Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance will be held Thursday, April 17, through Sunday, April 20, in Silk Hope.

"If one was reflective, one might think of this spring's Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance lineup as something like the state of our nation," says a spokesman. "A potential for change, a potential for peace, and a little bit of something for everyone.

The three headliners for this festival bring music from very different backgrounds and genres, but they should still manage to unite audiences and carry out the main theme of the festival -- great music."

On Friday night, audiences will bounce, sway, and hopefully sing along to a hip-hop band with which they may already be familiar. It's been nearly 15 years since a new group called Arrested Development slammed the gangsta-dominated world of hip hop with defiant lyrics of hope. Apparently the world was ready for the change, as they won two Grammys for the album "3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life of" They performed "conscious rap," were the first African American artists to donate money to free Nelson Mandela, and were hired to compose music for Spike Lee's major motion picture, "X."

On Saturday festivalgoers will be lucky enough to witness a legend. Richie Havens is gifted with one of the most recognizable voices in popular music. His fiery, poignant, always soulful singing style has remained unique and ageless since he first emerged from the Greenwich Village folk scene in the early 1960s.

His voice has inspired and electrified audiences from the Woodstock Music & Arts Fair in 1969, to the Clinton Presidential Inauguration in 1993 -- coming full circle with the 30th Woodstock Anniversary celebration, "A Day In The Garden," in 1999. As Woodstock's first performer, he held the crowd spellbound for nearly three hours, called back for encore after encore.

His newest album is titled "Grace Of The Sun." For Havens, making music is a continuous journey, and one that advances a step further with each album.

Sunday's headliner is a local favorite, judging by their sold-out shows at both the Cat's Cradle and the Lincoln Theater, in one weekend in March. Chatham County Line (a fitting name as the festival is in Chatham County) just put out their fourth album, "IV."

The Raleigh-based troubadours play acoustic instruments in the traditional style, often veering off into old-style country, ballads, and more modern acoustic rock, earnestly sung and expertly picked. The group croons and stomps with an authenticity that belies their young age.

Also included in this spring's lineup are festival favorites Donna the Buffalo. Justin Townes Earle makes his first Shakori appearance. Justin, Steve Earl's son, melds the qualities of a short story with the lyrical acuity of excellent songs, celebrating grand southern traditions while using a base of acoustic blues and prewar folk to build his own brand of American roots music. Louisiana-based accordionist Keith Frank combines Creole and Cajun sounds with massive elements of funk and soul to transform an old syle of music into a modern day dance party. The Hackensaw Boys, from Charlottesville, Va., also making a first Shakori appearance, continue to blow audiences away with their amazing high-energy shows and crafty musicianship.

Find out about all of the other bands, ticket information, directions, and more by checking out www.shakorihills.org.