Making music at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival

Northern Ireland’s music is on show throughout the Smithsonian’s Folklife Festival, featuring some of the region’s most prominent traditional musicians and performers.

Visitors to Washington DC’s largest cultural event are experiencing the sounds of Northern Ireland’s world-class music. Stages named after Northern Ireland’s rivers are hosting performers such as the Low Country Boys, Four Men and a Dog, Tommy Sands, Craobh Rua, Hidden Fermanagh and Roisin White.

The Festival also includes a traditional Irish pub stage, The Lough Erne Inn, where American performers of all levels can perform with some of Northern Ireland’s most prominent session musicians, including Maurice Bradley, and Catherine and Michael Sands.

Arts and Culture Minister, Edwin Poots, MLA, who visited the Festival said:

“It makes me proud to stand here on the National Mall of the United States amongst the sights and sounds of Northern Ireland. Much of the inspiration for American music, such as Blue Grass, has come from Northern Ireland musical traditions.

“It is wonderful to see the influence Northern Ireland has had on such a grand scale at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival.”

The uilleann and highland piping traditions are being demonstrated through the virtuosity of the Vallely Family and Robert Watt. Robbie Hughes is demonstrating the craftsmanship involved in making bagpipes.

Northern Ireland’s drum making tradition is featured at the Festival, with demonstrations in making bodhrans and lambegs. Drum makers Eamon Maguire and Richard Sterritt are on hand to demonstrate how they make these fine musical instruments while award winner Mark Wilson is showing his skills to American visitors.

Around 160 people in total from Northern Ireland are participating in the Festival from 27 June – 8 July which aims to tell American visitors about Northern Ireland’s contemporary cultural traditions.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

1. The 2007 Smithsonian Folklife Festival will feature three programs. In addition to "Northern Ireland at the Smithsonian," other programs are "Mekong River: Connecting Cultures" and "The Roots of Virginia Culture."

The Folklife Festival, inaugurated in 1967, honours people from across the United States and around the world. With about 1 million visitors each year, the Festival unites presenters and performers in the nation's capital to celebrate the diversity of cultural traditions. It is produced by the Smithsonian's Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage.

The Festival's Web site is The Festival is co-sponsored by the National Park Service.

2. For a full list of those participating in both the Rediscover Northern Ireland programme and the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, please go to www.rediscoverni.com

3. All media enquiries to Jill Heron at DCAL Press Office on 028 90 258917 or email: press.office@dcalni.gov.uk