Iuri Santos coaches his North Star Capoeira group before performing at the 2007 Indiana State Fair Photo by Jon Kay.

2007 Performance Stage

In 2007, the groups featured were Iuri Santos and North Star Capoeira, the spoon playing of the Steve Tankersley family, and the Afro-Caribbean music and dance of Sancocho.

Iuri Santos and North Star Capoeira
Iuri Santos and North Star Capoeira demonstrated traditional Brazilian music and dance.

Steve Tankersley family
Steve Tankersley and his family practice the traditional musical form of spoon playing.

Sancocho
Sancocho performed Afro-Caribbean music and dance.

2006 Performance Stage

In 2006, the groups featured were Jay Fox and the Bavarian Showtime Band, and Brad Leftwich and the Humdingers, a traditional old-time ensemble.

Jay Fox belts out a German polka tune at TAI day at the fair. Photo by Ilze Akerbergs.

Jay Fox and the Bavarian Showtime Band
Dancing couples whirled between the picnic tables of the Indiana State Fair as Jay Fox played a virtuoso polka piece on his accordion. Clad in lederhosen, he yodeled and sang along with his female partner, carrying the crowd away with his versatility, enthusiasm, and energy.

Brad Leftwich and the Humdingers perform old-time music. Photo by Jon Kay

Jay has been playing the accordion for over forty years, winning the National Accordion championship for four consecutive years. Born of German heritage, Jay has internalized the music of his Germanic past, playing everything from Viennese waltzes to popular standards. Besides accordion and voice, the band performs on drums, cowbells, and dances the traditional German Schuhplatting.

Brad Leftwich and the Humdingers

An accomplished violinist, banjo player, and singer, Brad Leftwich is a much sought-after teacher at traditional music camps around the nation. His virtuoso fiddling has earned him top prize in the Appalachian String Band Music Festival fiddle contest.

Brad grew up in Oklahoma with musical and cultural roots in the Virginia Blue Ridge Mountains. He is devoted to his family's musical tradition and his repertoire includes many tunes that he learned from older tradition bearers of the Appalachians and Ozarks. The Humdingers are accomplished string musicians from the Bloomington, Indiana area.

2005 Performance Stage

In 2005, the groups featured were Mariachi Acero, a traditional group from East Chicago, and Seven Minutes 'Til Midnight, a gospel group from Indianapolis.

Clary Butler, Jr. leads a gospel number. Photo by Ilze Akerbergs.

Seven Minutes 'Til Midnight
Steel guitarist Clary Butler, Jr. and his group "Seven Minutes 'Til Midnight" from Indianapolis roused the state fair audience to its feet with their "sacred steel" music, which is a form of gospel utilizing pedal steel guitars.

Members of Mariachi Acero perform at TAI Day at the Fair. Photo by Ilze Akerbergs

Sacred Steel originated as early as the 1930s in the House of God Church, an African American church in the Holiness Pentecostal tradition. Clary Butler, a law student living in Indianapolis, grew up in the House of God Church in South Carolina and is one of a handful of "Sacred Steelers" who are introducing the instrument to members of the House of God in Indiana.

Mariachi Acero
Mariachi Acero from East Chicago returned this year for a repeat performance from their 2002 appearance at the TAI Day at the Fair. This band originated from the schoolrooms of East Chicago's Central High School more than 16 years ago.

2004 Performance Stage

In 2004, the musicians featured on the Main Street Stage of the Indiana State Fair were Walter and Mike Accordion Duo from northwest Indiana, and Schmaltzentrubers, an eclectic acoustic trio from Goshen, Indiana.

Walter and Mike: Accordion Duo

Walter Peters and Mike Macchia, accordion duo.  Photo courtesy of Mike and Walter

Mike Macchia has been making music for most of his 76 years. He started playing the concertina at ten, the accordion at twelve. Mike loves the accordion. So does Walter Peters, Macchia's friend and musical partner since 1949, who fondly refers to the accordion as "a one-man band."

Both men grew up in northwestern Indiana -- Macchia in Portage, and Peters in Hobart -- and both had fathers who were enthusiastic concertina players. For a while, the two ran an accordion school together in Gary. On and off for more than 50 years, they have played polkas, swing, and waltzes, most of them written during the 1920s through the 1950s, at festivals, fairs, pig roasts, senior citizen centers, and schools. As Mike says, "There's nothing we can't play."

Schmaltzentrubers performing during TAI Day at the Fair,  Photo by Ilze Akerbergs

Schmaltzentrubers
Evan Miller, Steve Johnson, and Leonard Beechy formed their group when someone asked them to sing in church nearly 18 years ago. Pressured to come up with a name for the trio, they somewhat jokingly decided that their music was best described as "schmaltz."

Schmaltzentrubers during TAI Day at the Fair. From l-r: Leonard Beechy, Steve Johnson, Evan Miller.  Photo by Ilze Akerbergs

But in all seriousness, they wanted also to reflect their Mennonite faith and culture. Recalling a common Mennonite name in the Goshen area -- Schwartzentruber -- they named their own band "Schmaltzentrubers." As with many talented groups, the music the Schmaltzentrubers play is tough to categorize, but it is probably best described as eclectic acoustic, mixing in everything from Kingston Trio to traditional American "hollers."

2003 Performance Stage

In 2003, the groups featured were Freudemacher, a German polka band from Fort Wayne, and Off 'n' Runnin', a bluegrass group from northwest Indiana.

Freudemacher

Dancing a polka with Freudemacher. Photo by Erin Roth.

German polka band leader George Berger immigrated to Fort Wayne in 1951. Displaced as a result of WWII from his Swabian German community in Yugoslavia, George learned to play the accordion as a teenager while living in a displaced persons camp in Austria. Now joined by his sons Dan (accordion and trumpet) and Jim (percussion and vocals), and grandson Jakob (saxophone), George's band Freudemacher performs in and around Fort Wayne at festivals, a local German restaurant, and social clubs.

Off 'n' Runnin'

Young children enjoying the music of bluegrass band Off n' Runnin'. Photo by Erin Roth

Bluegrass, an enduring Indiana passion, is featured once again on the Main Street Stage. Off 'n' Runnin', an accomplished five-member band from northwest Indiana, was established in 1999 by three friends: retired farmer and bass player Ike Bacon; pilot, ex-marine, and banjo player A.J. Alletto (both of Wolcott, Indiana); and mandolin player Tim Warran from Rensselaer. Guitarist Carl Ward and fiddler Kenny Stone complete this dynamic band that performs locally and regionally and has competed nationally.

2002 Performance Stage

In 2002, the groups featured were Mariachi Acero, a traditional group from East Chicago, and Not-Too-Bad Bluegrass Band, a bluegrass group from Bedford and Nashville.

Mariachi Acero

Mariachi Acero at the 2002 Indiana State Fair during TAI Day at the Fair. Photo by Inta Carpenter.

Following in the tradition of mariachi bands whose names identify their roots, Mariachi Acero is named for their hometown of East Chicago, Indiana. "Acero" is Spanish for "steel," reflecting the importance of the steel industry in that part of our state.

The main ensemble consists of 14 members, all of whom share a connection to East Chicago's Central High School. Thirteen years ago, then-assistant superintendent Dr. Jose Arrendondo suggested that Central High band instructor Larry Lane start a Mariachi band. It made sense. East Chicago is home to thousands of second and third generation Mexican Americans.

Members of Mariachi Acero performing on stage at the 2002 Indiana State Fair. Photo by Inta Carpenter.

The band members grew up steeped in the sounds of mariachi -- the celebratory music that is so much a part of Mexican family and community life. Mariachi originated in the Mexican state of Jalisco in the 19th century. The music is extremely energetic, filled with syncopation and sharply contrasting sounds.

Mariachi Acero performs for quinceaneras, bodas (weddings), masses, concerts, and parties. They have appeared many times at the "Taste of Chicago" and accompanied Grammy award winner Angeles Ochoa at Chicago's Grant Park. Band members include Larry Lane, Julio, Jessica, and Carlos Sainz, Roxanne and Olivia Bustos, Christina Sanchez, Eric Ramirez, Veronica and Lupe Gomez, Lili Seguro, Dan Soria, George Navarete, and Mario Campos.

Not-Too-Bad Bluegrass Band

The Not-Too-Bad Bluegrass Band Photo courtesy of Not-Too-Bad Bluegrass Band.

Formed in 1987, the Not-Too-Bad Bluegrass Band's (NTBBB) four of five members: Bedford's Greg Norman, Kent Todd and Brady Stogdill and Nashville's Doug Harden -- were brought up immersed in the bluegrass tradition. The fifth, banjo player Brian Lappin, NTBBB original member, was born in Buffalo, NY, but took to bluegrass like a natural, playing banjo in Nashville with bluegrass greats Earl Taylor and Jimmy Martin in the 1970s before returning to Bloomington.

Brady Stogdill performing with the Not-Too-Bad Bluegrass Band on stage during TAI Day. Photo by Inta Carpenter.

Original member Doug Harden and his mandolin have played in the old Bean Blossom Jamboree barn, with father-in-law Bryant Wilson's original Kentucky Ramblers, and at festivals across the country.

Guitar and bass player Greg Norman started out playing country music, but got hooked on bluegrass ten years ago. Kent Todd learned to play both classical violin and traditional fiddle. His bluegrass playing father, along with Greg Norman, his dad's best friend, nurtured Kent's many talents.

A member of the original International Bluegrass Music Association's Young Acoustic All Stars, Brady Stogdill plays guitar like a seasoned veteran. His father, Dean, was a great banjo player and Brady has learned to play almost anything with strings on it.

2001 Performance Stage

Each year, one day at the state fair's Mainstreet Stage features musicians identified by TAI and representing Indiana's diverse cultures. In 2001, Drums of West Africa, a traditional group from Indianapolis, and New Harmony, a bluegrass group from Trafalgar performed.

Drums of West Africa

Drums of West Africa performing on stage at the 2001 Indiana State Fair during TAI Day at the Fair. Photo by Erin Roth.

Drums of West Africa leader Prince Julius Adeniyi is a descendant of chiefs and kings of the Yoruba People in Nigeria. He immigrated to the U.S. in the 1960s, settling in Indianapolis in the late 1970s. Over 3,000 Nigerians live in Indianapolis. Most of them work as professionals in the area.

In 1977, he collaborated with Jack Gilfoy, an Indianapolis jazz drummer, to form Drums of West Africa. Today, Drums of West Africa is part of Julius' dream to create the Omo Obukun African Cultural Center as the heart of an "African village" in Indianapolis.

Drums of West Africa. Photo by Erin Roth.

Julius learned to play as a three-year-old in Nigeria. During performances, he sat in his grandfather's lap and placed his hands on his grandfather's hands. As Julius grew older, his grandfather taught him to make drums and perfect his playing.

Julius performs regularly and teaches about West African music and culture in schools throughout Indiana. His spirited performances encourage audiences to join in.

Julius is also a talented cook and serves West African food in Sambusa Hut, his restaurant at West 40th Street and Boulevard Place in Indianapolis.

New Harmony

New Harmony performing on stage at the 2001 Indiana State Fair during TAI Day at the Fair. Photo by Erin Roth.

Bluegrass is an enduring Indiana passion, from the time Bill Monroe, father of bluegrass, was a featured performer at the famed Bean Blossom festival in Brown County. Bluegrass, especially popular in the Upland South, migrated north to Indiana as people moved into the state from Kentucky and Tennessee in search of work.

New Harmony, an accomplished six-member band from central Indiana, is part of this strong tradition. Several members or their families moved north to Indiana, but maintained strong family and regional ties to the music of the South.

New Harmony performing on stage at the 2001 Indiana State Fair during TAI Day. Photo by Erin Roth.

As a child, upright bass player Don Meadows spent every other Saturday night sitting in on jam sessions in his family's living room in Tennessee. He moved to Indiana in the early 1970s for work. Brothers Tim and Rick Collier, rhythm guitar and mandolin, had a bluegrass-playing father from Kentucky and grew up singing in the Baptist church. Danny Canerday's musical parents came north from Alabama for work. He plays rhythm guitar. Clint Brown spent hours practicing his banjo in the closet in order not to disturb his family. Rick Randall fell in love with bluegrass as a teen and learned to play the dobro for the band.