for films, animations, radio and TV. Besides a variety of harmonicas,
Chris is also proficient on flutes, bagpipes, shawrns, keyboards, brass,
synthesizers and some percussion |
| Christine
M. Wilson
Christine
earned an MS (1990) in College Student Personnel from Indiana State University.
She came to URI in 1997, the year the Center for Student Leadership was
founded. Her primary leadership interests include alternative leadership
and cultural pluralism. She is pursuing a PhD in Education; her
dissertation topic is multicultural education preparation.
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Steve
Wood
DocWood is a recording artist for Neoga Music (www.neogamusic.com)
and has been performing folk music since 1964. He is currently working on
his third Neoga CD to be released this November to compliment his first
two releases: Golden Vanity and Muley Point Mud. DocWood has a day job as
Professor and Chair of Communication Studies at the University of Rhode
Island. He is part of a trio of professors known as the Cognitive Dissidents
(Stephen Myles and Paul Bueno de Mesquita) known for performing songs of
social justice. Two recent performing highlights include opening for Pete
Seeger and a set of baseball songs performed in the Baseball Hall of Fame
in Cooperstown, NY. |
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