WS Chronicle

BY DAVID WINSHIP 

Charlie Poole was a banjo picker and millworker in the cotton mills of Spray, North Carolina. Charlie Poole was also a rambler. All of these elements are part of the legacy of Poole, who is celebrated and commemorated in the annual Charlie Poole Festival held in Eden, North Carolina, on June 12-14. Presented by the Piedmont Folk Alliance, this year’s festival celebrates the 100th anniversary of Poole’s first recording, one which became a standard in old-time and bluegrass music circles, “Don’t let your deal go down.”  

The three-day festival celebrates Poole’s legacy through concerts, musical competitions, workshops and a pre-festival historical symposium. Awards and recognitions will also be presented during the festival. 

“Africa to Appalachia” project shines spotlight on the banjo 

Riley Baugus, who will be recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award, will perform on Saturday night with African musician Cheick Hamala Diabate. Both musicians are talented banjo players and will be featured in the “Africa to Appalachia” project that explores the historic connection between West African and Southern Appalachian music. 

The banjo was brought from Africa by enslaved people centuries ago. Showcasing the African perspective is Cheick Hamala Diabate, a renown Malian n’goni master and griot, who received the festival’s 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award. Most know what a banjo looks like and sounds like. Not so much with the n’goni, the West African plucked lute covered in animal skin. A griot is a storyteller, keeping alive the history of a tribe or village through song, poems and dance.   

Explaining the role of the griot, Diabate says, “The music we griots play is not just about making nice sounds for dancing. It’s about giving a lesson to people about their lives. You tell them about what their grandfathers did, and what they should do now. … When people are lazy, they see the griot and change their ways. The griot gives you the way you have to go. … People trust the griot more than anyone else.”  

In 2007, Diabate’s collaboration with banjoist Bob Carlin, “From Mali to America,” was Grammy-nominated for Best Traditional World Music Album. Diabate has also collaborated and performed with Bela Fleck. 

2025 Musical Scholarship and Lifetime Achievement Awards 

During the festival, a musical scholarship in honor of legendary guitarist Tony Rice and Lifetime Achievement Awards will recognize Riley Baugus, as well as Sammy Shelor, and Wayne Henderson and Helen White.  

Riley Baugus, a native of Walkertown (near Winston-Salem), plays banjo, guitar, and fiddle, sings, and is a luthier. He began his musical development early and learned at the knees of noted mountain musicians Tommy Jarrell, Robert Sykes, Dix Freeman, Verlin Clifton, and Paul Sutphin. He has toured internationally and recently has played with the Dirk Powell Band and Polecat Creek.  

Sammy Shelor comes from a musical family, and with his ancestors first recorded at The Bristol Sessions in 1927. He is a five-time International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Banjo Performer of the Year and was inducted into the Virginia Country Music Hall of Fame in 2009.  

Wayne Henderson and Helen White were partners in music until her death in 2019. Henerson is an internationally recognized luthier, who was awarded the National Heritage Award in 1995. Helen White initiated and led the regional Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM) program, which began in Sparta, North Carolina, in 2000 and now has over 60 affiliates in the southern Appalachian region.  

Henderson will perform on Friday, and Shelor, with his band, Lonesome River Band, will perform both Friday and Saturday nights. 

Featured Contemporary Artists 

Performers on Friday include the New North Carolina Ramblers, who take their name from Poole’s original band, and Thomm Jutz, whose song “Mill Town Blues,” tells the Charlie Poole story. Other performers on Saturday night include John McEuen and the Circle Band. 

Contemporary musicians Tray Wellington and Amythyst Kiah highlight the Saturday afternoon cast of performers that also includes Jesse Smathers and “Payday at the Mill: Spinning Songs and Stories.”  

Tray Wellington, an Ashe County native and Raleigh resident, guides and rides his banjo, arched upward. With his style firmly rooted in traditional music, he is branching out in new growth patterns. He plays the banjo as an instrument that transcends styles, techniques, and genres. The IBMA recognized him with its 2019 Momentum Instrumentalist of the Year. His debut album in 2022, “Black Banjo,” according to music journalist David Morris, “will keep you on your toes … mixing up genres, tempos, and playing styles.” 

Amythyst Kiah, who along with Wellington drew inspiration and education from the East Tennessee State University Bluegrass, Old-Time and Country Music program, played with Our Native Daughters, a project with Rhiannon Giddens, Leyla McCalla, and Allison Russell which showcases the Black banjo heritage in these women’s hands. Her solo career has taken her to venues across the continent, including appearances with the Indigo Girls, The Who, LeAnn Rimes, and Larkin Poe. Kiah earned a 2020 Grammy Award Best American Roots Song nomination for her song “Black Myself.” Her song, “Wild Turkey” was named by Variety Magazine as one of the 50 Best Songs of 2021. Kiah, who identifies as queer, writes and sings from her heart and her experiences, describing her style as “Southern Gothic.” 

Along with Music, Family-Friendly Festival Offers a Variety of Activities 

The festival provides a stage where tradition meets talent in a celebration of music. Contest competitions will occur in simultaneous schedules, with youth competition beginning at 4 p.m. on Friday afternoon and adult beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday morning. The music contests offer cash prizes and ribbons awarded to the top five places in all categories. The Grand Champion, Old Time 3-Finger Banjo, is winner-takes-all – $1,000 cash prize and the Grand Champion Ribbon. 

Food trucks, vendors, camping, and recreational amenities will be available, including scenic trails, tennis courts, and shaded outdoor spaces perfect for a festival weekend. This family-friendly event invites you to relax, listen, dance, and discover the cultural roots that still echo through American music today. 

The Charlie Poole Festival is held at Rockingham Community College, 484 County Home Road, Wentworth, North Carolina. Tickets are available in advance at charlie-poole.com or on-site during the event. 

 David Winship, a native of Bristol, Tennessee, has been around old-time music his entire life and his happy feet can’t resist dancing when he hears old-time music. He is the host of Vinyl Reflections featuring records from his extensive collection on WEHC 90.7 FM on the campus of Emery & Henry University. He is a member of Winston-Salem Writers and an occasional contributor to The Chronicle.