On July 26 and 27, the 40th Annual Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival will take place, and Louisiana guitarist Tab Benoit will serve as Honorary Chair. There, he’ll be inducted into the Louisiana Folklife Center Hall of Master Folk Artists and perform as a headliner.

“It is our honor to recognize Tab Benoit as an incredibly exciting musician, whose distinctive sound captures the vibrancy of Louisiana’s traditional culture,” says Dr. Shane Rasmussen, Director of the festival and NSU’s Louisiana Folklife Center.  “This year’s festival theme — Vive la Louisiane! — is a celebration of how folk tradition is alive and well in Louisiana.  It’s fitting that this year we should honor a musician of Tab Benoit’s stature, as he has inspired so many others to follow in his steps.”

As part of the weekend’s events, the GRAMMY-nominated Benoit will perform with another blues musician and Master Folk Artist, Ed Huey. The performance is part of “Tab Benoit: A Man and His Guitar,” which takes place July 27. Together, the two will “discuss experiences performing distinctive Louisiana style blues around the world” and Benoit will also “discuss his environmental efforts with the Voice of the Wetlands Foundation.”

On Friday, June 28, Tab Benoit will perform at the House of Blues New Orleans for an appearance during his year-long Whiskey Bayou Revue Tour. Click here for tickets to the show, which features an opening set from Eric Johanson.