Dean Armstrong started the Arizona Dance Hands as the house band for the Open Door Night Club on Benson Highway in 1948. When KOLD became Tucson’s first TV station in 1953, Dean and the Arizona Dance Hands were the very first program broadcast from Tucson. The Arizona Dance Hands has maintained a presence in Tucson, ... Read more

Calpulli Tonantzin is an Aztec dance group. Dance ceremonies are opened and closed by burning copal to the four directions and represent the cosmos, the energy of every living being. Dancers move to the beats of the huehuetl, or "drum" in the nahuatl dialect of their ancestors. This event is broadcast on TMY’s Facebook page ... Read more

Mustafa Kilcak is a teacher in Tucson who has played and sung for groups such as World Winds and 5 Horses 4 Winds. A Turkish musician, he makes and sings Turkish rock, protest, folk, and pop music. This event is broadcast on TMY’s Facebook page and TMY’s YouTube Channel and will be available on our ... Read more

Khalid El Boujami founded the group Ayure with Khalid Al Assari and Mehdi with the goal of bringing authentic Moroccan sounds to the Tucson music scene. They have performed around town and have enjoyed jamming with other musicians. Most of all they are proud of bringing our Moroccan community together and creating unforgettable moments of ... Read more

Flamenco Del Pueblo Viejo is a Tucson-based flamenco performing group comprised of guitarist Misael Barraza and dancer Jason Martinez. Barraza is a highly sought-after and decorated flamenco and classical guitarist from Hermosillo, Mexico. Martinez is a seasoned flamenco dancer and percussionist from Albuquerque and a 2018 recipient of the Southwest Folklife Alliance's Master-Apprentice Artist Award. ... Read more

Placita (Dolores) Ignacio, Tohono O'odham potter Haha'atadkam means "one who makes pottery" in the O'odham language. This artform for both ornamental and utilitarian purposes is a lesser known form of the Tohono O'odham people, who are often celebrated for their basketweaking. In this conversation and demonstration, learn about the history and practice of Tohono O'odham ... Read more

Photo by Steven Meckler Tucson Sino Taiji was founded in 2007 and now has 20 regular members. The group’s goal is to improve the health of our members and to promote the awareness of Taiji in Tucson community. They have participated and performed in many cultural events both in Tucson and Phoenix, such as Tucson ... Read more

Verdolagas at Las Milpitas Farm Hosted by Tucson City of Gastronomy Food Justice Committee, this event highlights the work happening on Community Food Bank's Las Milpitas de Cottonwood Community Farm, a six-acre community farm just southwest of downtown Tucson. Las Milpitas serves 120 families and is operated by the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona ... Read more

Dedicated to preserving and sharing Nordic culture and heritage, VASA Swedish dancers' group formed 41 years ago. They perform traditional dances handed down from generation to generation, some dating back several hundred years. Most dances have now been written down to preserve them for generations to come. Dances include waltz, schottis, mazurka, engelska, and polka. ... Read more

Dances of Gesture in Japanese and Indian Traditions Join Naina Bhamidipati and Mari Kaneta for a conversation about gesture as a vehicle for storytelling in dance and the work of upholding a dance tradition outside its cultural homeland. Bhamidipati demonstrates bharathanatyam, a traditional dance from the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, accompanied by her ... Read more

Mari Kaneta is founder of the Tucson-based Traditional Japanese Dance group Suzuyuki-Kai. She received her degree and professional training in Tokyo and received the dancing name “Suzuyuki” in 1973. Kaneta has performed at multicultural events in Phoenix and Tucson for the past 25 years and internationally in Caracas, Venezuela and Nogales, Mexico. Mari established the ... Read more

Tucson Sino Dance promotes Chinese culture and heritage via authentic Chinese dancing, while encouraging physical and mental health for participants. They perform specific dances from the 56 minority groups of China, each with their own unique music, costumes, and movements. Over the years, Tucson Sino Dance has become an integral part of celebration activities for ... Read more

Photo by Steven Meckler Halau Hula O Ualani is a Polynesian Group that has been studying and performing in Tucson since 1993. The group first performed under the direction of Ernie Menehune Eraina Kannette and the Polynesian Review. When Menehune passed, Kumu Ualani formed her own school, still carrying her mentor's name, The Menehune Dancers. ... Read more

Photo by Steven Meckler Richard Noel is a musician and facilitator using percussion as a method of healing, enjoyment, and community building. A longtime performer, former board member, and steady stage manager for Tucson Meet Yourself, Richard has brought life to this festival for many years. Richard was born and raised in the twin islands ... Read more

The musical duo, Duo Yvapurû is Maxi Larrea and Jennie Gubner. Maxi Larrea is a guitarist, arranger, composer, and music educator from Rosario, Argentina, now living in Tucson. He composes, performs, and teaches tango and other guitar forms. His first solo album of tango and folklore original compositions Donde Termina el Río/Where the River Ends ... Read more

The Lajkonik Polish Folk Ensemble brings colorful, fun, and exciting Polish folk songs and dances to the Tucson community and beyond. Performing in colorful authentic traditional costumes, we bring Polish traditional dancing to life on stage with humor and energy. Presenting a wide array of folk dances from Poland, Lajkonik has performed in Phoenix, Las ... Read more

Nossa Bossa Nova is the child of husband and wife team, Mike and Theresa Levy, who have been performing Brazilian Bossa Nova for more than 15 years. Fluent in Portuguese and several other languages, Theresa brings an authenticity to the music and a pure voice that allows access even for those who who don’t speak ... Read more

Tradiciones was founded in 2009 in Tucson with the purpose of sharing Peruvian and Latin American music in Arizona and beyond. The group has been participating in TMY for ten consecutive years, each one bringing a unique experience full of joy and gratefulness. Tradiciones also performs in local restaurants, bars, and festivals. This event is ... Read more

Conversants: SELINA MORALES, Folklorist; ROD AMBROSE, Storyteller; BARBEA WILLIAMS, Theater/Dance Artist Storytelling as manifestation of change in African and African American communities is an ancient and powerful community practice. Listen and learn from a conversation between folklorist Selina Morales and SFA Master Artist, community leader, movement builder and storyteller, Rod Ambrose, about the vital role ... Read more

Photo by Ventzi Karayontchev Originally from Bulgaria, both Anton Shekerjiev and Iskra Valtcheva left their home country at an early age and traveled the world. Their paths crossed in Tucson, where their shared passion for Old World music and their love for their culture led them to the founding of the band Ludo Djore to ... Read more

The Saguaro Strutters are a local line dance team more than 20 years old. Most of the team's 10 dancers picked up line dancing by going to classes in Tucson. While the individual members and size of the group have changed over the years, they all enjoy dancing, performing, and promoting line dancing in the ... Read more

Karen Falkenstrom (Kathleen Dreier Photo) & Anne Pollack (Steven Meckler Photo) Karen Falkenstrom of Odaiko Sonora and Anne Pollack of Capoeira Mandinga share roles, responsibilities, and ethics of teaching and transmitting traditional practices. Deeply engaged in the practice and teaching of their respective forms, both artists will speak about their personal journeys acquiring and transmitting ... Read more

Photo by Steven Meckler Odaiko Sonora is Tucson’s Japanese taiko ensemble drumming group. “Taiko” is the word for drum in Japanese, and the ensemble is known for its high-energy performances. Formed in 2002, the group has been a TMY favorite for 18 years, bringing drumming, song, and folk dance in the taiko tradition to the ... Read more

A glimpse into just a few of the traditional foods in the Tucson basin, as Tanisha Tucker, Traci Faith Hamilton, and Maria Francisco discuss the harvest and/or preparation of three Tohono O'odham foods, tepary beans, ciolim (cholla buds), and yeast Bread. The family continues a tradition of saguaro fruit harvest and syrup production and also ... Read more

The Sound of Thunder was established in 2007 to represent Tucson's Korean community and its culture through the study and performance of classical Korean dance and drumming. The group has performed in TMY since its inception and has also appeared in Phoenix and Sierra Vista. You can view this event live on the TMY homepage ... Read more

General Tchefary was transplanted to the desert Southwest from Abidjan, Ivory Coast, West Africa. A recording artist and performer since 1998, he performs reggae music rooted in African traditions, spreading a message that traverses International borders and all aspects of humanity. He sings in five languages mixing his own traditional African melodies and Jamaican reggae ... Read more

Fadi Iskandar is a master violinist from Syria with a deep musical understanding and knowledge of Middle Eastern music, theory, and culture. Trained as a young boy in classical violin, he then learned Middle Eastern music from elders in his community through improvisation and the practice of mastering by ear “maqam” or musical scales. His ... Read more

This Tucson-based "legendary" Latin Chicano Blues band, Los Nawdy Dawgs brings a unique supernatural vibe to blues, Latin, and Chicano Rock. They believe the Arizona desert, Tucson sunsets, and bacanora create a special backdrop to their sound. The band's mantra is “Be good to the music and the music will be good to you," and ... Read more

Grupo Riken has been performing in the Tucson area since 2009, specializing in folk music from the Caribbean and Latin America, including Cuban bolero, Puerto Rican jibaro music and plena, Latin jazz, salsa, and bossa nova. The group’s unique sound comes from folk instruments such as the Puerto Rican cuatro, Peruvian cajón, and Afro-Caribbean bongos ... Read more

What happens when two different ethnic backgrounds from Africa meet in the Sonoran Desert? The rhythm of unity is born! Jaliya is Elijah Ndoye and Yacouba Traore. Elijah comes from the fishing community of Lebou, an ethnic group in Senegal, West Africa. He grew up in a culture where the emphasis was on piety and ... Read more

Maria del Carmen Parra Cano with her daughter wrapped in a rebozo, a fabric often used in childbearing in Mexican and Indigenous cultures. Mexican weaving and embroidery are integral traditional art forms in Mexico and the Americas, closely tied to indigenous knowledge and resiliency. Join artists, activists, and scholars for a conversations that braids knowledge ... Read more

Ted Warmbrand is a folk musician who embodies the spirit of Pete Seeger, using songs to build community, protest injustice, and bring joy to those around him. From peace rallies, churches, bars, street corners, homemade puppet shows, in city council chambers, and schools, Ted has carried the tradition of voicing current issues through song to ... Read more

Hosted by the Tucson City of Gastronomy, the University of Arizona Museum of Art, and UA Center for Regional Food Studies, this panel discussion explores how COVID-19 has changed our local food system. Panelists discuss the impacts of the pandemic, ways that local food producers have responded and inspired change, and whether we have reasons ... Read more

Tamara Khachatryan is an Armenian-born violinist. She is a 2019 recipient of the Southwest Folklife Alliance Master-Apprentice Artist Award. You can view this event live on the TMY homepage or later on our TMY Videos 2020 page. To interact with others during the live streaming, you can watch on TMY’s Facebook page or TMY’s YouTube ... Read more

Formed in winter of 2012 by Hamdija Ajanovic (vocal and guitar) and Goran Miletic (drums), Quarter Royale hails from urban desert of the American Southwest. Bringing together years of performing and recording experience, the power duo finds music influences and inspiration in traditional blues, rock, and ethno sounds and rhythms of Balkans and Eastern Europe. ... Read more

Steven Meckler photo In communities throughout North America and in the Celtic regions of Europe, Celtic music supports and enables social dances that serve to bring people together and maintain relationships. In this demonstration, Claire Zucker of Púca and the Wild Ones and a dancer will draw connections between the Celtic traditions they represent. Expect ... Read more

Dan Levenson is a 2017 recipient of the competitive Southwest Folklife Alliance's Master Apprentice Artist Award for his lifetime achievements in the tradition of Appalachian Old Time fiddle and banjo music. He has won contests including first place at the 2005 Ohio Clawhammer Banjo Championship and Grand Champion at the 2010 Ajo, AZ Fiddle Contest. ... Read more

The Philippine Mabuhay Cultural Foundation was founded in 1989 as non-profit organization that promotes and enhances the intercultural understanding between the peoples of the United States and the Philippines. The performance groups shares music and dance traditions from the Philippines at schools and cultural events in Tucson and also sponsors cultural performers from the Philippines ... Read more

Dr. Michael Engs, of Arizona Heritage Tours, brings to the kitchen the lesser-known contributions of African-descent people who first reached the Southwest in 1538 through events related to Spanish exploration, conquest, and settlement. Some came involuntarily as enslaved people, others as free adventurers and entrepreneurs. A second wave came by way of the western expansion ... Read more

The Bouncing Czechs was formed in 1996 within the Tucson Czech-Slovak Club. Since then the band has grown in popularity and now performs throughout Arizona, playing European Polkas and Waltzes and many old time folk favorites. The band is an Oktoberfest highlight throughout Southern Arizona. Current members include band leader John Prokop, tuba; Roxanna Baker, ... Read more

Established in 2001 by our late director and accomplished mariachi musician, Refugio “Cuco” Del Cid, Mariachi Herencia de Cuco Del Cid is a group of young musicians promoting our Mexican heritage and culture through mariachi music in Tucson and all over Arizona. Cuco, an accomplished musician of over 60 years, set the foundation for this ... Read more

ZeeCeeKeely is a Tucson-based reggae band formed by the band’s front man, Zachary C. Keely. The bands Zach’s messages of peace, respect, reflection, and rights, with the sounds of roots reggae, rock, dancehall, and jazz. In his musical career, Zach has played in supporting acts for performers such as Damien Marley, Steel Pulse, Skanks Roots ... Read more

Tucson Casineros, lead by Art Garcia and Virna Fratt, is a non-profit dance group that during non-covid times holds Cuban style dance classes and social dance events on a weekly basis. Angie Bohorquez from Monzón Dance Company created a collaboration with TucSon Casineros, Zona Pachanga, Tucson Kiz, and Salsón Dance Company, leading the community in ... Read more

Arizona Blues Hall of Famer Tom Walbank has been playing the blues for 35 years. He has shared the stage with blues greats such as B.B. King, Robert Cray, Charlie Musselwhite, and Kim Wilson. A solo performer who specializes in the Electric Delta Blues tradition, Walbank plays blues that echo the slide work of Muddy ... Read more

Gertie N the T.O. Boyz is famous for its crowd-moving, old-time traditional Tohono O’odham music or “waila,” a blend of Norteño, cumbia, and polka sounds. The band consists of Gertie on the accordion along with saxophone, violin, bass, bajo sexto, and drums. All band members are from the Tohono O’odham Nation in Southwestern and Central ... Read more

Flowers have a special connection to the Pascua Yaqui and are used in celebrations and memorials. Learn from traditional artists how to make paper flowers and the meaning of these sacred object for to Yaqui/Yoeme people. Panel co-curated by Daniel Vega, Director Department of Language & Culture We thank the Pascua Yaqui Tribe Department of Language ... Read more

The Tucson City of Gastronomy hosts this introduction to the work of the Dunbar Pavilion and its educational Community Garden. Learn how the Garden is a new programming centerpiece of the historic Dunbar School, a center for celebrating the rich history and culture of Tucson’s African-American community and a hub for collaborative local efforts toward ... Read more

(Preparing for the deer dance. TMY backstage. Shot with permission by Steven Meckler.) In this conversation learn about a ceremony with longstanding significance to Tucson Meet Yourself: a Yaqui ceremonial blessing. Since 1974, this blessing has been offered by members of the Pascua Yaqui at the close of TMY; the relationship of trust between the ... Read more

Barbara Eiswerth of Iskashiita Refugee Network and Maria Magliani, a recent asylee from Venezuela, demonstrate Crema de Auyama (cream of squash/pumpkin soup) and Venezuelan arepas. This soup recipe is simple and easy to adapt to other squash or vegetables found in local gardens. Arepas are an omnipresent part of the Venezuelan table and Maria shares ... Read more