AMERICAN ROUTES
Blues and Jazz, African Roots and Branches with Shemekia Copeland & Balla Kouyaté Blues and Jazz, African Roots and Branches with Shemekia Copeland & Balla Kouyaté May 18th, 2022 (Hour 1)
Blues and Jazz, African Roots and Branches with Shemekia Copeland & Balla Kouyaté

It’s Blueswomen, Jazzmen, African roots and branches. Chicago blues singer Shemekia Copeland‘s father, the late blues guitarist Johnny Copeland, brought her into his music as a child. As an adult, she found new ways to use blues to express her perspective. We’ll hear from some of Shemekia’s heroes including Etta James, Ruth Brown, Alberta Hunter and Big Mama Thornton. Then a conversation and performance by Boston-based Mandinka balafon player Balla Kouyaté and music inspired by and from the continent of Africa from Randy Weston, Miriam Makeba and the Modern Jazz Quartet.

Shemekia Copeland photo by Mike White

  • Info
  • ABOUT
  • BEST OF
  • UPCOMING
  • ARCHIVE
  • SUPPORT
  • JOURNAL
  • STATIONS
  • MEDIA KIT
  • INDEX
  • STAFF
  • CONTACT
BROWSE BY DATE
  • 2022
  • 2021
  • 2020
  • 2019
  • 2018
  • 2017
  • 2016
  • 2015
  • 2014
  • 2013
  • 2012
  • 2011
  • 2010
  • 2009
  • 2008
  • 2007
  • 2006
  • 2005
  • 2004
  • 2003
  • 2002
  • 2001
  • 2000
  • 1999
  • 1998

SUPPORT GREAT STORYTELLING

We rely on your support to remain on air and online. Your contribution helps us bring you interviews with great American artists and the carefully curated music mix that you’ve enjoyed over the years.

Donate

 

AMERICAN ROUTES ON INSTAGRAM

THE 2017 NATIONAL HERITAGE FELLOWSHIP CONCERT AND CELEBRATION

November 22nd, 2017

For this Thanksgiving weekend special, we serve up a heaping course of sonic delights and give thanks to the artists and artisans keeping American roots cultures alive. Every year since 1982 the National Endowment for the Arts has presented Heritage fellowships — America’s highest honor in “folk & traditional arts.” We hear music from past award recipients including swamp boogie chanteuse Carol Fran and bluegrass crooner Del McCoury. And we go live to the 2017 NEA Heritage concert for songs and stories from Puerto Rican percussionist Modesto Cepeda, Hawaiian slack-key guitarist Cyril Pahinui, conjunto accordionist Eva Ybarra, Appalachian buckdancer Thomas Maupin, Danish accordionist Dwight Lamb, Piedmont blues harp player Phil Wiggins, folk music teacher Ella Jenkins, Alaskan weaver Anna Brown Ehlers and Armenian metalworker Norik Astvatsaturov.

You can find out more about the 2017 NEA National Heritage Fellowships here.

  • Listen to Hour One
  • Listen to Hour Two

HOUR ONE

  • Open Bed: On-Stage Performance The Maryland and Delaware Singing and Praying Bands
    American Routes live recording at the NEA Heritage Concert 2014,
  • Rock of Ages Sherman Holmes
    Sherman Holmes Project/The Richmond Sessions, M.C. Records
  • The Blues Rollin' In Del McCoury
    Streets of Baltimore, McCoury Music
  • SEGMENT: Cephas & Wiggins
  • Instrumental: Spiritual Charlie Haden and Hank Jones
    Steal Away: Spirituals, Hymns and Folk Songs, Verve
  • 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
  • La Porte Dans Arriere Dewey Balfa, Marc Savoy & DL Menard
    En Bas Du Chene Vert, Arhoolie
  • SEGMENT: Carol Fran
  • Instrumental: Sing On Treme Brass Band
    New Orleans Music, Mardi Gras Records
  • CLIP: Dr. Michael White
  • Shake It and Break It Dr. Michael White
    Crescent City Serenade, Antilles
  • Shake It Baby John Lee Hooker
    Serves You Right to Suffer, MCA
  • Jump For Joy Campbell Brothers
    The Campbell Brothers: Pass Me Not, Arhoolie
  • CLIP: Mavis Staples
  • Long Walk to D.C. The Staple Singers
    The Complete Stax/Volt Singles Vol. 2 '68-'71, Stax/Volt
  • Closing Bed: Midnight Sun Chuck Brown
    The Best of Chuck Brown, Raw Venture

HOUR two

  • Open Bed: Guitar Rag Phil Wiggins
    American Routes live recording at the NEA Heritage Concert 2017,
  • SEGMENT: Dwight Lamb
  • Jake's Best Reel Dwight Lamb
    American Routes live recording at the NEA Heritage Concert 2017,
  • Grandfather's Three-Part Polka Dwight Lamb
    American Routes live recording at the NEA Heritage Concert 2017,
  • SEGMENT: Nork Astvatsaturov
  • SEGMENT: Eva Ybarra
  • Ven Regresa a Mi Eva Ybarra
    American Routes live recording at the NEA Heritage Concert 2017,
  • Instrumental: Sandi Guez Polka Eva Ybarra
    American Routes live recording at the NEA Heritage Concert 2017,
  • SEGMENT: Modesto Cepeda
  • Felicidad Modesto Cepeda
    American Routes live recording at the NEA Heritage Concert 2017,
  • Bomba de Puerto Rico Modesto Cepeda
    American Routes live recording at the NEA Heritage Concert 2017,
  • SEGMENT: Ella Jenkins
  • You Sing a Song, I'll Sing a Song Dan Zanes and Claudia Eliaza (performing Ella Jenkin's song)
    American Routes live recording at the NEA Heritage Concert 2017,
  • SEGMENT: Anna Brown Ehlers
  • SEGMENT: Cyril Pahinui
  • Aloha Ka Manini/Hi'ilawe Jeff Peterson and Sean Robbins
    American Routes live recording at the NEA Heritage Concert 2017,
  • Instrumental: Eighth of January Benton Flippen
    Old Time, New TImes, Rounder
  • SEGMENT: Thomas Maupin
  • Down Yonder/Shortening Bread Thomas Maupin
    American Routes live recording at the NEA Heritage Concert 2017,
  • SEGMENT: Phil Wiggins
  • Anacostia Two-Step Phil Wiggins
    American Routes live recording at the NEA Heritage Concert 2017,
  • No Fools No Fun Phil Wiggins
    American Routes live recording at the NEA Heritage Concert 2017,
  • Closing Bed: Will the Circle Be Unbroken Dr. Michael White
    Blue Crescent, Basin Street Records

THE LATEST STREAMS

  • May 18th, 2022

    BLUES AND JAZZ, AFRICAN ROOTS AND BRANCHES WITH SHEMEKIA COPELAND & BALLA KOUYATé

    Listen
  • May 11th, 2022

    BREAKING OUT: BRITISH BLUES TO NEW ORLEANS BOUNCE

    Listen
  • May 4th, 2022

    KINGPINS OF THE GULF COAST: RODNEY CROWELL & DR. JOHN

    Listen
A|R

  • Donate
A|R AMERICAN ROUTES
  • ABOUT
  • BEST OF
  • ARCHIVE
  • UPCOMING
  • SUPPORT US
  • JOURNAL
  • STATIONS
  • STAFF
  • CONTACT
  • Tulane University
  • National Endowment for the Humanities
  • NEA
  • Louisiana Entertainment
  • PRX