Ukrainian
New York City

In pre-industrial Ukraine, the cheres was a wide, metal-studded leather belt, so thick it could ward off bullets; over time it became a talisman of good fortune for the people of the Carpathian mountains. The band Cheres have likewise become protectors of the rich Ukrainian cultural heritage which is today under attack by the Russian war and propaganda machines; in the face of this existential threat, their vibrant music is a joyful affirmation of Ukrainian identity.

rockabilly and honky-tonk
Nashville, Tennessee

For over three decades, rockabilly singer and guitarist Chuck Mead has been serving up his own irresistible blend of honky-tonk, hillbilly music, and rock and roll to audiences around the world. Best known for his work as co-founder of the Grammy-nominated group BR5-49, Chuck’s career as a bandleader and solo artist boasts over 170 appearances on the Grand Ole Opry. With a sound equal parts classic and contemporary, Chuck draws inspiration from the golden age of rockabilly while making the music indisputably all his own. 

sacred steel guitar
Toledo, Ohio

Fran “Lady Strings” Grace is among a small sisterhood of women trailblazers playing sacred steel guitar in African American Holiness-Pentecostal worship services. A masterful lap-steel guitarist, she leads a powerhouse family band specializing in the ecstatic, steel-guitar-driven gospel music she grew up with in church.

funk
New York City

A founding father of funk, bandleader Fred Thomas is among the most influential bass players alive today. Principal bassist with James Brown’s band for over three decades, Thomas’ signature basslines are the backbone of dozens of funk’s most iconic hits. With a career spanning over half a century, this elder statesman shows no signs of slowing down. Now leading his own seven-piece funk band, he’s holding down the groove he helped build.

Afghan ghazals
New York City

The transcendent singer, composer, and harmonium player Ahmad Fanoos performs songs spanning Afghanistan’s rich and complex musical heritage. Renowned for his mastery of the ghazals, songs of spiritual and romantic love based in Sufi poetry, his repertoire also encompasses the euphoric Islamic qawwali devotionals and odes from the region’s ancient Buddhist heritage.

western swing and hot jazz
Austin, Texas

As its name implies, the Hot Club of Cowtown pays homage to two legendary groups from the 1930s: the swinging guitar and violin of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli’s Hot Club of Paris, decamped from the “City of Lights” to the territory of Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys. Now celebrating over 20 years together, the Hot Club of Cowtown is widely recognized as one of the finest ensembles in western swing and hot jazz today. 

tap dance
New York, New York

Jason Samuels Smith is recognized as one of the finest tap dancers of his generation. At age 23, he won both an Emmy and the American Choreography Award for his tribute to the late tap master Gregory Hines, who two years prior had proclaimed the young dancer as “… the next ‘Greatest,’” a prediction that Samuels Smith has since fulfilled. As one reviewer marveled, Samuels Smith “dances as if he carries in his head and shoes the entire legacy of the genre.” 

Haitian mizik rasin
Port-au-Prince, Haiti

Lakou Mizik is a multigenerational collective of Haitian musicians united in a mission to spread awareness about Haitian traditional culture. In Haitian Kreyol, the word lakou carries multiple meanings. It can mean a backyard or a collective place where people gather to play music and dance. It can also be an extended community, or a connection to one’s ancestors. As a band, Lakou Mizik embodies a little of each meaning—bringing music, community, and spiritual connection to backyards (and festivals) across the globe.

Chicago blues
Chicago, Illinois

Dubbed “the Future of the Blues” by the Chicago Reader newspaper, Melody Angel is a powerhouse vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter born and raised on the south side of Chicago. With strong, no-nonsense vocals and thoughtful lyrics that reflect her passion for racial and gender justice, Angel’s singular sound draws upon elements of R&B, rock, folk, and funk, all layered on a strong bed of Chicago blues. 

circus arts
Wilton, New Hampshire

The Red Trouser Show is a never-before-seen combination of precision acrobatics paired with daring feats, such as knife and fire juggling, and a breathtaking final act that ends high in the air. Based in the centuries-old tradition of street performance arts and busking, the Red Trouser Show features Tobin Renwick and David Graham.

Greek
Boston, Massachusetts

REVMA performs music from a wide spectrum of Greek traditions, ranging from lively island dances to mesmerizing polyphonic ballads. This quartet of virtuosos are in constant demand for Greek American community events in the Boston area, where they play for both listeners and dancers.

Portuguese fado
Lisbon, Portugal

Lisbon’s Sara Correia is a breathtaking talent hailed as the leading voice of the new generation of fado singers. After winning the Portugal’s Grande Noite do Fado in 2006 at only 13 years old, Correia has emerged as a fadista able to captivate any audience, from the neighborhood club to the international concert stage, with the music fittingly called “the soul of Portuguese people.”

Manding griot
Kartong, The Gambia

Proclaimed by BBC Radio as “a griot for a new generation of West Africans,” Sona Jobarteh is proof that sometimes the most important keepers of a tradition are those who break new ground. She was born into one of the five principal griot families, and in taking up a male tradition stretching back over seven centuries, Jobarteh is the first female kora virtuoso. Today she plays a central role in preserving this ancient art in The Gambia.

bluegrass and traditional country
Rogersville, Tennessee

With a powerhouse voice and remarkable range, Linda Lay is one of the best singers in grassroots bluegrass and country music. She leads an exceptional ensemble of award-winning musicians in Springfield Exit, combining elements of bluegrass and country with sounds stemming from their Appalachian roots.

Cajun
Lafayette, Louisiana

Hailing from Lafayette, Louisiana, T’Monde is a vibrant, critically acclaimed Cajun trio known for their pared-down, fiddle-driven sound; angelic vocal harmonies; and penchant for lesser-known, early twentieth century repertoire. Born out of a shared love for the rich and wide-ranging traditional music styles found throughout Cajun country, the group seamlessly moves between age-old French Creole ballads to Cajun dance music, weaving in elements of classic country and the blues. With their signature sound and a combined 10 Grammy nominations to their names, the members of T’Monde are among the most celebrated young artists carrying on the tradition today.

Irish
Chicago, Illinois; Baltimore, Maryland; St. Paul, Minnesota

Individually, the members of Trian are three of the finest Irish musicians in America. Playing together, as they have since the 1980s, these friends have found an ease and joy that is evident in every performance. As fiddler Liz Carroll says, “every time we’ve played, there’s a little magic there.”

Zuni dance and song
Zuni, New Mexico

When the dancers of the Zuni Olla Maidens enter a performance space, balancing intricately decorated ceramic vessels called olla on their heads, they transform their foremothers’ essential, life-giving work of carrying water from the river into an eloquent dance tradition. Each olla is a smaller replica of the water jars their ancestors carried.