For nearly 45 years, Mississippi Action for Community Education (MACE) has been showing and proving that “the Blues is alright” right along with the lineup for its annual Mississippi Delta Blues & Heritage Festival.
MACE board members and city officials gathered Wednesday on the steps of Greenville City Hall to announce the musical lineup for the 45th annual Delta Blues & Heritage Festival which is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 17 on the grounds of the Washington County Convention Center.
In addition to the festival lineup, the events and activities slated for “Blues Week” were announced.
“It is six days of education, empowerment, and entertainment and it kicks off with the Mayor’s Blues Reception,” Mayor Errick Simmons said, noting the festival is the longest running festival of its kind in the country. “Folks from all around the world love music and they come right here to the Mississippi Delta in Greenville on the third weekend in September to hear the best Blues that you can ever hear.”
MACE chairman and state senator Robert Jackson highlighted what has become an annual tradition that precedes Blues Week and that is the upcoming Blues Fest Kick Off Block Party slated for 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 6 at 119 S. Theobald St. in front of the MACE Building with WBAD hosting a live remote broadcast and the chance for folks to purchase tickets at a discounted cost of $25.
“We just have a good time, there is no cost and we feature a lot of local Blues musicians… we’re just getting everybody in the mood for the Blues,” said Jackson. “We say, ‘When the Blues are in the air, you gotta catch it’ and 45 years is a major accomplishment.”
The Mayor’s Blues Reception will take place on Monday, Sept. 12 followed by the Blues Fest Family Day on Wednesday, Sept. 14 and the Blues in School/Delta Dialogue event Friday, Sept. 16.
That Friday evening will be the Nelson Street Festival and the week will culminate Saturday with the 45th annual Mississippi Delta Blues & Heritage Festival.
More details about Blues Week events and activities will follow in the weeks leading up to the event.
“We’ve been looking forward to it for a number of weeks. We want to just thank the mayor first of all, the City of Greenville, Washington County and all the folks that work with us to produce and put on the Blues Festival,” Jackson said of the festival. “Howard Boutte has been working with us for years and we want to thank him for all of his hard work and all the people that work with him on an annual basis to bring his festival to be.”
This year’s festival will include performances by the Fife and Drum Band and Pat Thomas, father of Son Thomas, who are both festival veterans.
Also performing are the Kattawar Brothers, Keith Johnson & the Buddy Waters Band, led by the great grandson of Muddy Waters, Nathaniel Kimble, J’Canae, The Eric Hughes Band, Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas, Bobby Rush, Sweet Angel, Jay Hammer, O.B. Buchana and Willie Clayton.
Several of the artists have Mississippi Delta Roots that stem from Rolling Fork, Mound Bayou, Coahoma and Washington Counties.
“We tried to bring you an array of different genres of music,” Boutte said, noting a mash-up for Blues, R&B and Soul music genres. “We hope you enjoy it and we’re looking forward to a great festival.”
Most of MACE’s communications and updates regarding the festival will be shared via the Mississippi Delta Blues & Heritage social media pages on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
For more information, contact Boutte at 662-335-3523.
