Durham is the most multicultural of all the cities that form a metropolitan area in North Carolina known as the Triangle. Durham is in the process of revitalizing its downtown area and has a serious long term cultural development program, which includes a new performing arts center that will be comleted in 2008. With its renovated tobacco buildings, two major universities (Duke University and NCCU), and the Research Triangle Park, Durham is an important cultural center in the new South.
The city is located in a larger region known as the Piedmont. Piedmont blues is the most characteristic type of roots music in the area.
Many well known musicians have made Durham their home, including Branford Marsalis, Neenah Freelon, Mamadou Diabate, blues musician John Dee Holeman and many more.
Music Explorium/Electric Violin Shop, in Durham, sells primarily musical instruments, but it also carries a decent selection of world music. 5314 Hwy 55, Suite 102, Durham. Phone: +1 (919) 484-9090.
Gone are many of the great independent record stores. Offbeat Music has a good selection of world music titles. The store is located on the courtyard of the historical Brightleaf Square Mall. Brightleaf Square Mall, Durham, NC 27701. Phone: +1-919-688-7022.
For used CDs, LPs and books, Nice Price Books is a great place. They carry world, reggae and other genres. It is located at 811 Broad Street in Durham, Phone: (919) 416-1066; Main St., Gateway to Carrboro, Carrboro, Phone: (919) 929-6222; and 3106 Hillsborough Street in Raleigh, Phone: (919) 829-0230.
For Latin music, Valencia Records, on Guess Road (Durham), carries a great selection. You can also go to the Buckhorn Flea Market (farmer's market and flea market), in Orange County, near the Alamance County border. It is also known by the local Hispanic population as La Pulga. Many booths are owned by Hispanics and some sell Mexican grupero music, as well as norteño, corridos, and reggaeton. Follow Interstates 40 West/85 South and get off at exit 157. the entrance is about 200 meters south of the stop sign. Open Saturdays and Sundays, 6 am - 6 pm. Address: Buckhorn Market 508 Buckhorn Rd., Mebane.
Friends of World Music, Pine Cone and the Triangle Folk Music Society sponsor or co-sponsor world music and traditional American music concerts at various venues, including several in Durham.
Duke University has an excellent world music series called Living Traditions. It features renowned international music and dance artists.
The African-American Hayti Heritage Center, in Durham, programs jazz, Gospel, blues and world music.
Festivals
An important blues festival is held annually in September in Durham, the Bull Durham Blues Festival.
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The Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival is held annually in October in Silk Hope, North Carolina (Chatham County, south of Chapel Hill). The event includes American roots music and world music.
WXDU 88.7 FM, in Durham, doesn't have a powerful signal, but it offers more variety than most of the other public and college stations, including world music, traditional music and blues programming.
WNCU 90.7 FM, in Durham, is primarily a jazz station. It has a blues show on Mondays. On weekends you can listen to Gospel, reggae and Latin music.
WSHA 88.9 FM, In Raleigh, plays jazz, blues, African music, Gospel, reggae, R&B and Latin music.
WXYC, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill student-run radio, doesn't have a specific format. World music can be heard at times, combined with anything else.
The WUNC 91.5 FM public radio station in Chapel Hill can be heard in nearly half of the state. It broadcasts the sybdicated Celtic music show The Thistle and Shamrock and has a locally produced show called Back Porch Music during Friday evenings and weekends. It used to include world music, but later it removed it and now it only plays American and English folk, bluegrass, Celtic music and Nordic (European) music.
Music Explorium/Electric Violin Shop, in Durham, sells a wide selection of musical instruments, including electric violins, African drums, African and Latin percussion, wind instruments, etc. 5314 Hwy 55, Suite 102, Durham. Phone: +1 (919) 484-9090.
Instrument Makers
Gadow Guitars makes handcrafted electric guitar and basses. Address: 718 Ninth Street, Durham, NC 27712, USA. Phone: + 1(919) 286-9909. E-mail:
john at gadowguitars.com.
Independent Weekly is the local alternative newspaper and entertainment guide. It merged with the Spectator, which was the rival publication.
Flamenco fans can take dance classes at Carlota Santana's school, which recently opened its second office in Bahama, Durham County. Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana, 105 Vista del Rio Drive, P.O. Box 151. Bahama, NC 27503-0151, Phone: +1 919 479-9940.
For salsa music, there is the Montas International Lounge, a private gathering place for its members and their guests, in Durham at the Research Triangle Park.
Tangophilia provides Argentine tango classes. Phone: (919) 423-7681.
La Maraka, on Hillsborough Road offers salsa, R&B and Mexican music.
Schools/Music Education
Bagpipe classes are available from the City of Oaks Pipe Band. Call Bruce Wright. Phone: +1 9129 286 9206. E-mail: bcwright@ix.netcom.com
Nearby cities
World Music Central has guides to other nearby cities in the area, such as Raleigh, Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Cary.
World Music Central
http://worldmusiccentral.org/staticpages/index.php/triangle