Amuma Says No is a Basque American band based in Boise, Idaho.

The process of writing a song has always seemed daunting to me. Especially at the Folklife Festival, surrounded by wildly talented musicians steeped in generations of tradition and bursting with innovative ideas, I can’t even imagine how to begin.

It was the very last concert of the 2016 Folklife Festival, and the Basque folk rock band Korrontzi was performing on the Ralph Rinzler Concert Stage.

The spirit of the Godfather of Go-Go spread across the National Mall on July 3 with each bass riff and brass blast of the Chuck Brown Band.

Kepa Junkera kicked off the 2016 Folklife Festival evening concert series with a riveting performance alongside the all-women group Sorginak, showcasing his nimble accordion skills and musical genius that earned him a Latin GRAMMY in 2004.

I was in high school when the HBO premiered the series Brave New Voices (2009). I remember being in awe of the force behind the voices of teenagers collectively sharing their stories through spoken word, across the cities spotlighted on the show.

Irish American fiddler Liz Carroll from Chicago, Illinois, is renowned as both a virtuosic musician and a gifted composer.

Seven acts performed at this year's Ralph Rinzler Memorial Concert, showing a diverse sampling of the National Endowment for Arts National Heritage Fellows.

On the opening day of the 2016 Folklife Festival, Basque trikitixa (accordion) sensation Kepa Junkera headlined the Ralph Rinzler Concert Stage, accompanied by five of the Sorginak.

In this interview, Tmbata answers questions about their American and Armenian inspirations, the importance of Armenian folk music, and what they want to do when get to D.C. for the Smithsonian Folklife Festival.