I have to admit to a guilty pleasure. I am a huge fan of “world music” i.e. the folk and popular music from other countries and cultures. My vinyl, CD and MP3 collections are crammed with compelling Burundi rhythms, Brazilian bossa nova, Cuban salsas, French café music, Madagascan reggae, Polynesian ukulele tunes, haunting Japanese bamboo flute improvisations, Indian ragas, Indonesian Gamelan, and Celtic folk sessions from Ireland and Scotland. Closer to (my new) home, I am now discovering the wide variety of Americana on offer, from Appalachian fiddle music to Zydeco.
It was, therefore, surprised and delighted to discover that wonderful Waynesville is one of the international centers of world music curation and performance. Every year Waynesville is the home of Folkmoot USA, an annual festival held during the last two weeks of July that brings international folk dancers and musicians from around the world to perform throughout Western North Carolina.
Folkmoot kicks off each year with a Parade of Nations down Waynesville’s Main Street and this year Andrea and I were lucky to have an inn full of wonderful guests going to the parade – so we were also able to attend ourselves. It was a colorful and entertaining event on a fine sunny Waynesville day and I am happy to share a few pictures of the parade with you. The various Folkmoot shows and events taking place over the week or so also promise to be fun and engaging and we are looking forward to seeing a few.
If you want to join us at the Andon-Reid Inn for Folkmoot 2017 next July 20-30 be sure to book early as the Inn fills up fast. We hope you will be able to make it.
