The 2009 Main Concert Stage represents some of the best in music, spoken word, dance, performance and the visual arts in Waco including; Idgy Vaughn, Lone Star Swing, The Ermoian Brothers, The Guy Forsyth Band, and the all-women Afro-Caribbean troupe; ¡RETUMBA!. This year, attendees can also watch the Waco Symphony Youth Orchestra, Eric Dozier and the combined Choirs of Rapoport Academy, North Waco Elementary Choralers, Central Texas String Academy, and Dondoko Taiko drums!
¡RETUMBA!
www.retumba.org
The all-women Afro-Caribbean troupe, made up of singers, dancers and instrumentalists, presents a high-energy uplifting performance. Interweaving traditional rhythms with their very own unique interpretation of music and dance from Africa, Europe and the Americas including Caribbean -Puerto Rico, Cuba, The Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Brazil. ¡Retumba! A whole lot of fun! Presented by Theatreworks USA.
SPONSORS: NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS, MID-AMERICA ARTS ALLIANCE, TEXAS COMMISSION ON THE ARTS, & TARGET
GUY FORSYTH BAND
www.guyforsyth.com
Austin singer/songwriter Guy Forsyth brings dazzling live shows and a rich Americana roots sound. Forsyth (vocals, acoustic, electric, & slide guitar, harmonica, ukulele, singing saw), along with Will Landin (bass/tuba) and Rob Hooper (drums/Cajon), bring a unique mixture of styles such as folk, rock, country, and Tin Pan Alley to create a sound that’s as heterogeneous, raw and compelling as America itself. Guy is known today as a musician with gripping, powerful vocals as well as a master of numerous instruments. He has been awarded an Austin Music Award for Best Male Vocalist in 2005.
LONE STAR SWING
Lone Star Swing, from Austin, Texas, is an all-star western swing band that will have you tapping your toes and twirling around the dance floor. Rick McRae (guitar and vocals) and Terry Hale (bass) are regular members of country superstar George Strait’s Ace in the Hole Band. Paul Glasse (mandolin) has performed with Willie Nelson, Lyle Lovett, Kelly Willis, Joe Ely, Ray Price,and others. Billy Curtis (fiddle, saxophone, and vocals) played with Houston’s popular Wild River Band, as well as with western swing legends Johnny Gimble and Herb Remington.
IDGY VAUGHN
www.idgyvaughn.com
Idgy Vaughn, a Missouri native, came to Austin with her daughter and not much else, worked at a truckstop, won Kerrville’s New Folk Competition, and self-released an award-winning debut that reached #32 on the AMA. Now she tours nationally and opens for folks like Kris Kristofferson, Richard Thompson, Joe Ely, Billy Joe Shaver, Mary Gauthier, and Ray Wylie Hubbard.
STEVE HOWELL
www.stevehowell.ws
When Steve Howell first heard Mississippi John Hurt's style of fingerpicking country blues in 1965 at the age of thirteen, he immediately knew that the tame, folky style of strumming the guitar was a thing of the past for him. The heart of his playing and singing is very much rooted in the rural acoustic blues and traditional jazz genres born in the American South.
MIDNIGHT RIVER CHOIR
www.myspace.com/midrivchoir
Take the Guadalupe River, add 27 people, 6 rafts, a full moon, and some good music, and what do you have? The Midnight River Choir. At least when 4 guys out of the 27 decide to form a band. The band's primary group consists of Eric Middleton, Justin Nelson, Mitchell Pyeatt, and Jeromy Yage.
THE ERMOIAN BROTHERS
www.myspace.com/theermoianbrothers
The Ermoian Brothers, Jeff, T.J. and Chris have been performing together since the '70s. Known for their brother harmonies and on-stage friction, they continue to compose and perform new songs before audiences of all ages. In more ways than one, the brothers have been responsible for bringing hundreds of songs to their audience for over 20 years.
KINGS, QUEENS, AND LOVERS
www.myspace.com/theallinbluesband
Hailing from the serene woods, waters, and roots of the Texas Hill Country, the All-In Blues Band is a psychedelic blues band formed in 2007, reflecting a depth of influences almost as varied as the terrain they're from. Fronted by guitarist/lead vocalist Adam Johnson, All-In Blues has a knack for melding sets with songs from bands both contemporary and seasoned, with a dose of originals penned by all members of the band. All-In Blues is currently working on their debut album.
DONDOKO TAIKO
www.facebook.com/pages/Dondoko-Taiko/96573666047
Dondoko Taiko started 1998 with the support of Mrs. Elaine Yamagata of the Japanese Society and Nagaoka, Japan. The group has performed around the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex and throughout Texas. Their annual performances include the Spring and Fall Japanese Festivals at the Fort Worth Japanese Gardens.
BRAZOS STRING QUARTET
Established in 1993, the Brazos String Quartet is one of Waco's most revered and enduring string ensembles. The quartet has delighted Central Texas audiences with concert-hall-quality music. Members include violinists Sue Jacobson, Eka Gogichashvili, violist Joe Ortiz, and guest cellist Cody Green.
ERIC DOZIER
www.myspace.com/ericdozier
Eric Dozier fuses African-American gospel and traditional spirituals with world rhythms into a musical elixir that the New York Times has called “...rousing." Through his role as co-founder and National Director of Arts and Education for One Human Family Workshops, Inc., Eric devotes his musical, spiritual, and intellectual talents to eradicating social, religious, racial, gender, and cultural discrimination.
NASEEM KHOZEIN
www.naseemusic.com
Originally hailing from a great family of musicians, violinist Naseem Khozein started playing violin at age four and has toured worldwide with the Grammy-winning producer KC Porter, Farzad, and Leonor Dely. She has also toured with Barrage, a world-traveling violinist group from the producers of Blue Man Group. She is currently coaching the WISD string group, "Velocity" while attending Baylor University.
RICHARD THOMAS
THE RAPOPORT JAZZ BAND
www.richardthomasmusic.com
Richard is the teacher for the Rapoport Jazz Band. Mr. Thomas has graced many stages and his earth shattering performances earned him a spot on stage with names such as Roy Ayers, Melba Moore, Ronnie Laws, Pieces of a Dream, the late Jeanette Bradley’s Orchestra, performances with Cajun blues legend Classie Ballou, and Keyboardist Bill Spencer who writes for CBS in
Hollywood, California.
CENTRAL TEXAS STRING ACADEMY
www.centexstrings.com
The Central Texas String Academy enjoys a local, regional, and national reputation for excellence. Over the past 25 years the program has grown to over 130 violin, viola, cello, and bass students. Many CTSA students also participate in their school orchestra, Region, and Youth Orchestra programs.
WACO SYMPHONY
YOUTH ORCHESTRA
www.wacosymphony.com
The Waco Symphony Youth Orchestra, now celebrating its 20th concert season, is comprised of around 50 students from all over Central Texas. Membership is by audition. Rehearsals are held on Sunday afternoons, mostly at Baylor University with a few at McLennan Community College.