Some of music’s most lauded names – including Pulitzer Prize-winning Rhiannon Giddens, 14-time Grammy-winning banjo player Ron Block, and bluegrass legend Peter Rowan – are packing their bags to head to Ireland next week for the country’s premiere music conference, Your Roots Are Showing. The American players will join more than 100 additional artists from over 20 countries in Killarney, Co. Kerry, January 14-19.
Founded by Charlene Sloan and Brendan McCreanor, the event celebrates bluegrass, folk, Americana, and roots music. The couple launched Your Roots Are Showing because there was no such platform to gather, lift, and uncover highly skilled Irish musicians. Your Roots Are Showing is in its third year.
“We really wanted to find that undiscovered talent,” Sloan said. “The conference became a big hit not just with the Irish community but also further afield. We felt very fortunate it got lots of attention from Canadians, Americans, and people from Japan who came over and played.”
This year, Your Roots Are Showing partnered with the International Bluegrass Music Association and will honor Rowan with the conference’s Lifetime Achievement Award. It marks the first time Your Roots Are Showing has presented an award, and they had it made by a local artisan.
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Peter Rowan to Receive First Your Roots Are Showing Lifetime Achievement Award
Alison Brown and Anna Kline will honor Rowan during FOLK iN FUSION – YRAS LIVE. This opening night concert will also include performances from Block, Giddens, Rowan, Kenny Sharp, Dirk Powell, Liam O’Maonlai, and more at Gleneagle INEC arena.
After Tuesday night’s concert, the conference will launch on Wednesday with a masterclass on how to showcase and wrap on Sunday, Jan. 19, with the YRAS Music Trail. The trail will showcase conference artists in Killarney’s intimate pubs and cafes. In between FOLK iN FUSION and the pub crawl, Giddens will offer a keynote speech on the worldwide impact of music and the importance of cultural preservation, Rossa Ó Snodaigh from Irish folk band Kíla, Nicki Minaj and Ariana Grande producer Brett “Beats” Bailey and Compass Records co-founder Garry West will also appear. There will also be a host of panels, workshops, and networking opportunities that explore everything from how to get songs on the radio and breathwork to storytelling and folklore.
“We’re really happy and keeping it local,” Sloan said. “We want as many artists of every type to be involved. So we want it to be cozy. I want it to be a cozy conference that makes you feel good when you leave.”
Your Roots Are Showing Keeps It Cozy
To accomplish that wrapped-in-a-warm-blanket feeling, Sloan included yoga and sound bath treatments as offerings at the conference. The Gleneagle Hotel, which hosts Your Roots Are Showing, is across the street from a national park where guests can hike.
“I want it to feel like a retreat, but also that you learn a whole ton about your business, and then at night, you get to see a hundred musical acts,” Sloan said. “For me, it’s the perfect vacation. I hope other people think so, too.”
For more information, visit www.showingroots.com and www.ireland.com.
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