Voices of Mississippi at the Ford Center

Voices of Mississippi is a new multimedia event celebrating the music, art, and storytelling traditions of the people of Mississippi. Based on the 2019 multi-Grammy Award–winning box set “Voices of Mississippi: Artists and Musicians” documented by William Ferris, director emeritus of the Center for the Study of Southern Culture, the program features live musical performances by blues and gospel musicians including Cedric Burnside, Luther and Cody Dickinson of the North Mississippi Allstars and Sharde Thomas. The live music is integrated with archival film, audio recordings, and photographs by folklorist William Ferris.

A historian with an egalitarian perspective, Ferris grew up in Vicksburg, Mississippi where he began documenting artists and musicians in his community. From the 1960s through the 1990s, Ferris preserved an invaluable archive of cultural and musical recordings, and much of that art and humanity will be shared in this profound concert experience.

With a broad array of blues, folk, gospel music, and spoken-word storytelling, Voices of Mississippi paints a powerful picture of a time and place that remains an essential piece of the American cultural landscape.