Storytelling for the Northwest Folklife Festival
The Seattle-based annual NW Folklife Festival, now the country’s largest community-powered arts festival, celebrates the global traditions of local, independent artists. NW Folklife asked Watts to produce a series of videos showcasing local performers and their creative contributions to the NW Folklife Festival. Here are just a couple of them.
Below are two featured stories from the series.
Draze
Draze (Dumi Maraire, Jr.) is a Seattle musician whose artistry is deeply rooted in heritage. The son of two African music legends, he blends Hip Hop with Zimbabwean musical traditions to create a sound that is layered, rhythmic, and unmistakably authentic. His story reflects the cultural fusion and generational creativity at the heart of Northwest Folklife.
Dejah Leger
Singer‑songwriter Dejah Leger pairs her music with a rare visual storytelling form known as the Crankie - a hand‑cranked moving panorama that transforms songs into illustrated narratives. Through intricate paper‑cut imagery and live performance, Dejah brings this historic art form to life in a way that is both intimate and visually captivating.
