UNCG’s own Dalia Razo ’20 M.M., ’24 Ph.D. represented both the College of Visual and Performing Arts, and her Mexican American heritage, when she took the stage at the 2026 N.C. Folk Festival. Her performance highlighted the cultural vibrancy and artistic talent that define the festival, while reflecting the university’s longstanding partnership and investment in one of Greensboro’s signature community events.
Human as Folk
On a warm Sunday, music fans of all ages buzzed under a tent near the depot on Washington Street. They were there to hear this year’s winner of the “Not Your Average Folk” contest, a band called d.a.l.i.a. Some came because the frontwoman was their music education teacher; others came to support players in her band who were all connected to UNCG; and many filled seats to hear Razo’s bilingual original music; but all in attendance left the show with a glimpse of her Hispanic heritage.
Despite the band’s 2026 designation as “not your average folk,” Razo’s set fit perfectly within this year’s Folk Festival line-up, which featured genres from bluegrass and indiepop to rap and reggae, with cultural influences from across the globe.
“Folk, within itself, is as human as it gets,” says Razo, and her original songs proved her point.
With a soulful vocal tone reminiscent of Natalie Merchant ’90s hits, Razo’s songs moved fluidly between English and Spanish languages; melodic passages and rap verses; and nostalgic and uplifting. In “Heartbeat,” which began with a steady drumbeat, she reminded the crowd that no matter how many wrong turns you take, your heart will bring you back to where you need to be. The thoughtful lyrics were crafted from experience.
Finding Her Way
Razo began writing music in high school while studying classical piano at the UNC School of the Arts. She sidelined music while earning a journalism degree from UNC-Chapel Hill, but it never quite left her soul. Eventually, she enrolled at UNCG for a master’s degree in music education. Here, she thrived in the academic environment, staying on for the doctoral program with the goal of becoming a professor of music education.
“For whatever reason, I was definitely convinced that I couldn’t do both things,” she remembers. “I didn’t think I could embark on a career in higher education and continue writing music, but somehow the universe proved me wrong or redirected me to something that I wasn’t supposed to let go.”
At UNCG, Razo found a path where she could do both. Teaching classes in conjunction with her doctoral degree brought her back into practice with instruments like the ukulele and guitar. After studying for long hours, she’d pick up an instrument to prepare for the next day’s class and suddenly get the impulse to write.
Meeting other artists who were faculty, alumni, and students opened doors to collaborations, and before Razo knew it, d.a.l.i.a. was formed. The folk festival performance included faculty member Scott Glasser on violin, and alumni Zach Baker ’20 on drums, Jennifer Aikey ’26 PhD on electric bass, and Cameron Rabb ’24 on guitar and charango.
“Without being at UNCG, I don’t know how this project would have started,” she admits.
Creative Influences Converge
Even when Razo is on stage, her students are never far from her mind. Before her third song, she called out Spartans in the audience who cheered within the crowded tent. She advised them to “never lose yourselves,” before launching into a song she wrote about trusting her path as an artist.
Before the festival, she had encouraged her students to be inspired by the wide variety of genres on display in downtown Greensboro that weekend: “You can literally walk downtown from your dorm and listen to free music for three days in a row,” Razo told them. “The folk festival is such a huge gift for this community.”
Leading with individuality is a value Razo brings to her music and her classroom. “One of the things that I love about this institution is how different my students are,” she says. “The different walks of life they come from, their own background stories, and the different things they have to offer with their own musical tastes and creativity.”
She hopes they found inspiration at the N.C. Folk Festival. “The folk festival is a huge reminder of the very wide diversity of music and cultures and people and their stories,” she says. “But within that, it’s also a reminder of how much more similar we are than different.”
Cultural Expressions
As for Razo’s place in the festival line-up, she proudly shared her experience as a Mexican American with her audience.
“The use of the Spanish language and the storytelling in my music is what makes it folk music,” she says. “Language is a major key in preserving culture, heritage, and roots, so it plays a major role for me. I don’t want to lose my language as a form of expression.”
With her parents seated on the fourth row, she ended her set with “Mundo.” Spanish for “world,” it’s a song she describes as a love letter to Mexico.
“I write and sing in both languages, but I started becoming fearful that no matter how hard I worked to preserve my connection to my heritage, and my ties to my family back home, that it wouldn’t be enough for my country to remember me,” she explained. “The song tells my story of coming to the U.S. and directly asks Mexico not to forget me, even though I may be far from it.”
After the last song, her parents moved toward the stage with her UNCG students and fellow faculty members in a lovefest of embraces and praise.
Catch Dalia Razo’s Next Performance at Homecoming’s Street Fest
Saturday, Oct. 6, 4:00 P.M.
College Avenue
Main Stage
“The N.C. Folk Festival creates the opportunity for the perfect encounter of different cultures and music and people,” she says, “So it only makes sense that it would happen in walking distance from the institution that has granted me so many opportunities, not just to develop professionally as a music educator, but also to continue being who I am as a Mexican American musician.”
“It’s a huge honor for me to be a part of this Greensboro tradition this year,” she continues. “The fact that I get to share who I am — my story, my music, and my heritage — with this year’s audience is just very, very special. And I couldn’t be more grateful for it.”
Story by Becky Deakins, University Communications.
Photography by Sean Norona, University Communications.
Videography by David Row, editing by Jefferson Castillo, University Communications.
