The 39th National Women's Music Festival ( NWMF ) kicks off Thursday evening, June 26, at the Marriott Madison West, Middleton, with some of the most popular and enduring performers in the women's music genre, as well as a variety of new talents.
Headliners include:
Cheryl Wheeler: primarily a folk singer/songwriter, whose songs have been covered by a number of country music artists, including Suzy Bogguss, Kathy Mattea and Garth Brooks ).
Catie Curtis: a veteran of the singer/songwriter folk scene who has toured throughout the U.S. for 20 years and released 13 CDs. Her songs appear in numerous films and tv shows, she has been called a "folk-rock goddess" by the New Yorker, and she has performed at the White House several times.
Lucie Blue Tremblay: Canadian-born singer/songwriter whose performing credits include Her performing credits include appearances at New York's Carnegie Hall and the Canadian Pavilion at the 1992 World's Fair in Seville, Spain, and she has also been heard with James Taylor and Randy Newman on National Public Radio's weekly broadcast E-Town.
Beth Kille: a 19-time Madison Area Music Association ( MAMA ) award winning artist from Madison who has been cranking out her unique blend of rock, country, folk and blues since 2000. From house concerts and coffee houses to headlining spots at festivals, her love for the stage and genuine passion for performance shine through in all settings. She fronted the Wisconsin Area Music Industry ( WAMI ) award-winning band, Clear Blue Betty from 2002-2008 before launching her solo career.
Dos Fallopia: Performing together since 1990, the pair of funny women in Dos Fallopia is best known for their semi-legendary Xmas series, "Ham for the Holidays." They have also penned more than 25 full-length plays and have toured their sold-out stage shows, "Déjà Poo," "Pretty Girls, Not Too Bright," and "Twin Sisters of Different Cul-de-sacs" in theaters in London, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle, Minneapolis and Indianapolis.
Additional performers include, Gaye Adegbalola & the Wild Rutz, Kiya Heartwood, the Kristen Ford Band, Mama's Black Sheep, the Summer Osborne Band, Irene Keenan, Jr. and comedians Elvira Kurt and Sandra Valls.
In addition to musical performances, the NWMF features workshops on topics that include health, relationships, writing fiction, non-fiction and music, doing improvisational comedy,
The festival's featured speaker at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 28, is Marianne K. Martin, one of the best-selling lesbian romance authors in the country with a wide readership internationally as well. She is the author of nine novels, the latest of which is "The Indelible Heart." Other titles include the Lambda Literary Award finalists "Under the Witness Tree," "Mirrors," and "For Now, For Always." In 2012, she was honored with the Trailblazer Award from the Golden Crown Literary Society.
Women's music is generally created by women, for women, and is usually about women. It emerged as a genre during the second wave of feminism in the 1970s and incorporates virtually all musical styles, including folk, country, jazz, classical, new age, rock, rap, traditional mountain music and traditional African American songs.
In addition to a total of 18 musical and comedy acts comprising almost 40 individuals, the festival includes workshops on a
The NWMF is sponsored by a nonprofit organization, Women in the Arts, Inc. ( WIA ). This marks the seventh year the NWMF has been held in the Madison area. Previously the festival was held on university campuses around the Midwest.
"This is one of the most exciting lineups we've ever had at the NWMF," said WIA board president Linda Wilson. "Musical performances range from folk to rock to rap to reggae. We'll have some of the funniest comedians on the earth and daytime workshops will cover topics from writing to vocal harmonizing to producing concerts to women's spirituality."
"The Festival draws women from across the U.S. and even from other countries to celebrate women's creativity. While we welcome anyone who wants to attend, including men, the focus is on women's talents," Wilson added.
The Festival runs from June 26-29 and will be held at the Madison Marriott West in Middleton. Information about ticket prices and more details about scheduled performers, workshops, and other Festival activities can be found at wiaonline.org/ .
