The Seattle-based annual NW Folklife Festival, now the country’s largest community-powered arts festival, celebrates the global traditions of local, independent artists. NW Folklife asked Watts to produce a series of videos showcasing local performers and contributions to the NW Folklife Festival. Here are just a couple of them.

Draze

Draze, aka Dumi Maraire, Jr., is a Seattle artist whose life is rooted in music. The son of two African music legends, Draze’s music merges Hip Hop and Zimbabwean traditions to create a sound that’s real, layered, and authentic.

Dejah Leger

Singer and song-writer, Dejah Leger pairs her music with a unique visual art form called “Crankie”, a storytelling device also known as a moving panorama. Still don’t know what a Crankie is? Check out how Dejah transforms songs and stories into captivating images cut from paper.