Leah Song of Rising Appalachia
Conventional wisdom would suggest that most people come to a festival drawn by the big name performers in the line-up. Americana Fest 2019 offered plenty of big names with a track record—The Mavericks, Brandi Carlile, Keb’ Mo,’ or the new 2.0 version of Tanya Tucker. Along with the long-time favorites, such as Delbert McClinton or Robert Earl Keen, fans could follow some of the newer names on the horizon—Molly Tuttle, Lily Hiatt, or Billy Strings. Other visitors to Nashville for the Americana Fest following a particular band or artist. One music fan attending the festival admitted that though she had come all the way from Canada, she had found herself following a performer she saw regularly back at home.
Regular attendees, however, can attest to the surprise factor, the wide array of new artists and bands that appear across the many Nashville stages during the September event. WMOT’s stage at War Memorial Auditorium was packed with first-time artists to the festival, offering audience members a chance to increase their play list or even add to CD or vinyl collections.
Rising Appalachia, featuring the blood harmony of sisters Leah Song and Chloe Smith, was a fan favorite. Raised in Georgia and taking an instructive 7-year detour through New Orleans, they built their performance around some of the traditional music they’d learned to love from their mother and then making it their own, infusing it with West African rhythm instruments to complement the Irish fiddle.
Backed by strong and even demonstrating some sister-sister swing dance moves, they presented a set that had music lovers in the room searching for their next appearance.
Following their set, Che Apalache’s unique blend of roots music with a Latino flair, not only influenced by Argentina culture, of which three of the four band members are native, but by leader Joe Troop’s world travels. A native of Winston-Salem, NC, Troop moved to Argentina in 2010, where he taught bluegrass and old-time music. Pau Barjau, Franco Martino, and Martin Bobrik made the move from students of Troop to bandmates. They commanded attention from Bela Fleck, who produced their latest CD Rearrange My Heart.
In their appearance on the War Memorial Stage, the band performed such an array of musical themes and styles. The language, time and style of one song was influenced by Troop’s time in Japan, but perhaps the most powerful songs in the set were the title song of the new CD and the particularly timely song “The Wall.”
Sharing the day on stage with guitar phenom Molly Tuttle and veteran Tanya Tucker might have intimidated some bands, but Rising Appalachia and Che Apalache held their own, winning a host of new followers.