Pure Roots

Our Name
(WEE-buh-SHAY)

Ouibache (WEE-buh-SHAY) is a celebration of all forms of roots music, traditional and contemporary.  We take our name from the river that runs through North-Central Indiana and Tippecanoe County.  The indigenous people called this river, Wah-ba-shiek-a, which means "water over the white rock".  The French fur traders that traveled this river called it Ouibache. Today, we call it Wabash.

What is
Roots Music?

"American Roots Music" encompasses numerous music genres steeped in the folk tradition. Many songs have been sung within the same family or folk group for generations, and sometimes trace back to such origins as Great Britain, Europe, or Africa.  Musician Mike Seeger once famously commented that the definition of American folk music is "...all the music that fits between the cracks."

Roots music is a broad category of music including Bluegrass, Gospel, Old Time, Celtic, Jug Band, Blues, Appalachian Folk, Cajun, and Native American. The music is considered American either because it is native to the United States or because it developed there, out of foreign origins, to such a degree that it struck scholars  as something distinctly new. It is considered "roots music" because it served as the basis of music later developed in the United States including Rock and Roll, Rhythm and Blues and Jazz.

Why We Do It

We believe that passing the music on to the next generation is a top priority. As a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization, portions of our proceeds will go directly back into our music community. Our goal is to fill the void left behind from budget cuts through financial support. Recording projects, music education initiatives in schools, artists in residence and instrument procurement programs for underprivileged students are just a part of what we do. We support local music organizations by helping them promote and present all forms of traditional music. The festival is the vehicle that makes it happen. IT STARTS HERE!