National Heritage Fellows 2020

American Routes celebrates this Thanksgiving weekend with words and music from the National Heritage Fellows. Since 1982, the National Endowment for the Arts has presented the fellowships. It’s America’s highest honor in Folk & Traditional Arts. This year’s Fellows include soul singer and songwriter William Bell, Armenian folk and liturgical singer Onnik Dinkjian, West African diasporic dancers Zakarya and Naomi Diouf, Iroquois raised beadworker Karen Ann Hoffman, traditional religious dancers Los Matachines de la Santa Cruz de Ladrillera, founder of Radio Bilingue, Hugo Morales, old-time fiddler and banjo player John Morris, Anishinaabe birchbark canoe builder Wayne Valliere and Nueva Cancion singer and songwriter Suni Paz. Plus Fellows from years gone by: Mavis Staples, Ralph Stanley, Michael Doucet, Wanda Jackson, Doc Watson, Carol Fran, Flaco Jimenez, Andy Statman and Dr. Michael White.

HOUR ONE

Open bed: Stealing Time Eddie Pennington

Walks the Strings... and Even Sings , Folkways

I'll Take You There The Staple Singers

The Muscle Shoals Sound , Rhino

Better Day Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee

Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry Sing , Folkways

Worried Blues Doc Watson

Trouble in Mind: The Doc Watson Country Blues Collection , Sugar Hill

Clip: Ralph Stanley

Rank Stranger Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys

Classic Bluegrass , Rebel

Parlez-Nous à Boire (Speak to Us of Drinking) Beausoleil

Parlez-Nous à Boire & More , Arhoolie

Dog Hill Boozoo Chavis

Boozoo Chavis , Electra Nonesuch

Instrumental: Don't Let Your Deal Go Down Etta Baker

Railroad Bill, Cello

Segment: William Bell

Hard Headed Woman Wanda Jackson

Vintage Collection , Capitol

Everyday Is Not the Same Carol Fran

Live at the 2013 National Heritage Fellowship Concert,

Instrumental: Swing Low Sweet Chariot Charlie Haden and Hank Jones

Steal Away: Spirituals, Hymns, and Folk Songs , Verve

Segment: Karen Ann Hoffman

Segment: Los Matachines de la Santa Cruz de la Ladrillera

Segment: Onnik Dinkjian

End Bed: A Brighter Day Andy Statman

Old Brooklyn, Shefa

HOUR TWO

Open Bed: Balaju Los Pregoneros del Puerto

Music of Veracruz-- Los Pregoneros del Puerto , Rounder

Segment: Suni Paz

Segment: Wayne Valliere

Instrumental: Thanksgiving Hawk Henries

Keeping the Fire: Eastern Woodlands Flute , self-released

Clip: Elaine Hoffman Watts

Shtetl Ias Elaine Hoffman Watts

I Remember Klezmer , self-published

Love's Gonna Live Here Again Polka Eddie Blazonczyk's Versatones

All American Country Flavored Polkas, Bel-Aire

El Cihualteco Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano

Canciones De Siempre , Peer Music

Segment: Hugo Morales

Segment: John Morris

Instrumental: Nui Papa Ledward Kaapana

Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar , Dancing Cat

Segment: Dr. Zakarya and Naomi Diouf

Clip: Dr. Michael White

Shake It and Break It (The Weary Blues) Dr. Michael White

Crescent City Serenade , Antilles

Shake It Baby John Lee Hooker

Serves You Right to Suffer , MCA

This Land is Your Land Flaco Jimenez, the Paschall Brothers & Andy Statman

Live at the 2012 National Heritage Fellowship Concert,

Closing Bed: Jam session from the stage

Live at the 2012 National Heritage Fellowship Concert,