Minneapolis, MN-based string duo The OK Factor, and award-winning Swedish quintet Jaerv, are excited to present their program, Traditions. Following their joint Swedish tours in the summer of 2021, 2023, and 2025 and their US tours in the fall of 2022, 2023, and January 2024, the bands are excited to share the music and camaraderie that grew from these cultural exchanges.
Named after Ukrainian nomads, Scythian (sith-ee-yin) plays roots music from Celtic, Eastern European and Appalachian traditions with thunderous energy, technical prowess, and storytelling songwriting, beckoning crowds into a barn-dance, rock concert experience. The foursome made up of Alexander Fedoryka (Vocals, Fiddle, Mandolin, Harmonica), Danylo Fedoryka (Vocals, Guitar, Accordion), Ethan Dean (Vocals, Upright and Electric Bass, Percussion, Guitar) and Alex Kuldell (Vocals, Drums, Percussion) brings various influences together to create a conglomerate which is technically precise and steeped in various folk traditions.
Alash are masters of traditional Tuvan instruments as well as the ancient art of throat singing, a remarkable technique for singing multiple pitches at the same time. Believing that traditional music must constantly evolve, the musicians subtly infuse their songs with western elements, creating their own unique style that is fresh and new, yet true to their Tuvan musical heritage.
Making Movies is the Latin Grammy–nominated group led by Enrique Chi — born in Santiago, Panamá, and raised in the American Midwest — forging a sound guided by tradition, yet unmistakably its own. The band has been described by Rolling Stone as “an eclectic blend of rumbero percussion, delicate organs, and grungy fuzz,” while NPR calls the project “perhaps one of the most unique groups around today.” Their sound is anchored in the rich rhythmic traditions of Panamá and delivered with the force of a psychedelic rock show. Chi weaves the mejorana, a traditional hand-made instrument rarely heard outside of Panamá, into each performance.