LawGiver
the
Kingson
LawGiver The Kingson was born Oneil Mark Phoenix, in Kingston Jamaica... growing up [his home] was a melting pot of music... For LawGiver, being an artist is about the message it conveys and the inspiration, hope and also enjoyment it can bring to people. He says of his craft “I hope to inspire, educate, provide enjoyment, make my fans want to dance and just have fun. I would like to inspire the young artists to make timeless music for generations to come. I like my music to represent consciousness...” [LawGiver] is an artist of exceptional calibre: writing, producing and performing music that stems from the heart. Everything up until this point has been a journey of discovery...
Charlie Brown Superstar
Charlie Brown Superstar (Brett Fuller) is a DJ, producer, remixer, and artist from Huntington, WV... He has released music with labels across the world, including Candy Beach Records in Spain, Thunder Jam Records in Israel, and Sound Exhibitions Records and Boutade Musique, both out of Italy, as well as American labels, Bent Ant and Fresh Farm... [He has] also released 2 full-length records and toured with the band Hyatari... Currently, Fuller concentrates on what he calls Mountain Funk, an eclectic blend of jam, funk, and electronic, with elements of local flavor, that he has showcased at festivals such as Mountain Music Fest, Brew Skies, and Kickin’ It On the Creek, and, more locally, Huntington Music and Arts Fest and Funktafest. Fuller has played clubs across the Midwest, including in Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio, and is part of the Rust Belt Alliance, which features DJs based in Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Huntington.
Deep Nourished Roots
DNR(deep.nourished.roots.) is a Roots, Reggae band from Lexington Kentucky whose music incorporates Native Flute, Harmonica, Dub Poetry and melodic vocals overtop soothing Reggae rhythms. DNR creates music with the purpose to unite all people of the world while providing the listener with a space to feel a sense of "mind freedom" from the daily pressures of life. "Mark Hunter(of The Ark Band, Columbus Ohio) says, "There is an unmistakable aroma in the atmosphere, a saturated breath of fresh roots reggae air, that brings with it the wafting promise of showers of cleansing for the weathered soul." [Their] debut album, LIKE RAINDROPS, released in 2023 is available on all music platforms. .
Nyabinghi Drum Circle
curated by Tripp Bratton
Percussionist Tripp Bratton is a Lexington based performer, recording artist, and educator who received "Lifetime Achievement" “Drummer/Percussionist of the year” awards at the 2024 Lexington Music Awards. Tripp directs the youth drumming program M'Power Rhythm as well as African drumming ensembles at Berea College and Centre College. He has studied traditional percussion in Ghana and Suriname and has performed at festivals and concerts across the country with artists such as Devon Evans (Bob Marley's percussionist), Bernie Worrell (Parliament/Funkadelic), and Gideon Alorwoyie (renowned Ghanaian master drummer).
M Power Rhythm
Under the leadership of Tripp Bratton and Leslie Stamatis, M'Power Rhythm is a youth centered non-profit providing African ensemble drumming instruction and performance opportunities to empower youth, honor culture, and build community.
Lost Bayou Ramblers
The Grammy award winning Lost Bayou Ramblers’ evolution as a perversely progressive band rooted in Cajun traditions continues to excite, challenge, and redefine both genre expectations as well as cultural preconceptions. Founded in 1999 by brothers Andre and Louis Michot, the last 5 years have brought LBR a feature on Jack White’s American Epic, score contributions to the Oscar nominated film Beasts of the Southern Wild, a Grammy award for their latest album "Kalenda" and tours with both Arcade Fire and the Violent Femmes. Lost Bayou Ramblers stands at the crosscurrents of Louisiana culture by inhabiting the gray area between Cajun and Creole, convention and innovation, mystery and a revelation, experimenting and growing the show to what it's become today: an eclectic mix of modern sounds and rhythms with ancient Cajun melodies and lyrics. World Café says “The Grammy-winning group plays a revved-up version of Cajun music, shot through with punk energy and psychedelic fuzz.”
Mason Colby
It was in Kentucky that he picked up a banjo and started making music in earnest. A founding member of traditional stringband The Jarflies, Mason has been part of the old-time music scene in Kentucky for over a decade and is now writing songs that blend his love of Acadiana, the Bluegrass, and Texas songwriters like Guy Clark, Jolie Holland, Lyle Lovett, and banjo hero Danny Barnes. For his first two EPs of original work, he collaborated with Lexington producer and multi-instrumentalist J. Tom Hnatow (Horse Feathers, These United States, Vandaveer), a natural fit in terms of sound and vision. Other important contributors include Don Rogers (Mason’s mentor as part of a Kentucky Arts Council Traditional Arts Apprenticeship grant), Robby Cosenza (Horse Feathers), Montana Hobbs (The Local Honeys), Zach Martin (Lylak), Abby Hamilton, Art Mize (KY Partisans, The Jarflies), and Cecilia Wright (Bear Medicine, Senora May).
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