2025 Performers

Albuquerque High School's Mariachi San José is a student ensemble that focuses on traditional mariachi music. The group, directed by Señora Tamarah Lucero, provides students with the opportunity to learn about mariachi music and culture, fostering creativity and building confidence.

The ATC Stringband is a student group from the Academy for Technology & Classics, a public charter school in Santa Fe. ATC offers a unique music class called "Acoustic Americana" in which students play and study traditional folk music from all over the U.S. including old-Time, bluegrass, blues, Cajun, and New Mexican music. Students sing and play fiddle, banjo, guitar, mandolin, and bass.

For more info: carlsonmusic.weebly.com

Randy McSpadden grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma where he started his lifelong quest of the guitar at the age of 6. Since he was a teenager he has played in bands too numerous to mention, in Oklahoma and Colorado, also having been a studio musician in LA and Philly. Residing in Denver, Colorado from 2011 thru 2024, he has free-lanced in both the bluegrass/ acoustic music scene as well as the vibrant jazz scene on the Front Range. In addition to performing, he teaches intermediate and advanced level guitar students privately & provides band coaching.

While “that thing’s bigger’n she is,” Anne Luna makes playing the bass look easy. Her bass playing has been described as graceful and elegant, yet precise and hard driving. As a songwriter and vocalist, her clear, unique voice both stands on its own and rounds out vocal work in any group. Her songs have been nominated for two New Mexico Music Awards. She toured with The Hard Road Trio for over 10 years, recording several albums, and playing at a variety of festivals and venues across the country. She currently performs with The Southwest Bluegrass All-Stars, as well as several groups in the Albuquerque area. Anne teaches not only bass, but many other instruments as well, including piano and cello.

Cindi Cone was born and raised in Connecticut. Over the last 40+ years she has played in many bands, finally settling in Durango, Colorado in 1995. She was one of the founding members of The Badly Bent, which has performed at numerous regional festivals and music venues. Over the years Cindi has also played and sung on numerous recording projects in Nashville, Florida, and in Colorado. In 2000, she won first place at the Rockygrass fiddle contest in Lyons, Colorado. She teaches fiddle for beginner, intermediate, and advanced level students.

For more info: www.youtube.com

The Adobe Brothers is an eclectic group of identical quadruplets born to different mothers who came together a long time ago to play any kind of music that is fun. Perhaps their greatest musical continuum has been playing for contra and square dances and music festivals throughout the southwest. Though the Brothers' musical style might be best categorized as Americana, a typical performance will include tunes and songs from a variety of genres including Bluegrass, Old Time, New Time, Celtic, Latin Folk Music, Klezmer and more. In addition to their superb musicianship and diverse material, the Brothers are noted for their entertaining stage presence feating a unique style of humor resulting from their identical DNA. The boys often finish each other's sentences even when they know what they're talking about. The Adobe Brothers released their first studio CD in 2009 titled "The Adobe Brothers." A second CD, "Our Name is Mud," was released in 2013 and a third CD, "Don't Get Trouble On Your Mind" came out in 2017.

The Albuquerque Chinese Folk Dance Ensemble is a vibrant local dance troupe based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Founded in 2017, we are dedicated to promoting and celebrating Chinese ethnic, folk, and classical dance while fostering cultural exchange and understanding within our diverse community. Our journey began with a passion for Chinese dance, but it has since grown into a deep commitment to preserving tradition, inspiring audiences, and strengthening cultural connections across New Mexico.

As a hallmark of Albuquerque’s Asian community, our ensemble brings together local scientists, doctors, engineers, businesswomen, and teachers who share a love for dance and cultural heritage. With a repertoire that blends our American background with our Asian roots, we present both traditional and contemporary works, each infused with authentic music, vibrant costumes, and dynamic storytelling. Our performances incorporate elements from Tibetan, Mongolian, Southeastern, and Northwestern Chinese traditions, featuring sword-like fans, flower-like fans, nomadic costumes and hats, and powerful rhythmic drums to enhance the visual and emotional impact of our art.

More than just a performance, our dance serves as a means of connection, education, and inspiration. We have actively showcased our work on various stages, schools, academies, Spring Festival galas, museums, industries, and even at the State Capitol of New Mexico. Through our passion and energetic expression, we aim to preserve and share the richness of Chinese dance, fostering cross-cultural appreciation and celebrating Asian heritage. Alongside many other traditions and art forms from around the world, our folk dance team is dedicated to enriching both our community and the broader cultural landscape. We strive to ensure that the beauty of Chinese folk dance continues to thrive for generations to come, touching hearts near and far. Through our passionate performances, we aim to foster communication, friendship, and a deeper cultural understanding among the people of New Mexico.

For more info: www.facebook.com

The Albuquerque Mandolin Orchestra has been playing the instruments of the mandolin family in ensemble since 2012. Principal instruments include mandolin, mandola, bouzouki, cittern, mandocello and mandobass. The group, comprised mostly of Albuquerque and Santa Fe musicians, plays a wide range of music arranged for mandolin orchestra from renaissance and baroque to classical to contemporary compositions, i.e., Byrd and Vivaldi to McCartney. We have a special interest in the music of the mandolin orchestra’s hey day from about 1880 to 1920, originating in Italy but spreading infectiously world wide.

For more info: www.youtube.com

The Badly Bent has been entrenched in the bluegrass music scene since 1998. Based in Durango, Colorado, The Badly Bent has proven its musicianship through the winning of prestigious music competitions and receiving accolades from many of its peers in the bluegrass industry. These band members are not newcomers to either the bluegrass scene or performing in front of large audiences.

The Badly Bent does not present itself as one of the new bluegrass jam bands. Although their musical prowess allows them to explore the edges of traditional music, the listener will find that the music never strays far from the roots established by the fathers of the genre. Their love for the genuine bluegrass sound is so evident every time they take the stage. And, that emotion is totally contagious with the audience. Everyone has a good time. But, don’t be surprised when they pull a song out of the hat that everyone says, “Now, where have I heard that before?” Their repertoire will please even the most discriminating listener

Winners of the coveted 2005 Telluride Bluegrass Band Competition, The Badly Bent has performed at over 100 festivals across the US and has been acknowledged as one of the most entertaining ensembles at those festivals. In a nutshell, The Badly Bent gives you your money’s worth, musically and emotionally. This band has an infectious way about them. You get hauled into their musical world and you leave wanting more and more.

For more info: www.thebadlybent.com

Baracutanga is a seven-piece band, representing four different countries (Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, USA), that blends South American ancestral traditions with a modern sensibility, whose exciting and distinct Latin flavor keeps crowds dancing and always wanting more. Baracutanga creates songs that cross linguistic and cultural barriers, building bridges between the south and the north, overcoming the barriers of discrimination and promoting intercultural experiences that empower Latinos and all people with a positive message of self-affirmation.

For more info: www.baracutanga.org

Albuquerque's award-winning Indie Folk Français duo, Bébé La La features singer-songwriter, guitarist, violist Alicia Ultan and singer-songwriter, accordionist Maryse Lapierre, who hails from Quebec, Canada. The two formed the group in 2010, combining Lapierre's French influences with Ultan's original folk inspired "art" songs and over the years, they have developed a unique and engaging repertoire that highlights their signature "stunning" harmonies. Adding to their already richly textured music, are Bébé La La Band members, bassist Micky Patten, an in-demand bassist and guitarist, who also performs with the renowned trumpeter, Bobby Shew, among other ensembles, and drummer Joe Chellman, who plays everything from rock & roll to jazz, blues, country, folk, pop, Klezmer, Balkan, Irish and more. Bébé La La earned three nominations and two awards at the 2016 New Mexico Music Awards for their debut release, "High Wire," described by music and art writer James Mahoney as: "Wild-Alternative-Magic! Hearing this music is, strangely, like opening up a new set of Tarot cards--with very new images: wild re-structurings of the dramas in each of the cards, so that both vital mystery and authentic emotion--along with a symbol system--are all living together in an advanced beauty." This past November 2022, they released their sophomore release, "A Curious Series of Unexpected Events," to a full house in a CD Release concert celebration at FUSION Theatre in Albuquerque, presented by AMP Concerts. The new album received seven nominations from the New Mexico Music Awards, including "Rosie," which won the Singer-Songwriter award and "Magic Hour" which received the award for Best Vocal Performance. An overarching theme of "time" and the unexpectedness of life threads the eclectic collection of songs together on the new CD, which addresses some of the events of the past few years, personal struggles and more, Poet T.A. Niles writes, "From where I sit, “A Curious Series of Unexpected Events is an album for our times, of times past, and it seeks to will us into a more magical future.”

For more info: bebelalamusic.com

World-touring acoustic blues pioneer CATFISH KEITH has established himself as one of the most exciting country blues performers of our time.

Catfish’s innovative style of foot-stomping, deep delta blues and American roots music has spellbound audiences the world over.

He has reinvented the guitar with great power and artistry, and brings a rare beauty and vitality to his music. Handing down the tradition, Catfish continues his lifelong journey as one of the brightest lights in acoustic blues and roots music.

Catfish won four BLUES BLAST MUSIC AWARDS �" for BEST ACOUSTIC BLUES ALBUM in 2022, 2021 and 2019, and in 2022 for BEST ACOUSTIC GUITARIST.

He has been nominated six times since 1993 by the Blues Foundation in Memphis for BLUES MUSIC AWARDS, and considered for nominations for GRAMMY AWARDS seventeen times. In 2008 he was inducted into the IA BLUES HALL OF FAME.

Catfish has twenty two NUMBER ONE independent radio chart-topping albums to his credit and packs houses all over the world with his dynamic stage show.

A 2008 inductee into the IA BLUES HALL OF FAME, the 40-plus year veteran has performed thousands of gigs, touring throughout North America, the UK, Europe and Asia to wide acclaim, headlining major music festivals, and appearing with legends John Lee Hooker, Ray Charles, Robert Cray, Koko Taylor, Taj Mahal, Leo Kottke, Jessie Mae Hemphill, Johnny Shines, John Fahey and many, many others.

For more info: www.catfishkeith.com

Cheap Shots is an energetic six-person acoustic band that draws upon an eclectic mix of Old Time, Celtic, Contra Dance, Folk, Country, Old Blues, Bluegrass, Swing, and Klezmer. Intertwining instrumental and vocal music (including original songs), the band features hammer dulcimer, fiddle, guitar, mandolin, banjo, bass, and more. Cheap Shots has been together since 2004. For contra dances, the band enjoys playing New England and Southern style contra music.

The six band members include:

• Pat Aruffo on fiddle
• John Brinduse on keyboard, some guitar, and percussion
• Bill Balassi on guitar and mandolin
• Peter Esherick on hammered dulcimer and mandolin and banjo
• Erika Gerety on bass, mandolin, and vocals
• Dave Para on guitar, banjo, mandolin, mouth bow, jaw harp, leaf and vocals

For more info: mycheapshots.com

Dom Flemons is the Co-Founder and original member of the groundbreaking Carolina Chocolate Drops, the first ever black string band to win a GRAMMY Award. Over the past 25 years, he has received major awards, gained world-wide media recognition and has become one of the most influential and highly decorated voices in American roots music. Flemons is known as “The American Songster®" since his repertoire covers over one hundred years of American roots music. He is a folk musician, black country artist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, music scholar, historian, actor, slam poet, record collector, curator, podcaster, cultural commentator, influencer, and the creator, host, and producer of the American Songster Radio Show on WSM in Nashville, TN.

For more info: www.theamericansongster.com

Dram Session is a Scottish band based in the Albuquerque area. We perform traditional Scottish music for dancers and at local festivals. Our music includes modern and very old Scottish jigs, reels, strathspeys, and waltzes, on instruments typically played with Scottish music.

“They sang with joy together; harmonizing to make the sounds of their voices become emotionally complete.” - Daniel Donnelly, Mumble Music

The songs of Glorieta Pines are inspired by the happenings of the world as seen through the lens of the American Southwest.

The trio, comprised of Brian Nelson (guitars, percussion), Lindsay Taylor (mandolin, tenor guitar, flutes, fiddle) and Karina Wilson (fiddle), combines insightful songwriting, layered arrangements and tight vocal harmonies, achieving a unique blend of indie-acoustic music.

Glorieta Pines originated in 2020 as a duo between spouses Lindsay Taylor and Brian Nelson, with early performances including official virtual concerts for both the Brighton Fringe and Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2021. The addition of Karina Wilson on fiddle in June of 2022 saw the polished arrangements and vocal harmonies of the duo format expand, with extended instrumental sections and deeper sonic textures.

For more info: www.glorietapines.com

Kacey and Jenna play a mix of western, country, folk, and bluegrass music. The duo provides harmonies that only twins can. Kacey is the main instrumentalist with Jenna adding in her own flavor of harmonica melodies. They perform a mix of original songs along with cover favorites. The duo has enjoyed bringing their energy and talents to many audiences throughout the years.

For more info: www.facebook.com

Lasotras aims to break down walls, build bridges, add music to the struggle and encourage solidarity. We are an Albuquerque-based musical group that has played together in different configurations for over 30 years. We perform U.S. and Latin American folk music with tight harmonies, spicy riffs, and upbeat rhythms on string, wind and percussion instruments. We often take favorites written by other composers and adapt our own words or make the songs bilingual. We also host peñas (cultural coffeehouses) in Albuquerque and play at political and social events. Lasotras are Enrique Cardiel (bass, accordion and vocals), Teresa Guevara Beltrán (cuatro, jarana, guitar, cajón, bombo, and vocals), Ricardo Magallanes Guillén (guitar, zampoñas/panpipes, bombo, maracas and vocals), Dair Obenshain (fiddle, guitar, bongós, bones, bass and vocals) and Ruth Warner Carrillo (cuatro, jarana, charango, guitar, bongós and vocals).

For more info: www.facebook.com

As unpredictable, fearless, and entertaining as their namesake, Le Chat Lunatique purveys an addictive genre they call “filthy, mangy jazz,” a signature sound that makes you want to smoke and drink too much�"if only you could get off the dance floor. Le jazz hot of Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli is their north star, but they use that beacon to navigate through a wide range of genres, blending Western swing, classical, reggae, d00-wop, and “anything else we damn well please” into strikingly original compositions and audaciously reworked standards alike.

For more info: www.lechatlunatique.com

Lone Piñon is a New Mexican string band, or “orquesta típica”, whose music celebrates the integrity and diversity of their region's cultural roots. With fiddles, upright bass, guitars, accordions, vihuela, and bilingual vocals, they play a wide spectrum of the traditional music that is at home in New Mexico. The group’s repertoire and recordings reflect the complexity of this musical landscape and includes early conjunto duets, contemporary New Mexican rancheras, New Mexican swing, Hispanic Texan fiddle styles, Tohono O'odham fiddle tunes from Arizona, huapangos from the Mexican Huasteca region, and several styles of music from Michoacán: son calentano and son planeco from the southern lowlands and son abajeño from the P'urepecha highlands.

For more info: www.lonepinon.com

Led by Martha Spencer, the Wonderland Band will take you on a musical journey through the roots of Appalachia entwined with beautiful songwriting and classic country stepping along the way. Featuring Lucas Pasley on fiddle/banjo/vocals, Jake Dwyer on percussion/washboard/dance and Lu Furtado on bass, the Wonderland Band has toured across the USA from California to Nashville- performing such venues as the Brooklyn Folk Festival, Topanga Banjo Fiddle Festival, Buck Owens Crystal Palace, Ashkenaz Center, Richmond Folk Festival, and Song of the Mountains PBS and internationally in Ireland and Canada.

Growing up with the lullabies of old time fiddle tunes from her family on Whitetop Mountain and flatfoot dancing at the Carter Family Fold, Martha Spencer was immersed in country and mountain music all her life. That’s evident in the way she sings, the songs she writes; music is as much a part of her as breathing in the mountain air and her love for it dances through her songs like a steady heartbeat. She plays several instruments (guitar, fiddle, banjo, mandolin, dulcimer, bass) and has been recognized for her Appalachian dancing. As much as Martha’s love of her Blue Ridge Mountain home is present, she also is a “rambling woman” and has traveled around the world performing across the US, in Australia, UK, Canada, Mexico, and Europe multiple times. Her adventurous spirit and traveling is evident in a lot of her songs like “Woman of the Road.” As her daddy used to say, “if someone asked you to go anywhere, you’d just say, let me get my hat and coat, and we’ll roll.” That’s led Martha to playing in various bands (her Wonderland Country Band, Whitetop Mountain Band, Blue Ridge Girls, and more…) as well as collaborating with artists like Luke Bell and The Legendary Ingramettes, and working on lots of roots projects like Appalachian Dance World, Women in Roots and JAM.

For more info: linktr.ee

Hoop dancing by Benjamin Shendo, from Jemez and Cochiti Pueblo, New Mexico. Through his travels he learned many forms of dancing and expressions. Now it is his journey to share his skills with his family, tribes, community, friends and state.

He enjoys teaching capoeira, hoop-dancing, culinary art, silver-smithing, leather and moccasins crafts.

Special Orchestra®, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose purpose is to help persons with developmental disabilities share in the joy of making music. Using similarly tuned instruments (key of C), special orchestras can start playing right away! The New Mexico Special Orchestra, the pioneer ensemble of Special Orchestra, Inc., has been helping people with special needs make music since 1999. At SpecialOrchestra.org we share adaptive music techniques developed here in New Mexico, globally.

For more info: specialorchestra.org

Lauded as "sparkling" and “exhilarating.” If you haven't heard them yet, it won't take you four beats to realize that this isn't just any ordinary folk band. Sweet vocals and virtuosic fiddling coupled with driving rhythm and snappy guitar solos make for a thrilling musical experience in genres that span many continents. Declared “guitar genius” by Sing Out Magazine , Larry Unger combines talent with exciting and versatile young violinist Eden MacAdam-Somer whose classical and jazz background merges with Larry's driving style to push the envelope towards swing, blues and Gypsy modes. Come see how many ways they can “metamorphosize 64 beats!”

Rooted in tradition with an ear toward the future, contemporary folk duo Rakish embodies earnest musical exploration and demonstrates an infectious playfulness on stage. In their sound together, it is evident the two friends share an unbridled love for the traditional sounds of Celtic and American music, and the tight ensemble of a group with years of collaboration under their belt. Strings Magazine says: “Explorative and versatile, the duo draws evident inspiration from not just the deep and wide history of Scottish and Irish Celtic composition, but also the precision-focused structures of classical chamber music and a whole array of improvisational styles.”

Known for her toneful and award-winning fiddle playing in the Celtic music world, Maura Shawn Scanlin grew up in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina. Maura is a 2-time U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Champion and a winner of the Glenfiddich Fiddle Competition in Scotland. Her clawhammer banjo playing and songwriting, also featured in the duo, hold the regional music of her homeland close. Maura finds her niche combining influences from a widespread musical journey with the sounds she grew up around.

Steeped in the Irish music communities of Washington D.C. and Baltimore, MD where he was raised, acclaimed guitarist Conor Hearn developed a keen interest in literary theory and poetry, a unique well of material from which he draws unending musical inspiration. His settings of modernist poems, like James Joyce’s Chamber Music, epitomize the duo’s approach: the dexterous alchemy of the old and the new into something wholly Rakish. A keenly sought-after collaborative guitarist, Conor performs with many of the most renowned names in Celtic music today. His guitar style combines bass and rhythm for a uniquely powerful and precise sound.

Rakish, embracing the unconventional connotation of their namesake, create and perform music with verve. Recent highlights of their travels include performances at the Library of Congress, Celtic Colours International Music Festival, Prince Edward Island’s Festival of Small Halls, the Corvallis Celtic Festival, and Official Showcases at Folk Alliance International. They have taught at esteemed fiddle camps across the country including Alasdair Fraser’s Sierra Fiddle Camp, Folk College, Katie McNally’s Boston States Fiddle Camp, and Hanneke Cassel’s Pure Dead Brilliant Fiddle Weekend.

On Now, O Now, the duo’s sophomore release (out October 11, 2024) it is clear Rakish cannot be pigeonholed into one genre and is most comfortable occupying the in-between. Together they journey through Celtic and Americana styles, deftly showcasing how to bring forth something new from the deep well of tradition. They are touring their new album across the country throughout the fall of 2024 and into 2025.

For more info: www.rakishmusic.com

"The Roswells bring the nostalgia of the second and third generation of country music into the millennia. Singing songs of western swing and honky tonk greats, The Roswells add their own flare with their unmistakeable Nuevo Mexico and Tejano influence and sound. The influence is evident when they switch, almost on the spur of the moment, from Buck Owens to Al Hurricane. Their blend of harmonies is that of Johnny and June, Dolly and Porter, and Loretta and Conway. Part angst but all love." -Cactus Eddie

The Roswells are: Ben Monroe, Kateri Lopez, Dave and Laura Devlin, Bud Melvin, Josh English

For more info: theroswellsmusic.com

Dulcimers: Sweet Sounds of History! Mountain Dulcimers have earned a place in our American musical heritage. For the emigrants living on the American frontier, life was a struggle. They earned the name ‘hillbillies’ because they couldn’t afford the more expensive flatland and settled in the Appalachian mountains. Community was everything; it was necessary for their survival. Musical traditions ran deep in these communities and as decades passed these neighbors began to meld their cultures into the sound that is now considered traditional Appalachian music. These unique musical and cultural elements had lyrical themes of survival, love, and heartbreak. Settlers built simple, fretted instruments from whatever wood was available. The American mountain dulcimer was born. Like many instruments, the dulcimer has evolved to allow many styles of playing. If you can imagine it, you can create it! Sandia Mountain Dulcimers has a passion for Mountain Dulcimers. Led by Irma Reeder, their mission is to promote and preserve this versatile instrument which is largely unfamiliar in the Southwest.

Strange Holler is a bluegrass-adjacent folk trio performing good old country songs and original Americana tunes with beautiful three-part harmony. Get ready for a toe-tappin’ and fun-filled morning of music that will leave you smiling!

Lineup: - James Macklin, Lead guitar and vocals - Diane Marino, Bass and vocals - Shelly Ley, Lead vocals, guitar & mandolin

For more info: strangeholler.com

Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian cultural art form that combines elements of combat, dance, music and playful self-expression. A century and a half ago, Capoeira was a tool used by the enslaved people of Brazil for resilience, perseverance and liberation. Today, Capoeira takes many forms: a game, a dance, a fight. It is an opportunity to connect to ourselves and each other through music, movement and community. Come connect and share your energy with us!

For more info: www.capoeiragirassoluca.com

Wandering the Burren explores the traditional music of Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, Brittany, and Spain. Its six members include Rebecca Keeshan and Harlow Pinson on whistle and flute and sometimes banjo; Barbara Herrington on fiddle; and Doug Cowen playing concertina, flute, and bodhran; all bolstered by Mike Maulsby’s inspired guitar chords.