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Linda Ronstadt coming to MerleFest '09
by Staff
Pop music star Linda Ronstadt will make her first appearance at Wilkes Community College's MerleFest on Sunday, April 26, closing the four-day festival with a performance consisting entirely of traditional mariachi songs sung in Spanish.
Joining her on the Watson Stage will be the Grammy-winning Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano.
Ms. Ronstadt has performed this production periodically over the last 20 years, reflecting her love of the traditional folk music she learned while growing up in her Mexican-American family in Tucson.
The colorful production includes stagings of stories told in song on her Grammy-winning "Canciones de Mi Padre" (1987) and "Mas Canciones" (1991), complete with the violins, trumpets, vinuela and guitarron of mariachi music.
“We are delighted to welcome Linda Ronstadt and the Mariachi Los Camperos to MerleFest this year,” said MerleFest Director Ted Hagaman.
“MerleFest has always honored traditional folk music from a variety of cultures, including Celtic and Cajun music, and we know that this performance of traditional Mexican American folk music will delight our audience and enrich the MerleFest experience.”
Ms. Ronstadt has established one of the most impressive careers in the history of contemporary music.
“She has broadened the latitudes of the pop singer, expanding the vocalist’s canvas to include country, rock and roll, big band, jazz, opera, Broadway standards, Mexican and Afro-Cuban influences, leaving no stone unturned in the pursuit of the ultimate song. With worldwide album sales of over 50 million, at least 31 gold and platinum records, and 11 Grammy Awards to her credit, Linda is the consummate American artist,” stated a news release.
Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano is a 10-piece band that has shared Mexican mariachi music with North American audiences for almost 50 years. Led by Mexican born “Nati” Cano, the group has collaborated with Ms. Ronstadt on “Canciones de Mi Padre” and “Mas Canciones,” promoting those releases and introducing new audiences to mariachi music with performances on “The Tonight Show” and The Grammy Awards.
They have recorded 10 albums, most recently “Amor, Dolor y Lágrimas,” released in 2008 by Smithsonian Folkways.
MerleFest, celebrating its 22nd year in 2009, is a four-day event that honors the memory of Eddy Merle Watson, son and musical partner of MerleFest host Doc Watson, as well as contributions of Doc and the entire Watson Family to the musical traditions of the region and nation.
Held on the campus of Wilkes Community College, MerleFest began in 1988 as a benefit for the college and remains the institution’s largest fund raiser.
This year’s MerleFest lineup features over 95 performers. In addition to Doc Watson and Linda Ronstadt, they include Emmylou Harris, Sam Bush, Travis Tritt, Jerry Douglas, Tift Merritt, Blue Highway, The Waybacks, The Carolina Chocolate Drops, John Cowan, Great Big Sea, Jim Lauderdale, Tony Rice, Peter Rowan, The Greencards, Dailey & Vincent, Ollabelle, Del McCoury Band, the SteelDrivers, BeauSoleil and Avec Michael Doucet.
Ticket information and other details are at www.merlefest.org. Early-bird ticket prices are available until March 13. |
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