Siren Mountain Jam Celebrates the Art and Music of Women

Summer is a time to savor the arts and few parts of the country have as many festivals in which to do so than North Carolina.

One of the newest can be found in the beautiful High Country: The Siren Mountain Jam invites everyone to celebrate music and art created by women. The two-day festival kicks off on the first day of Summer, Friday June 21st in the High Country Fairgrounds in Boone. Siren Mountain Jam brings together some of the best women musicians and female-fronted bands, world-class artists, and non-profit women's organizations for a weekend of fun with vegetarian and non-vegetarian food options, on-site camping and nearby hotel accommodations. 

There will be fifteen bands in all concluding Saturday night from 9:30-11 with platinum recording artist singer-songwriter Joan Osborne. Friday's headliner is American singer-songwriter, rapper, bassist, vocalist and multiple Grammy nominated artist Me'Shell Ndegeocello. Me'Shell's music combines great songwriting, powerful vocals, virtuosic bass playing and showcases her mastery of virtually all styles of music. Me'Shell's debut album came in 1993 with Plantation Lullabies. We sample from that album in today's show. Her most recent release is For a Sovereign Soul, A Dedication to Nina Simone. It's Me'Shell's tenth record. She spoke with David Ford by cell phone from her home in New York.