Talks & Entertainment

Hurray For The Riff Raff is Alynda Lee Segarra, but in many ways it’s much more than that; it’s a young woman leaving her indelible stamp on the American folk tradition. Segarra, a 26-year-old of Puerto Rican descent whose slight frame belies her commanding voice, grew up in the Bronx, where she developed an early appreciation for doo-wop and Motown from the neighborhood’s longtime residents. New York also introduced her to travelers, and their stories of life on the road inspired her to strike out on her own at 17, first hitching her way to the west coast, then roaming the south before ultimately settling in New Orleans.

Her new album, Small Town Heroes, earned her raves from NPR, The New York Times, Mojo, and Paste, along with a breakout performance at the 2013 Newport Folk Festival, which left American Songwriter “awestruck” and solidified her place at the forefront of a new generation of young musicians celebrating and re-imagining American roots music.