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PAUL:

Why book a flight around the world when the world's cultures are coming to your backyard?

Hey, it's Paul Wolf with a front row seat to conversations on culture from Jackson, Mississippi. We call our podcast Soul Sessions. It's the people, places and events that make the City With Soul shine.

On today's show, we're talking with Thabi Moyo, the local director for the National Folk Festival, coming to Jackson November 7th through 9th. She left her beloved job at the Mississippi Film Office to take on this massive three-year cultural celebration. And she's here to tell us why this free festival will be unlike anything Jackson has ever experienced.

You took a step away from the Mississippi Film Office. You had been there for ages and I know, loved your job there. And so why did you want to become the director for the National Folk Festival here in Jackson?

THABI:

That's a great question. And I love that you jumped in right there because it's absolutely true what you just said about my work within the film industry at the Mississippi Film Office. absolutely loved what I did. I love the team and the culture of working at the film office. But my side hustle and what I was learning along the way is that I really do enjoy arts and culture and community and community building. My first kind of foray into that was talking to you about the jewelry that I make. Being out at markets making jewelry and that turned into coming up with an idea if I ever had an opportunity to do a market, this is how we do it. And so that became Magnolia Sunset Market. I was doing that. It was kind of like my moonlighting job while I was at the film office. I started to get really good at planning, medium sized scale events. Gwen Wilkes over at the Mississippi Museum of Art was the first person to put the National Folk Festival on my radar. She was like, ‘I heard about this opportunity. The National Folk Festival's coming and she was like, I don't know you that well, but I think you would be great for the position.’ It came out of nowhere that it came on my radar. And so at that point, I was at the film office and I was like, you know, happy, you know, got a chance to meet a lot of amazing people, working on a lot of amazing projects. But I started to read about the Folk Festival and learn about it. And I was like, if that's coming to Jackson, I want to make sure it's done right. And I feel like what my mom used to say, if you want something done right, you got to do it yourself. I took a while to think about it because it was a really hard decision. But through my name in the hat, the very last day of the application was open and I said a prayer. And then I got a call for an interview and decided to take it and take a step out on faith. This is a faith walk.

PAUL:

There you are, the local director for the National Folk Festival here in Jackson, Mississippi, which happens November 7th, 8th and 9th. And we've got the festival for three years. This is just year one coming up in just a short amount of time. And Thabi, I think the number one question that I hear about the folk festival out on the streets, as they say, is, what the heck is this thing? Like, how do you even explain something this massive and magnificent and multifaceted that is coming to Jackson?

THABI:

Well, I think that a lot of people put folk in a box, right? When they think about folk and folk music, but what you have to understand about the national folk festival is it's put in all of America's cultures and traditions on equal platforms. It's a celebration of all of America's cultures. You’ll see anything from hip hop to Irish, you know, fiddle in and I'm still getting the language right around all of the different cultures that will be represented, but it is a celebration of all cultures. And I think that that's the coolest thing about it. So while people want to think about, you know, fiddle and banjo, maybe when it comes to folk, it completely just explodes that idea is everything that falls under that umbrella.

You’ll get blues, you'll get gospel, you'll get the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and some of their traditions and cultures, and you'll get that in the food as well. There’s lots of moving parts, but over those three days we'll have six stages. It's a free, completely free event. We'll have a family area, we'll have an area that's dedicated to the celebration of all things Mississippi culture. The Mississippi Arts Commission is curating that space over at the Old Capitol Museum. We're excited about them and what the program that they've laid out.

It's just an opportunity to learn, I guess, number one, about cultures outside of Mississippi. If you haven't had a chance to travel outside of the U.S., this is a great opportunity to engage and do some cross-cultural exchange and learning. But it's just a celebration. It's a music festival, a cultural arts festival. And it's great for any host city that gets it for the three years, thinking about the tourism, thinking about the economic impact.

It's entertainment, it's economic impact, it's civic pride that's being lifted. It's an opportunity for our community to come together in ways that we haven't before. It's a challenge, you know, to become more efficient at a city level, you know, I'm learning and working with so many people to make this large-scale event happen. You know, we're going to be hosting 60 to 80,000 people over that weekend. It’s a lot of partners that are involved in making sure we get this right. And so everybody's stepping up and have come to the table to, help make this happen.

PAUL:

I think you made a really good point about learning about cultures from all over the world, but this festival truly is even learning about cultures, right in your own backyard. There'll be so many Mississippi ties to this, but also those international performers, some of the people that'll be here are tops in their field, like award-winning musicians and the best of the best. And so if you miss it, you're going to miss it.

THABI:

That is right. You'll miss it for a year. You know, you'll have to wait to the second weekend in November. The event will happen the second weekend of November this year, and then for the next two consecutive years until 2027. And then after that, you know, the hope is that it has left a footprint so that we're able to produce our own local a festival here in the capital city. That's really exciting.

Over the next three years, we'll get a chance to be trained by our national team. And then they'll leave that foundation here for us to build on. I'm excited again about all of the new partnerships and community building a volunteer base that will support this. You know, if you're new to Jackson, this is a great opportunity for any newcomers that have just moved here to start to build community and be connected to something that has legs again, it's here for three years. It’s a chance to build in a exciting way. You know, have opportunity to network with some folks and find your new friends and your new friend group. That’s one group of people that I really want to encourage and get this on their radar. Cause I know a lot of times when you move to a new place, you're kind of like, where do I start? We're starting too. It’s a great place to, you know, let's collaborate. I think that there's some synergy there.

PAUL:

Yeah, Thabi, we talk about this being a tourism driver and what it will do for Jackson, but it's also a future driver too.

THABI:

Yeah, historically in other host cities, there's been a transformation, you know, in the downtown areas that it's gone to. It’s been revitalization. It's been projects that have been in the queue, that have just been dreams that have actually come to fruition. When you think about Richmond, Virginia, you think about Greensboro, North Carolina and Butte, Montana. These are some of the other host cities that have seen the impacts of the National Folk Festival. And I'm excited for what that looks like here in Jackson.

PAUL:

I know your heart is in the community and the art scene and making things better in the place where you live. So consider the National Folk Festival, November 7th, 8th and 9th here in Jackson as kind of a spark really to help light up that ingenuity and that drive and that passion here in the city.

THABI:

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, and there, you know, people are wondering how to get involved. I mean, yes, you can attend, but we have other opportunities. You know, we have right now a call out for volunteers. The festival is run on about 800 to 1,000. We've hired volunteer coordinators to help us with that recruitment effort. If you're a community member that just loves music and wants to support, we have a yard sign campaign going where you can go online and click to sponsor and get a yard sign that can be a mini billboard for $250. Our goal there is to sell 400 of them. And that'll help us hit a fundraising goal of $100,000. And we just kicked that off and are selling signs and we'll have distribution sites where you can pick up those signs. And then other ways we have a marketplace, craft marketplace. I mentioned earlier, know, my building on my arts and culture world was making jewelry. We have handcrafted marketplace. We have a handcrafted marketplace that features artists from Mississippi, but across the Southern region. And I'm excited about putting those folks and giving them a stage. And so they'll be located at the market.

Then we have the food vendors. If you're a food truck or a food business, whether you're a restaurant or have a food truck, we have a space for you. And both of those are rolling deadlines until we fill out all of our spots. You know, all this information, I know it's a lot, but nationalfolkfestival.com is a great way to learn more, you know, and then follow us on social media, nffjackson. Visit Jackson, I know has lots of information that they are supporting us and getting the word out and marketing this effort. It's lot of ways to get involved, but also learn more about about the National Folk Festival. I'm really excited that it's coming to Jackson.

PAUL:

Yeah. Another question that I get, Thabi about the National Folk Festival is that, well, I see those same bands everywhere and I see those same vendors and I see that same food truck. This is really going to be like nothing Jackson has ever experienced before in terms of variety and the nature and geography of the people who will come here, both to take part, to participate and to volunteer for the festival.

THABI:

Yeah, I think that's a great point. I think we have to think not this is more of the same. This is completely different to your point. The bands and musicians that are being programmed are world-class. They are award-winning in their particular field. When you think of anyone in blues or gospel or zydeco or any of these musical traditions, it's the best of the best. And we're working with the National Council for Traditional Arts, who's been producing this event for 90 years. And I think, you know, we're pulling from that group of musicians and expertise. It’s been going on at NCTA for that long period of time, but also the people who have, and musicians that have been programmed at other festivals that represent all of these cultures, you know, will come to Mississippi.

You may not have heard of some of these bands and you'll probably discover some new bands into new types of music that you didn't realize that you like. And there will be some recognizable names, you know, and I think that the majority of those you might see in that Mississippi Folklife area, but there'll be lots of opportunities to discover new things. And I think that that's one of the most exciting points and highlights about the festival is just like, do something a little different, like grow and experience culture in a different way. And again, you get to do it in your own backyard for free. You know, and that's a, you know, I say for free.

We’re in fundraising right now and it is a community lift and we do ask our corporate citizens to step up and become kind of our cheerleaders and supporters, know, main supporters to make this festival happen. And we're getting some really good feedback and just a response from the folks who are helping us to fundraise and support the festival and have come on as sponsors. So just shout out to all of our sponsors. Can't thank them enough for coming on board to help support these efforts. you know, even with the new administration, you know, coming in, they're excited about the festival. So shout out to them, you know, and the support that they'll give and energy that they're bringing to this event.

PAUL:

Thabi, we're just a short time away from November 7th, 8th and 9th in Jackson. What's got you excited right now?

THABI:

I'm just really excited to get to November to see people in downtown Jackson, walking up and down Capitol Street. You know, a lot of people often say, this makes me think about Jubilee Jam. And while yes, it should, because that's exactly the feeling and the visual that Jubilee Jam gave us. But somebody else will describe this Jubilee Jam like 2.0, you know? It'll have its own signature and flavor, but it'll be another chance for us to pour into our downtown and see it come alive again in the way that we know it can.

The National Folk Festival is coming to Jackson November 7th, 8th and 9th and it's completely free. And this isn't just another music festival. It's a three-year investment in our community's cultural future. Thabi Moyo and her team are building something that will transform Jackson just like it has in Richmond, Greensboro and Butte. Whether you're a volunteer, sponsor a yard sign or simply show up to experience cultures from around the world right here in our own backyard, this is your chance to be a part of something special that will leave a lasting footprint on the City with Soul. We'll have links to the National Folk Festival and our show notes at visitjackon.com/soulsessions.

This podcast is produced by Visit Jackson, the destination organization for Mississippi's capital city. Our executive producers are Jonathan Pettus and Dr. Ricky Thigpen, and I'm our managing editor. There are so many great things happening in Jackson, Mississippi, and we tell you all about it, all the time, at our website. That’s at VisitJackson.com.

I'm Paul Wolf. You've been listening to Soul Sessions.

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