BUTTE — The music that people will hear on the six stages of the Montana Folk Festival in Butte is all played from the heart and comes from deep cultural roots.
“I come from a family that are all musicians, they were farmers, but after work, they used to gather to you know play music and dance,” said musician Kiki Valera.
His band will be performing son Cubano which is a popular dance music in Cuba. It is a music that combines traditional Spanish music with African rhythms.
“And Cuba was that melting pot where those two great cultures blend together,” said Valera.
The folk festival features more than 20 performers with a variety of musical stylings that highlight strong cultural heritage. Kiki Valera hopes people will be moved by his music.
“The main goal is to bring this music to people I suppose they haven’t been very exposed to this kind of music, but the main goal is to have them appreciate the richness of my culture,” he said.
Kiki has traveled the world, but this is the first time he’s been to Butte.
And what he thinks of Butte so far...
“It is Butte-iful,” he said.
The free three-day music festival runs from July 14 – 16 in Uptown Butte.
