Mama’s Broke have spent the past eight years in a near-constant state of transience, pounding the transatlantic tour trail. They’ve brought their dark, fiery folk-without-borders sound to major festivals and DIY punk houses alike, absorbing traditions from their maritime home in Eastern Canada all the way to Ireland and Indonesia. Nowhere is the duo’s art-in-motion approach more apparent than on their long-awaited sophomore record Narrow Line (May 13, 2022 on Free Dirt Records); it’s the sound of nowhere in particular, yet woven with a rich synthesis of influences that knows no borders. It earned them a JUNO nomination for Traditional Roots Album of the Year 2022. The eleven songs on Narrow Line burrow deeply, with close harmony duets, commanding vocals, and poignant contemplations on cycles of life, including birth and death. Tinges of Americana stand side-by-side with the ghosts of Eastern European fiddle tunes and ancient a cappella ballad singing, melding into an unusually accessible dark-folk sound. A careful listen of Narrow Line invokes an ephemeral sense of place—whether real or imagined—inviting us to take comfort in the infinite possibilities of life, whether or not we ever choose to settle down.
For a group defined by constant touring, it’s not surprising that the two artists that make up Mama’s Broke, Lisa Maria and Amy Lou Keeler, met on the road. As Lisa remembers it, “Amy was driving her old Mercedes from Montreal to Nova Scotia and I was looking for a ride. We spent the 17 hours in the car talking almost exclusively about music. By the time we reached Halifax we started playing together, and within a week or two became a band.” Both coming out of traveling communities that are focused on music and protest, the two owe the way in which they move through the world to the integrated and self-sustaining nature of DIY culture and activism. It was a busy life that took them on a roundabout annual touring schedule running between Canada, the United States, Ireland, the UK, and Europe. In each country, they built grassroots DIY communities to support their music or moved along the pathways of communal organizing that sustained other touring artists.
The driving force behind this band is – and has always been – the commitment to challenge borders between people, places, and traditions; while encouraging freedom of expression and community through music.
Resonant Rogues
The Resonant Rogues’ dark Appalachian folk paints a picture of their lives in the mountains of Western North Carolina and on the road. Anchored by the songwriting duo of Sparrow (banjo, accordion) and Keith Smith (guitar), they’ve traveled the byways and highways of America and crossed the oceans with instruments in tow. From riding freight trains to building their own homestead, the pair are no strangers to blazing unconventional trails.
The Rogues just released a new album, recorded in Nashville with renowned producer Andrija Tokic (Alabama Shakes, Hurray for the Riff Raff), featuring guest appearances from Sierra Ferrell, Benjamin Tod, John James Tourville (Deslondes), and Jason Dea West.
Join us for an evening of exquisite dance as Boulder Ballet returns to the Chautauqua Auditorium this September. Boulder Ballet’s fall show features a dynamic program showcasing works ranging from classic to contemporary, ensuring there’s something for everyone — even those new to dance.
Witness the creative prowess of acclaimed choreographers Ching Ching Wong, Andrea Schermoly and Gerald Arpino as we bring a memorable and engaging performance to this historic venue.
We invite you to join us for a post show conversation on unlocking the creative process with choreographers Ching Ching Wong and Andrea Schermoly moderated by Boulder Ballet’s Artistic Director, Ben Needham-Wood.
Performances:
Light Rain by Gerald Arpino
World Premiere by Ching Ching Wong
Within Without by Andrea Schermoly
Grand Pas Classique from Raymonda Act 3 by Ben Needham-Wood
Ching Ching Wong
With accolades like the prestigious Princess Grace Award in Dance and recognition as one of Dance Magazine’s 25 to Watch, Ching Ching’s work embodies her eclectic lived experience. This season, she debuts a brand-new creation in collaboration with Boulder Ballet. We’re thrilled to have her world premiere as part of our season opener.
Gerald Arpino
Gerald Arpino (1923-2008) was the Artistic Director and Resident Choreographer of The Joffrey Ballet, the company he co-founded with Robert Joffrey in 1956. As Resident Choreographer, Arpino created over one-third of the commissioned repertory for the Joffrey Ballet, including Light Rain, the work featured in this program. Light Rain is one of his most iconic and enduring works. Premiered in 1981, the ballet is celebrated for its sensual, fluid movement and reflects contemporary influences, making it a significant departure from traditional classical ballet.
Andrea Schermoly
Andrea (Andi) Giselle Schermoly was born in South Africa. She competed internationally as a member of The South African National Rhythmic Gymnastics Team and danced professionally for Boston Ballet II and the Netherlands Dance Theater. She currently is the Resident Choreographer at Louisville Ballet Company and co-created MINDFIELD which premiered last season in our similarly named Winter Show. We’re thrilled to bring her work Within, Without as part of our show. This piece is an exploration of grief and a love letter to the women and men (whom she has known personally) who have endured the painful struggle of being unable to conceive their own child.
Ben Needham-Wood
Boulder Ballet’s Artistic Director, now in his third season with BB, will present the Grand Pas Classique from Raymonda Act 3, withchoreography after Marius Petipa. The Grand Pas remains a beloved piece in the classical ballet repertoire due to its beauty and technical challenges. The choreography includes demanding sequences such as sustained balances, intricate pointe work, fast pirouettes, and powerful leaps, showcasing the grandeur and opulence of classical ballet.
If the city of Los Angeles had a soundtrack, it would be Ozomatli’s music. Since forming in 1995, the lineup’s collaborative, energetic blend of multi-cultural music and activism has earned the band three GRAMMYs®, four Hollywood Bowl shows, a TED Talk and much more. But more importantly, Ozo has inspired and energized listeners worldwide. Even at gigs in locales including Burma and Mongolia, Ozomatli’s messages and music, sung in both Spanish and English, need no translation. Circa 2022, Ozo’s new songs, stronger-than-ever brotherhood and the potent emotional impetus behind Marching On further cements the legacy begun with the band’s 1998 self-titled debut.
Like The Doors, X, Los Lobos, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and other L.A.-based artists who take cues from the city and also reflect and unearth its movements, Ozomatli and Marching On reaches from the curbs to the high-rises. With musician/producer David Garza (Fiona Apple, Sparta) producing in pre-pandemic 2020 at El Paso’s Sonic Ranch, Ozo were honored with esteemed musical guests who contributed to the 11-song album.
On “Fellas” Ozo is joined by J.J. Fad and Lisa Lisa. “We were working on a song that was almost like an ‘80s song with acoustic instruments,” explains Ulises Bella. “But also 808 [drum machine] music.” Uli had recently seen Lisa Lisa live—”such a great singer, tight band, so many hits!”—and a series of fortuitous social media interactions found Lisa Lisa and Uli in touch, resulting in her star turn on the track. Then, even though they hadn’t recorded in more than 30 years, influential ‘80s female freestylers J.J Fad (“Supersonic”) eagerly jumped on the chance to work with Ozo and Lisa Lisa on “Fellas.”
For “Mi Destino,” sung in both English and Spanish, Ozo were stoked to connect with B-Real, as Cypress Hill and Ozo had been on each other’s radars for decades. It was a DM that put B-Real in contact with Ozo. “And literally every step after that, the stars were aligned,” Uli says. “Unicorns were fucking dancing and somehow it all worked out and he got on ‘Mi Destino,’ and we also got Gaby Moreno on the track. It was definitely a deep kind of thing we’ve been needing and wanting and marinating on, and then it manifests.”
Of soulful Guatemalan singer-songwriter Moreno, guitarist Raúl Pacheco observes: “She just came up with this whole other kind of a style on it, really beautiful and spiritual.”
“It’s super-cool that we got really iconic, impactful women of that era and beyond on our record,” adds Uli.
The 11 songs are a unified blend of the members’ influences and ideas. Or, as founding members Jiro Yamaguchi and Uli explain: “You drive down Sunset Boulevard and turn off your stereo and roll down your windows and all the music that comes out of each and every different car, whether it’s salsa, cumbia, merengue, Hip Hop, funk or whatever, it’s that crazy blend that’s going on between that cacophony of sound is Ozomatli, y’know?”
The Marching On journey was ideally suited for producer Garza, himself a musician familiar with Ozo’s Latin, hip hop, and rock music with salsa, jazz, funk, and world music influences. Being away from home allowed the band to focus tightly. “Sonic Ranch is an incredible location with four studios. You live on site, you are fed every day, so it’s totally geared toward whatever shows up in terms of creating music,” Raúl explains. “It was centering; just art- and music-making, us just trying to say ‘yes’ to David’s requests and our ideas. So, there’s a very unified sense to this album, even though we’re all so different, which you can also feel.”
Marching On features Uli’s lead vocal debut on the song “Mula.” “Part of the inspiration was us being right there next to the border and hearing all these stories from people who were working nearby and at the studio,” he recalls. “It was just crazy shit they’ve encountered, with the history of El Paso and how violent it can be, and the disappearance of women.” On the creepy noir story-song, Uli says he went for the “Chicano, Tom Waits-wise,” take on the tune. “’Mula’ is pretty dark and messed-up.”
While the basic tracks were all completed at Sonic Ranch, due to the pandemic, other parts of the record were completed remotely. Despite the often-terrifying uncertainty of the world during this time, ultimately Ozo were able to complete Marching On, which turned out to be an almost prescient song and album title. As the lyrics to the track clarify: “Yeah we keep marching till the justice reigns / And the world sings the freedom’s song / Yeah we keep marching while the battle rages / As the new generations born / Till we right the wrongs.”
For a band who thrive on touring and connection, much of 2020 “felt bleak,” Ozo unable to share their musical and socio-political passions on tour. “We did a couple online concerts, but watching a show is not ever going to be the same as being at the show,” says Uli. “There’s only so much you can party on your couch in your living room with your dog.”
Finishing Marching On was difficult emotionally and logistically, but Ozo rose to the task. Tracking some vocals at home, Raúl discovered, “I learned so much. I got better in that process because I’m being challenged.”
No matter the circumstances, Ozomatil are driven: Driven to make themselves, their music and the world a better place. And that begins at home—which, for Ozo, is music and lyrics. “The song is kind of like a sacred responsibility,” concludes Raúl. “It takes hard core passion to push whatever the song is to the best it could be. I take it very personally.”
Of the vividly stunning album cover for Marching On, Raúl explains, “This figure represents the origin of the human race, an earthly mother who over time continues to store, carry, and share collective knowledge. She shares this knowledge through many faces and many pairs of eyes, representing all the varying cultures of the world, they are all from the same body, the same source. This mother figure, like the human race, is choosing to continue to move forward, she compels us to keep Marching On and remember our collective connectedness.”
Ozomatli’s commitment to social justice is ongoing. Their 2019 single “Libertad,” with founding members Chali 2na (Jurassic 5) & Cut Chemist, was the first collaborative release together since Ozomatli’s 1998 debut album. It highlighted the struggle of Latin workers in the U.S. who sacrifice everything to help family on the other side of the border wall. Ozomati’s ongoing work in the world has not gone unnoticed. In 2008 the U.S. State Department appointed the band United States Cultural Ambassadors; in 2009 and 2010 they performed for President Barack Obama. And hometown honors came in 2013 when April 23 was deemed “Ozomatli Day” in perpetuity.
In some ways, Ozomatli’s raison d’etre is summed up in “Mi Destino’s” lyrics: “To put it plain and simple there’s no halt in the walk / Destined for future lessons unbelievable thoughts / We are the navigators and the journey the clock / Set all the gears in motion to pop.”
Ozomatli want everyone to join them, on the dance floor, in the mosh pit, in the trenches, just “one more” time, if they would, as they sing on Marching On’s fifth track: “De que estás agradecido / Cual es tu mission / Levántate con fuerza / Una vez más por favor.”
TEDxBoulder is an independently organized event that brings together innovative thinkers, thought leaders, and change-makers from various disciplines to share their ideas and inspire meaningful conversations. With a commitment to “Ideas Worth Spreading,” TEDxBoulder has established itself as a platform for intellectual stimulation and fostering community engagement since 2010 when it held its first event right here at Chautauqua. Since then the talks have been viewed over 25 million times and seven of the talks have been reedited and featured on TED.com.
TEDxBoulder provides a unique platform for both local and global voices, encouraging individuals to share their ideas that have the potential to shape the world we live in. The event embraces innovation, inclusivity, and the power of dialogue, aiming to challenge conventional thinking and ignite transformative change.
Attendees of TEDxBoulder have the opportunity to engage in thought-provoking talks, interactive experiences, and collaborative discussions. The event fosters an environment where curiosity is celebrated, where ideas collide, and where individuals are encouraged to explore new frontiers of knowledge and understanding. The theme of this year’s event is Chaos & Order.
A light picnic dinner will be served during intermission. The event will end at 8pm.
Join TEDxBoulder as we embark on a journey of exploration, inspiration, and transformation. Together, let’s embrace the power of ideas and inspire a world where imagination knows no bounds.
In 2023 Billy Bragg is celebrating a remarkable 40 years as Britain’s favourite folk singer, songwriter and campaigner. To mark this significant landmark, he has released an acclaimed career-spanning box set ‘The Roaring Forty’ and has played to sell-out crowds across the world. In November he performed his most famous song ‘A New England’ on Later With Jools Holland almost exactly 40 years to the day that he debuted the song on The Tube (also presented by one Jools Holland!).
Galvanised in the late 70s by The Clash and an aversion to the austere policies of Margaret Thatcher, Billy set out to inspire political engagement and empathy. He has performed numerous benefit shows for the miners, the Labour party, CND, the jobless and many more, and has run the Left Field political stage at Glastonbury for the last 20 years.
Billy has released 11 solo studio albums, three albums of Woody Guthrie lyrics set to contemporary music by Billy and Wilco (the Mermaid Avenue albums) and one album with Joe Henry. He released a mini album Bridges Not Walls in 2017. His latest studio album, the acclaimed ‘The Million Things That Never Happened’ came out in 2021.
Billy Bragg added best-selling author to his CV with the success of his acclaimed 2017 book Roots, Radicals & Rockers – How Skiffle Changed The World. He has written two books of political analysis – The Progressive Patriot: A Search For Belonging (2006) and The Three Dimensions of Freedom (2019).
Billy won the Outstanding Contribution To British Music Award at the prestigious Ivors Awards in 2018. Born and raised in Barking, East London, Billy has a street named after him in his home town – Bragg Close. This year Billy has been honoured with a pavement plaque on the Camden Music Walk Of Fame (previous recipients include Madness, Amy Winehouse, The Who, David Bowie, and The Kinks)
Sturtz
Sturtz’s music stands out for its distinctive, soothing instrumental and vocal harmonies. The acoustic quartet – Andrew Sturtz [vocals, guitar], Jim Herlihy [banjo], Courtlyn Carpenter [cello], and Will Kuepper [bass] – falls somewhere at the intersection of folk and soul, with lead singer Andrew Sturtz’s melodic vocals soaring over the lower string instrumentals. Sturtz is based in Boulder, CO, and has toured across the U.S. opening for groups like the Eli Young Band, Trout Steak Revival, Lillie Mae, the Band of Heathens, and Smooth Hound Smith. NPR’s All Songs Considered described the band as “a reassuring breath of fresh air that pulls me back to simpler times” in their April 2020 blog. Sturtz released their debut album You’ve Done this Before in August 2021, and now they are hard at work touring on this album and writing songs for their next album. When they’re not playing music, you’ll probably find them milling flour, farming, laying in a creek, or eating native foliage.
