Today, the National Endowment for the Arts announced its 2015 National Heritage Fellowship award winners, the United States’ highest award in the folk and traditional arts. Three of the Fellows are masters of three distinct types of music: Rahim AlHaj, oud player and composer based in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Michael Alpert, Yiddish musician and tradition bearer, from New York City, New York; and Drink Small, a blues artist from Columbia, South Carolina.
The 2015 NEA National Heritage Fellows will be honored at awards ceremony and free concert at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC, on October 1-2, 2015.
“The art forms represented in this year’s class of National Heritage Fellows are wide-ranging,” said NEA Chairman Jane Chu. “Not surprisingly, the artists have a common bond in their efforts to both share their art forms within their communities and across the nation, while also ensuring their art forms are passed along to the next generation through teaching and mentoring. I look forward to celebrating these talented artists, their commitment, and their artistry in Washington, DC, next fall.”
For more information on the NEA’s National Heritage Fellowships, go to arts.gov.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
