Introducing “New Directions in Folk”

About

The New Jersey Folk Festival has a long tradition of featuring singer songwriters in the tradition of the Folk Revival. In the past, we have featured a singer songwriter contest on our Shore Stage. This year, in light of the past year of renewed global struggles for racial justice, social change, and responses to the pandemic, we wanted to revisit the essential role of folk music in these arenas, both in the past, the present, and the future. 

Thus was born the “New Directions in Folk” program arm of the festival, which we hope will continue to grow as we feature the ways people use music and dance to address contemporary social issues, adapt traditions and identities to modern genres, and use music to move the people! We have a suite of events lined up as part of our New Directions in Folk program.

Events

Inquiries

We look forward to continuing our New Directions in Folk Series in the Future! Are you interested in being a part of this new arm of the festival, please contact Associate Director Matt Hueston, will be organizing future concerts in this program series: njffassociate@gmail.com.

Our 2021 Musical Artists!

Scroll to learn more about our 2021 Artists!
  • Josh White, Jr.
  • Yelmy Gamez Castillo
  • Paul Lewis
  • Miran Mijangos
  • Kuf Knotz and Christine Elise

Josh White, Jr.

House of the Rising Sun | One Meatball

Josh White, Jr., son of the legendary Josh White, has been performing as a singer, guitarist, actor, and social activist for 77 years. He has released twenty five albums, starred in four TV Concert specials, toured the world’s greatest stages, and has been awarded a TONY Award for acting, named the Voice of the Peace Corps and the Voice of VISTA, and honored with several humanitarian awards.  Most recently, he was seen co-starring last year in PBS-TV’s Centennial Concert Tribute to Pete Seeger.

Yeimy Gamez Castillo

Stories from the Pandemic | NYT Article

Yeimy Gamez Castillo is an artist and community activist based in Newark. She is a graduate research fellow at Rutgers Newark’s Newest Americans project and co-founder of ImVisible Newark, a community-based arts education project that empowers migrant and undocumented communities in New Jersey. She is also a co-executive producer and founder of the Healing Sounds of Newark at the Rutgers Institute of Jazz Studies.

Paul Lewis

@bdpaultaylor | Instagram | Twitter

Paul Lewis is a singer, songwriter, rapper, and producer from San Jose, California. He enjoys blending a wide array of musical influences together to make a unique and unforgettable sound. Additionally, Paul currently attends Rutgers University with a major in psychology and minor in philosophy. Paul is involved in the spoken word group Verbal Mayhem.

Mirian Mijangos

CasaFreehold.org | Gaza Is Free and It Should Be

Mirian Mijangos Garcia is a singer, songwriter, and naturopath. She is also a mother, ethnographer, and an immigrant rights activist. She is a co-author of the book Decolonizing Ethnography: Undocumented Immigrants and New Directions in Social Science. “I’m Mirian Mijango. I am a volunteer at Casa Freehold. As a volunteer of Casa Freehold I have been able to work very closely with the community. We are a part of of the National Alliance of “Trabajadoras de Hogar.” We fight for the rights against any injustice. The songs I’ve written are based on what I have seen in my surroundings.

Kuf Knotz and Christine Elise

@kufknotz | @christineeliseharp | kufknotz.com/video

MC/ Poet/ Songwriter Kuf Knotz and classically trained Harpist/ Guitarist/ Pianist/ Vocalist Christine Elise have combined forces to create a new album. The unlikely pair connected and built the project with a similar vision, wanting to create positive, forward thinking music driven by a strong message. Both individuals are intrinsically motivated to foster community growth through musical expression. Kuf Knotz and Christine Elise offer motivational creative arts workshops and performances at various settings such as hospitals, schools and community centers. Their mission is to use the power of music, personal experience and empathetic relation to help individuals grow to meet their fullest potential.

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