Caffe Lena – Week at a Glance

Greetings – Hannah and I spent the last few days at the folk world’s flagship conference, Folk Alliance International, in Montreal. We were scouting talent, taking workshops, and networking with other venues, all so we can fill the Caffe with wonderful music. As you can well imagine in a gathering of about 1,000 independent, musical artists from across the world, there was an attitude of determination and renewed purpose in a global moment that feels ripe for songs that carry the hopes, needs and pains of common people. There was widespread concern that the difficult and expensive application process for international bands to perform in the United States will become impossible in the coming year. The costs can’t be recouped, the wait is too long, and the likelihood of being turned back at the border is too high. This is sad, because Hannah and I got to hear exciting and beautiful music from Latin America, Europe, Africa and Asia and we want you to hear it at Caffe Lena. But I can tell you that folksingers do not take these set-backs sitting down. They pick up their guitars and get real! I’m so glad to be part of a community of people, including you, that meets challenges with new, righteous, tender and true songs.

It’s quite an honor to have the newly minted International Folk Music Artist of the Year kicking off a weekend that features one absolutely great show after another.  Enjoy sampling the music and picking your night!

See you at the show,
Sarah