The Holmes Brothers
Blues, gospel and R&B
Rosedale, Maryland and Christchurch Virginia
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Sacred and profane, rocking and righteous, the undisputed masters of blues-based American roots music, "God's own bar band" always bringing down the house with its brazenly borderless blend of blues, gospel, R&B, soul, funk, and American country.

Viento de Agua
Salsa and bomba y plena
San Juan, Puerto Rico
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Under the direction of Hector "Tito" Matos, this explosive 13-piece band unites the deep Afro-Caribbean percussion traditions of Puerto Rico with a fiery, jazzy brass section to create cutting edge salsa and traditional bomba y plena with equal finesse.

Dale Watson
Honky-tonk and country
Austin, Texas

From the heart of Texas comes Dale Watson, a true son of the America's musical outlaw tradition and the reigning "king" of uncompromising, deep country - a real honky-tonk hero who lives the life and writes songs about it.

Le Vent du Nord
Québécois
Montreal, Québec, Canada
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With its bouncing, rhythmic fiddle style, unique tunes, spirited step dancing and centuries-old songs, the musical heritage of Québec is among the richest and most engaging on earth. These young keepers of Québec's 400-year-old musical heritage are, hands down, the finest traditional Québécois ensemble performing today.

Linda Lay & Springfield Exit
bluegrass and acoustic country
Winchester, Virginia

Bluegrass and acoustic country music at its lyrical best from a stellar Virginia quartet that combines the extraordinary singing of Linda Lay, complemented by the pure harmonies of her husband David, with the intsrumental talents of bluegrass banjo legend Sammy Shelor and fiddler extraordinaire Rickie Simpkins.

Paddy Keenan
Irish pipes

Irish traditions are some of the most popular styles of music with the Festival audience. This year, Paddy Keenan will share his uilleann pipe music at the Festival. Having performed since age 9, he brings a great energy and love for Irish Music to the stage.

Rahim AlHaj
Iraqui oud

Now making his home in New Mexico, Rahim AlHaj is a virtuoso of the Iraqui oud, an instrument similar to a lute. Since coming to the United States, AlHaj has become a cultural ambassador for the deep musical heritage of his homeland.

Kenge Kenge
music of western Kenya

Two of Kenya's musical traditions- the deep-rooted Luo tradition and the guitar-based benga come together in the music of Kenge Kenge (whose name means "fusion of small, exhilarating instruments"). They perform with an unusual assortment of self-made musical instruments, but their voices are, in fact, the stars of the show- strong and generous, full of character and contrast.

Pine Leaf Boys
Cajun

Hailing from Southwest Louisiana, the Pine Leaf Boys have made it their mission to present real Cajun music to the world and prove that it is still thriving and full of life.

UMaine Black Bear Band
Marching Band

The Pride of Maine Black Bear Marching Band were part of the 2009 Festival, but their Saturday performance was rained out, so they're returning for another opportunity to lead the parade through the Festival site on Friday and Saturday.

Noreum Machi
Samui Nori drumming and dances of Korea

Noreum Machi is a captivating new group from Korea that performs the virtuosic percussion music known as samulnori. Their traditional program includes spectacular percussion dialogues, shamanic chants, and acrobatic dances.

The Other Europeans
Klezmer and gypsy Roma

The Other European Band is an international gathering of 14 leading klezmer and gypsy (Roma) musicians. This new intercultural group is creating powerful, deeply emotional and virtuosic music that restores a centuries-old cooperation between two groups who cohabited the same space in present-day Moldova before being torn apart by war, holocaust and immigration.

Dr. Michael White Quartet
Traditional New Orleans Jazz Clarinetist Dr. Michael White will bring New Orleans jazz to the Festival Stages. In New Orleans' parlance, "professors" are the great jazz musicians who define the tradition. Dr. Michael White can lay claim to this title on two counts, as an extraordinary musician and as a noted scholar. A brilliant clarinetist and preserver of traditional New Orleans jazz, White was awarded the prestigious NEA National Heritage Fellowship in 2008, the highest honor this country bestows on traditional artists.

Taste of Celtic Colours
Cape Breton

Each Autumn, the annual Celtic Colours festival is held in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. This multiple-venue event attracts thousands of music lovers and presents dozens of Celtic musicians from Canada and around the world.  Five of these young musicians (Colin Grant, Chrissy Crowley, Jason Roch, Darrin McMullin, and Rachel Davis) will present A Taste of Celtic Colours at the AFF this year.

The Old Grey Goose
Maine traditional music and song

Maine country dance band Old Grey Goose has been playing and singing old-time country music and songs of Maine and the Maritimes for over twenty years. The group teaches and calls New England contra dances for schools and community groups and they present stories and songs, some humorous, some historical in concert performances.