Folk Retreat

2010 Instructors

Credit: Patricia de Gorostarzu

Pura Fé – songwriting, vocal improv
Pura Fé is an award-winning and internationally acclaimed singer, songwriter, musician, poet, artist, dancer, actor, teacher, and activist. Living proof of the cultural melting pot that is the American South, this musician of mixed ancestry (Native American, Italian and Puerto Rican) is an ardent defender of the Tuscarora Indian traditions. Through her vibrant performances, Pura Fé shows that this mixed culture contributed to the birth of the blues, an idiom that occupies a central place in her music. Pura Fé is a founding member of the internationally renowned Native women’s a cappella trio Ulali, and has released five highly successful albums.

Breabach – fiddle, guitar, whistle
Breabach is one of the most inventive and diverse bands to have emerged from the Scottish folk scene in recent years. Breabach’s huge sound is dominated by the twin Bagpipes of multi-instrumentalists Calum MacCrimmon and Donal Brown. This uncompromising force is complemented by the extraordinary fiddle playing of Patsy Reid and is further supported by the charismatic guitar playing of Ewan Robertson. From their foot-stomping reels to their heartwarming song delivery, Breabach’s musicianship is coupled with a delightful ability to connect with their audience, a combination that has gained them international recognition as one of Scotland’s leading new acts.

Sam Baker – songwriting

Credit: Rodney Bursiel

Baker’s music is authenticated by experience – a unique voice with an uncommon story. While travelling in Peru, Sam Baker took a train ride that would change his life. On a clear cool morning in the summer of 1986, Sam boarded a passenger train that was blown up minutes later by terrorists. Baker survived, but with lasting damage – including deafness, a mangled hand, and brain damage affecting speech and memory. At 55 years of age, words are occasionally unremembered and require extensive search. However, its during these searches Baker finds words, stories, and characters from other places and times. With a gift for observing and reflecting on the human condition, Baker has released a trilogy of albums that follows a journey through tragedy, reconciliation, and grace.

PAST INSTRUCTORS

• Riley Baugus
• Mary Flower
• Vance Gilbert
• Jenny Whiteley
• Stephen Fearing
• Cathy Fink
• David Francey
• Nina Gerber
• Eliza Gilkyson
• Danny Gotham
• James Keelaghan
• Christine Lavin
• Marcy Marxer
• Bruce Molsky
• Peter Ostroushko
• Oliver Schroer
• Tim Sparks
• Tony Trischka
• Craig Werth