Teena May and Dusky Waters, co-founders of the Black Americana Festival
The Black Americana Festival: A new music festival for New Orleans
interview by Paul Oswell
New Orleans isn't a city that's short on music festivals, with just about every kind of music represented from jazz, to zydeco, to electronica. That doesn't mean that there isn't room for even more musical exploration, though. This month sees the inaugural Black Americana Festival, a new event to be held at The Broadside in Mid City. In the festivals' own words, they are looking to provide "a platform to honor and celebrate the musical heritage, legacy, and contributions of Black artists making music in the Americana and Folk genres in New Orleans, and the Mississippi River Delta region." The BAF was co-founded by Teena May and Dusky Waters. Out All Day wanted to find out more, so we caught them as they make their final preparations.
Out All Day: Hi, Dusky and Teena! Thanks so much for talking to us! How are preparations for the festival going so far?
Teena May: Everyone we've engaged so far has been so supportive!!
Dusky Waters: I agree! One of my favorite parts of planning this festival has been all of the new people we have met and friends we have made. Our approach has been to let as many people as possible know about our vision, and follow, as Teena likes to say, “enthusiastic yes’s”. This has led us to a lot of wonderful folks who have helped bring this event to life. It has truly been a community effort.
OAD: You're co-founders of the festival - could you tell us a little about yourselves, and how the idea for the festival came about in the first place?
TM: Dusky approached me last year after her performance at Fete Du Void (a music festival in Allen Parish, LA), and shared with me this idea burning in her heart of a festival celebrating Black folks creating Americana in New Orleans. I thought that this first year would be a small showcase at a black coffee shop to discuss how we could build community and create a festival in future years. Turns out, the future is now, and we have this incredible day! I'm still amazed at the team and how we came together to pull this off!
We are the festival co-founders and Mark Williams II is the Arts & Education Curator. We also have an Advisory Committee including Chris Breary (Louisiana Music & Heritage Foundation Museum & Nola Funk Fest), Lilli Lewis (Black American Music Summit), Ashley Shabankareh (Trombone Shorty Foundation), Hannah Kreiger-Benson and Kendra Thompson (both Music and Culture Coalition of New Orleans), Rachel Ornelas (Jazz and Heritage Festival) as the Run of Show Coordinator, and Mecca Burke (Hell or High Water Tattoo & Shop), who also created the festival logo.
Looking at the line-up, I see my friends Joy Clark and Micah McKee immediately! Is the line-up all musicians from New Orleans or are there folk from further afield?
TM: Nikki Hill is also on the lineup and is the only out of town artist. Our goal this first year was to really highlight the rich Americana talent in the city of New Orleans.
Tell us a bit about your personal musical journeys. What were your formative musical experiences as children, and how did you grow your talents and start to play around the city?
DW: I grew up in a family that was always singing and playing the piano. Some of my earliest memories are of my mom singing in the church choir, my auntie playing the piano and organ, and my grandmother singing her sought after, beautiful soprano solos. Growing up in Little Rock, I definitely felt the influence of gospel, folk, and the pop music my parents loved, as well as the pull towards the delta blues that characterize my home state. I played piano and guitar as a child, and started writing songs at 11. Though I was always curious about country and folk music, it wasn’t until college that I really found my place within these traditions. I saw Rhiannon Giddens play with the Carolina Chocolate Drops in St. Louis, and she spoke about the black history of the banjo. It was love at first sight for me and the banjo. I went out and bought one the next week.
TM: I grew up in Winchester VA, on classical piano lessons and classical flute study and performance. I thought music was just a hobby during my college years. I started writing music after college when I moved to Los Angeles, then NYC, mainly because I was very lonely in both cities. I did release an Alt-Rock album in 2017 called Skin On Mine but I didn't really make the effort to build an audience. I gave up on music in 2018, and then during the pandemic, found my heart and soul in New Orleans. I played an open mic in town during the summer of 2022 and have been performing ever since. My first folk EP, "Bones" is coming out this fall.
The festival showcases 'Americana' - could you explain what that term means to you, and why you chose it as the theme?
TM: The term in general blurs many lines and we want to celebrate artists creating country, folk, singer-songwriter tunes and adjacent genres in the New Orleans and Mississippi Delta region. We chose this theme because Dusky and I are making this music, and saw an area where the genre could use not only a spotlight, but a beacon for others creating within these genres to build community here in New Orleans.
Obviously people mainly associate New Orleans with its jazz traditions - do you see other forms of music thriving on the local live scene, or is it trickier for singer/songwriters such as yourselves?
DW: Absolutely! This is part of the aim of our festival-to create this connected community space around Americana. I think when most folks think of Americana, folk, and country, other parts of the U.S. come to mind, but New Orleans has a rich presence in these genres, and we want to celebrate that!
TM: The beauty of New Orleans is that if you're creating great music that connects with people, you will thrive. When I got here, I thought "If I'm going to 'do music' in this town, I have to learn covers." However, I kept playing my original music and continued to get booked at great venues and perform for great people.
How did you come to choose the Broadside as a venue? How has it been, working with the team over there?
TM: Dusky and I attended the first Bulbancha Bluegrass festival last October at The Broadside. So we thought, if The Broadside is into hosting first time festivals, maybe we could work with them. We set a meeting and the team has been so supportive throughout the entire planning process - it was meant to be.
It's such a killer line up, Joy Clark in particular has had a huge year, so that's a fabulous headliner right there. What about the festival are you most excited for?
TM: All of it! I'm excited we have such superb programming in addition to an incredible lineup, including the first BlackAmericana Art Market (3pm-8pm) featuring massage therapy on the grounds, and twelve other great vendors. Folks will enjoy delicious food from six vendors providing local culinary delights to keep guests satisfied throughout the day. Art Camp 504 is offering crafting for kids of all ages (even those who are a child at heart) from 3pm-7pm. Our VIP Crown Lounge has Crown Royal tastings for organizations whose donations went above and beyond to make this festival happen. There's also the Roots & Rhythm Music History panel with Dr. Michael White, Mona Lisa Salloy, Lilli Lewis and Freddi Evans. You won't want to miss a minute of this amazing day!
Finally, as well as seeing you at the festival, where can folk see you play around town or find you online?
TM: I'll be at the Pensacola Beach Songfest right after the festival playing the open mics Oct 1st-6th. I'm also playing the Ozone Songwriter fest at the end of October. All of my shows are listed on my website Teena-May.com and on my Instagram: @HappyBlackSongstress
DW: I will be on tour with my band immediately after BlackAmericana Fest to the Red River Revel in Shreveport. We are also playing the Rhythm and Roses series at the BK House on October 25th, celebrating the release of a new single ‘A House On King Street.” You can follow my music journey at my website duskywaters.com and on socials @duskywaters.
Thank you both so much for taking to us, have a wonderful festival!
Programming and ticketing information are available at the official Black Americana Fest website
interview by Paul Oswell
New Orleans isn't a city that's short on music festivals, with just about every kind of music represented from jazz, to zydeco, to electronica. That doesn't mean that there isn't room for even more musical exploration, though. This month sees the inaugural Black Americana Festival, a new event to be held at The Broadside in Mid City. In the festivals' own words, they are looking to provide "a platform to honor and celebrate the musical heritage, legacy, and contributions of Black artists making music in the Americana and Folk genres in New Orleans, and the Mississippi River Delta region." The BAF was co-founded by Teena May and Dusky Waters. Out All Day wanted to find out more, so we caught them as they make their final preparations.
Out All Day: Hi, Dusky and Teena! Thanks so much for talking to us! How are preparations for the festival going so far?
Teena May: Everyone we've engaged so far has been so supportive!!
Dusky Waters: I agree! One of my favorite parts of planning this festival has been all of the new people we have met and friends we have made. Our approach has been to let as many people as possible know about our vision, and follow, as Teena likes to say, “enthusiastic yes’s”. This has led us to a lot of wonderful folks who have helped bring this event to life. It has truly been a community effort.
OAD: You're co-founders of the festival - could you tell us a little about yourselves, and how the idea for the festival came about in the first place?
TM: Dusky approached me last year after her performance at Fete Du Void (a music festival in Allen Parish, LA), and shared with me this idea burning in her heart of a festival celebrating Black folks creating Americana in New Orleans. I thought that this first year would be a small showcase at a black coffee shop to discuss how we could build community and create a festival in future years. Turns out, the future is now, and we have this incredible day! I'm still amazed at the team and how we came together to pull this off!
We are the festival co-founders and Mark Williams II is the Arts & Education Curator. We also have an Advisory Committee including Chris Breary (Louisiana Music & Heritage Foundation Museum & Nola Funk Fest), Lilli Lewis (Black American Music Summit), Ashley Shabankareh (Trombone Shorty Foundation), Hannah Kreiger-Benson and Kendra Thompson (both Music and Culture Coalition of New Orleans), Rachel Ornelas (Jazz and Heritage Festival) as the Run of Show Coordinator, and Mecca Burke (Hell or High Water Tattoo & Shop), who also created the festival logo.
Looking at the line-up, I see my friends Joy Clark and Micah McKee immediately! Is the line-up all musicians from New Orleans or are there folk from further afield?
TM: Nikki Hill is also on the lineup and is the only out of town artist. Our goal this first year was to really highlight the rich Americana talent in the city of New Orleans.
Tell us a bit about your personal musical journeys. What were your formative musical experiences as children, and how did you grow your talents and start to play around the city?
DW: I grew up in a family that was always singing and playing the piano. Some of my earliest memories are of my mom singing in the church choir, my auntie playing the piano and organ, and my grandmother singing her sought after, beautiful soprano solos. Growing up in Little Rock, I definitely felt the influence of gospel, folk, and the pop music my parents loved, as well as the pull towards the delta blues that characterize my home state. I played piano and guitar as a child, and started writing songs at 11. Though I was always curious about country and folk music, it wasn’t until college that I really found my place within these traditions. I saw Rhiannon Giddens play with the Carolina Chocolate Drops in St. Louis, and she spoke about the black history of the banjo. It was love at first sight for me and the banjo. I went out and bought one the next week.
TM: I grew up in Winchester VA, on classical piano lessons and classical flute study and performance. I thought music was just a hobby during my college years. I started writing music after college when I moved to Los Angeles, then NYC, mainly because I was very lonely in both cities. I did release an Alt-Rock album in 2017 called Skin On Mine but I didn't really make the effort to build an audience. I gave up on music in 2018, and then during the pandemic, found my heart and soul in New Orleans. I played an open mic in town during the summer of 2022 and have been performing ever since. My first folk EP, "Bones" is coming out this fall.
The festival showcases 'Americana' - could you explain what that term means to you, and why you chose it as the theme?
TM: The term in general blurs many lines and we want to celebrate artists creating country, folk, singer-songwriter tunes and adjacent genres in the New Orleans and Mississippi Delta region. We chose this theme because Dusky and I are making this music, and saw an area where the genre could use not only a spotlight, but a beacon for others creating within these genres to build community here in New Orleans.
Obviously people mainly associate New Orleans with its jazz traditions - do you see other forms of music thriving on the local live scene, or is it trickier for singer/songwriters such as yourselves?
DW: Absolutely! This is part of the aim of our festival-to create this connected community space around Americana. I think when most folks think of Americana, folk, and country, other parts of the U.S. come to mind, but New Orleans has a rich presence in these genres, and we want to celebrate that!
TM: The beauty of New Orleans is that if you're creating great music that connects with people, you will thrive. When I got here, I thought "If I'm going to 'do music' in this town, I have to learn covers." However, I kept playing my original music and continued to get booked at great venues and perform for great people.
How did you come to choose the Broadside as a venue? How has it been, working with the team over there?
TM: Dusky and I attended the first Bulbancha Bluegrass festival last October at The Broadside. So we thought, if The Broadside is into hosting first time festivals, maybe we could work with them. We set a meeting and the team has been so supportive throughout the entire planning process - it was meant to be.
It's such a killer line up, Joy Clark in particular has had a huge year, so that's a fabulous headliner right there. What about the festival are you most excited for?
TM: All of it! I'm excited we have such superb programming in addition to an incredible lineup, including the first BlackAmericana Art Market (3pm-8pm) featuring massage therapy on the grounds, and twelve other great vendors. Folks will enjoy delicious food from six vendors providing local culinary delights to keep guests satisfied throughout the day. Art Camp 504 is offering crafting for kids of all ages (even those who are a child at heart) from 3pm-7pm. Our VIP Crown Lounge has Crown Royal tastings for organizations whose donations went above and beyond to make this festival happen. There's also the Roots & Rhythm Music History panel with Dr. Michael White, Mona Lisa Salloy, Lilli Lewis and Freddi Evans. You won't want to miss a minute of this amazing day!
Finally, as well as seeing you at the festival, where can folk see you play around town or find you online?
TM: I'll be at the Pensacola Beach Songfest right after the festival playing the open mics Oct 1st-6th. I'm also playing the Ozone Songwriter fest at the end of October. All of my shows are listed on my website Teena-May.com and on my Instagram: @HappyBlackSongstress
DW: I will be on tour with my band immediately after BlackAmericana Fest to the Red River Revel in Shreveport. We are also playing the Rhythm and Roses series at the BK House on October 25th, celebrating the release of a new single ‘A House On King Street.” You can follow my music journey at my website duskywaters.com and on socials @duskywaters.
Thank you both so much for taking to us, have a wonderful festival!
Programming and ticketing information are available at the official Black Americana Fest website