January 6, 2004
A folk music festival
A folk music festival can be a nice long weekend summer getaway. I've been to two: The Phily Folk Fest near Philadelphia, and the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, which is kind where New York, Massachusetts, and Connecticut meet.
Both involve camping out in the country, but the camping is better at the Philly Folk Fest because no cars are allowed on the campground. Tents are packed together and while it's crowded, the proximity means that there's a sense of community. At Falcon Ridge, you park and then set up your tent next to your car. It's convenient, but it made me feel kind of isolated.
Their were lots of drum circles and things at the Phily Folk Fest, but at the Falcon Ridge Folk Fest there was only one and it was semi-organized. It highlighted Tracy Grammer and only Dave Carter songs were performed. It was amazing, but it was a lot more somber than the party atmosphere at the Phily Folk Fest.
Speaking of parties, the Phily Folk Fest has been getting tamer the past few years. 5 years or so ago there were drugs all over the place, but the introduction of NARCs has been making the festival more family friendly.
If you're vegetarian or Vegan, the food at Falon Ridge is fantastic. I guess it would be for meat eaters too, but how would I know? I think there were around 20 food vendors, and there were lots of great choices: barbecue tofu wraps, fake eggs and bacon, fake BLT sandwhiches, vegetable dumplings, tofu curry, etc. I ate better than I normally do. Expect to pay 5-7 dollars for a meal, not including a drink. It'll be hot, so bring your own drinks and get used to hot water (or else you'll spend a small fortune on drinks). The food at the Philly Folk Fest is OK, but as a vegetarian I had to eat Chinese (Lo Mein noodles) a lot. I think they also had pizza and french fries, but the choices were far more limited than at Falcon Ridge.
I guess the music is why you really go to a Folk Fest. In 2003 I liked the line up at Falcon Ridge better so I went there. The previous 4 years I had gone to the Phily Folk Fest. I suppose you could do both: Falcon Ridge is in July and Phily is in August.
dear frind hello Following our cultural friendship which separates us from one bank to another, the management committee of folk unit ANOUAR OF the MUSIC whose creation of this association was in June 1997 by its president Mr KRIM ZOHIR, which is a member in the great family of Congrés Internationnel De Danse (CID - UNESCO), recorded under number 8756 on the level of its direction. For this occasion, I come by this present mail to express the availability of the group for a possible culturelle.J\' participation attracts your intentions that, the troop with a strong éxpèrience of participations in the festivities nationals and internationals with its two groups, a group which plays of the modern music (Gnawa Rai) and a second group which is concerned on the folklore with the traditional music, it is composed of a troop which groups girls who dance according to the traditional music ! of the group, knowing that its songs are about GOD (ALLAH) and PROPHET (MOHAMED). Association ANOUAR OF the MUSIC has an activity which is concerned to cultivate an art traditional of the térroires; to hawk of the black Africa Western towards North Africa at the 16th century, its style has been for 600 years. Troop ANOUAR OF the MUSIC of the west of the country, horizon the most coloured ALGERIE, develops a the most varied exotic music and dances code GNAWA. Our availability allows the spéctateurs of aprécier and to discover various faculties of the inheritances cultural African. Our direction of participations to work, promote and popularize the ancestral cultural productions and to create an environment of féte on the refléxion of the culture in génèrale. For that and in waiting of the pleasure of a meeting, accèpter to receive this mail and to accept our sincéres greetings. SOON/DIRECTOR MR. PRESIDENT ARTISTIC KRIM ZOHIR
MR.......KRIM ZOHIR
31, RUE ARRAR ADDA
GAMBETTA-SIDI BEL ABBES
22000- ALGERIA .DZ .
PHONE NUMBER / +213 (0) 77.72.20. 06 FAX..NUMBER / + 213 (0) 48.54.07.10