Featuring women from Louisiana, Alabama, North Carolina and Georgia, "Sisters of the South" is sponsored by the Southern Arts Federation. Cajun musicians and sisters Christine and Nelda Balfa of "Balfa Toujours" are joined by Anglo-American balladeer Sheila Kay Adams, bluegrass musicians Betty and Tina Ray and the Moon-Ray Family Band, and the African American gospel quartet D'Vine. Together, the Sisters of the South educate their audiences about their experience as southern women through moving stories and entertaining music.
This tour recognizes new artistic roles for southern women, allowing them the opportunity to step into the spotlight and share their talents with audiences young and old. Through a grant by BellSouth, educational materials are being developed to support and enhance presentations by these artists in area schools. This material will provide context and historical background on southern women, traditional music, southern cultures and biographical information about each artist. Using these guides, teachers will be able to integrate a performance by one of the tour's artists or groups into their larger educational goals and objectives. For information about the educational outreach project, call Barbara Lau at 874-7244.
"We're really excited about this tour," said Saunders. "But we're even more excited about our new CD that's coming out after Halloween."
The two-week tour is just the beginning of an exciting year for D'Vine. They will be touring Brazil for three weeks next April as part of a function with the U.S. Embassy, performing for diplomats and political officers, and representing the United States at official functions, community events and local schools. They have already been booked to perform at the Olympic Village next year, along with Hootie and the Blowfish and others.
--Relanda Young