Gareth Laffely, 17-year-old NAMMY Rising Star Award recipient and NAMMY and ISMA multi-award nominated Native American flutist, multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, songwriter, and producer, returns to the Chattanooga Native American Heritage Festival and Pow Wow On The River 2016 stage as a headline performer on Saturday and Sunday. Performance times are, Saturday at 11 a.m., 5:15 and 8:30 p.m., and Sunday at approximately 4 p.m., due to Pow Wow events scheduled.
Review for Gareth Laffely:
Gareth is one of the youngest musicians to reach the Billboard Top Ten New Age chart with the release of his "Sky Before a Storm" CD a few months ago, which made it to #2 on the Billboard Top 100 New Age chart. "Regen's Song" (a song from the CD), was written for 12 year old Regen Morris of Sevierville, Tenn., who lost his battle with brain cancer in December 2013. The song features GRAMMY winner, Laura Sullivan on piano and has been made into a popular music video with proceeds from the song being donated to St Jude Children's Hospital in Regen's name.
Gareth's music has been featured on nationally acclaimed NPR radio program Hearts of Space, as well as a favorite on WUTC and WAWL Chattanooga. Gareth also volunteers for Hospice using his music to comfort terminally ill patients and takes an anti-bully program into schools across the country. Gareth has a revolutionary style that combines rock, pop, and world music and is completely self taught on the Native American flute. He is of Mi'kmaq/Cree descent and from Gallatin, Tenn. near Nashville.
Also featured this year will be the Tlaltlacayolotl Aztec Dancers. This year's festival will include dancers, along with an award winning tipi lodge, and crafts, such as bow making, beading, pottery, finger weaving, and carving.
The festivities for the Chattanooga Heritage Festival and Pow Wow On The River 2016 will be held at First Tennessee Pavilion, 1826 Reggie White Blvd. Hours for the event are Saturday beginning at 10 a.m. with Grand Entry at 12 and 6 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. with Grand Entry at 12 p.m.
Admission is: adults $10, seniors 60 years and up $5, kids 6-12 $5, students/sponsors with ID $5, and all military, current or retired are free, as well as police, fire and EMS with ID are free.