Guy and Candie Carawan – musicians, activists, and long-time Highlander staff members – will be among the featured performers at the 50th anniversary celebration for the historic Ash Grove night club in Los Angeles on April 18-20, 2008.
Founded in 1958, the Ash Grove was a vital center for culture and politics, presenting music from peoples and communities across the country, including folk, blues, country, bluegrass, Cajun, and more. It was also a training ground for new musicians, giving many their first experience with music outside the pop mainstream.
The Ash Grove anniversary celebration will be held at UCLA, in collaboration with the UCLA Department of Ethnomusicology. Other performers will include Taj Mahal, Ry Cooder, Holly Near, Bernice Johnson Reagon, the Freedom Singers, and Michelle Shocked.
For more information about the celebration, and about the history of the Ash Grove, visit the Ash Grove website. For information about Guy and Candie Carawan’s music and their ongoing work for justice, visit their Guy & Candie Carawan: A Personal Story Through Sight & Sound.