An interview with an Appalachian songsmith

IRONSBURG, Tenn. – Whether he is tending the land on his farm in the mountains of eastern Tennessee or performing his songs at a Pagan gathering, Louis Garou is a man who is truly grateful for all that he has and all that he can do. “Every morning, without fail,” he explained, “when I wake up I thank the Goddess, and whatever wayward god that might care, for all the blessings I have received. And the biggest blessing is living on this land, in these mountains.”

 

He refers to himself as, “just a witchy, mountain farmer,” and he takes his calling as a steward of the land seriously. “It is a privilege and a responsibility to care for this sacred ground.

Nigerian festival drums the future

Coverage of the fourth annual African Drum Festival, held in Ogun State, Nigeria, in which performers collaborated and celebrated the history of African drumming traditions and discussed the future of the music.