Did you know that the University of Richmond has its own radio station?
WDCE 90.1: UR Radio is the voice of independent radio in Richmond, VA and has been student-run and operated since 1960.
Students have used it as a launching pad for careers in radio or other mass communications, and also as an engaging extra-curricular activity. Community members and UR alumni also continue to play an important role in the station.
Editor’s note:Arachnophonia (“Arachno” = spider / “-phonia” = sound) is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.
I See the Nightbirds by A New Dawn Fades is a new album released by Cherub Records. The title song’s polyrhythmic beat, complimentary guitar and bass lines, and attractive transitions converge to create a distinctive musical picture. The gradual accumulation of tension yet unrushed nature of the piece is what results in the captivating arch shape drawn throughout the song.
Cherub Records, founded by PJ Sykes in 2001, is an outlet through which Sykes and his friends communicate their music to the rest of the world. Though originally located in Lynchburg, VA, Cherub Records has now moved to the city of Richmond where they document and release music of numerous bands. Their curious exploration of music conveyed through improvised pieces has been one of the defining traits of this band. Furthermore, they are known for blurring the line drawn between the audience and performers by interacting with the crowd during their live performances.
Because Richmond is known for its unique sense of community, supporting our local musicians is significant in allowing the local music scene to grow and thrive. It gives us the opportunity to experience new music specific to our area and builds mutual support between the musicians and ourselves. I assure you, I See the Nightbirds will make you reflect on the vast range of what music encompasses and what makes it truly special.
The Richmond Folk Festival has brought world class musicians to the City of Richmond since 2005. It is a FREE event and attracts thousands of people to Richmond’s riverfront (Brown’s Island and environs) to celebrate the richness and diversity of America’s culture through music, crafts, dance, storytelling and food. It also provides an excellent opportunity to experience music and performances that are not commonly seen in Virginia and to appreciate different musical styles.
This year’s festival takes place October 9th-11th and features an amazing mixture of performers such as:
Feedel Band, an Ethio-jazz band from Addis Ababa via Washington, D.C. Ethio-jazz is a fusion of traditional Ethopian music with jazz, funk, soul and Latin rhythms.
Grupo Rebolu
Grupo Rebolu is an Afro-Colombian ensemble that plays a mix of indigenous, African and modern instruments and sings in Spanish. Their music is rooted in traditions of the Caribbean coast of Colombia and dancing is encouraged!
The Alt
If you’re into Celtic music you can see performances by The Alt, a trio of master Irish musicians. The group takes its name from The Alt, a storied glen on the slopes of Knocknarea in County Sligo, said to be the final resting place of the ancient Irish warrior-queen Maeve.
In honor of the Richmond Folk Festival (and in case you can’t make it since it’s happening during Fall Break), the Parsons Music Library has created a small exhibit featuring examples of the types of music that you can find at the Folk Fest this year as well as some examples of specific performers that will be attending. Items include books, CDs and DVDs. You can check out the exhibit in the library through the end of October.
We also have an assortment of streaming audio from musicians participating in the folk festival that can be accessed if you are a UR Student, Faculty or Staff Member. You will need to sign in with your UR email address and password to access most of our streaming content.
The Campbell Brothers – Sacred Steel On Tour
Sacred steel is a musical style and African American gospel tradition that developed in Pentecostal churches during the 1930s. Per the Richmond Folk Festival’s website: “Named for the metal bar – often made of steel – that players slide over strings to vary the pitch of notes, steel guitarists have provided the driving musical force for spirit-filled church services for nearly eighty years. The signature sound remains one characterized by single-note passages that uncannily imitate African American vocal styles. This unique musical tradition, rarely heard outside the church before the early 1990s, has since captivated the ears of the nation and world. Among the finest ambassadors of sacred steel are the Campbell Brothers.”
Schooled in Texas blues by her father and raised in Harlem, Shemekia Copeland creates music that reflects gritty urban realities and weaves together blues, soul, and rock and roll.
You can also have a listen to streaming audio by artists like rockabilly icon Sleepy LaBeef or out of this world big band free jazz groups like the Sun Ra Arkestra (which bears the name of its founder and bandleader, Sun Ra, who named himself after Ra, the Egyptian God of the Sun, and claimed to be from Saturn!).
The Richmond Folk Festival offers something for everyone and is well worth investigating further either by attending the FREE event yourself or by visiting the music library to learn more about resources that we offer relating to it!
