About the Collective

What it Is

UnBrokenCircle is a curated collective of American folk and roots singer/songwriters unifying shared musical traditions too often separated by commerce, genre, and cultural divisions. As passionate lineage holders, our artists offer their craft as a living archive — creating space for deep connection and communal renewal through the transmission of what inspires them and what they wish to pass on.

How It Began

UnBrokenCircle began with a quiet invitation:

What if artists had space to share not just their songs, but what those songs mean to them, and how those songs connect them to their sense of community?

That question resonates when artists from across the American folk and roots landscape begin to gather, not to compete or conform, but to share what they love about the traditions they carry, the paths they’ve walked, and their place in the ever-evolving American tapestry.

What emerged from posing the question wasn’t just a concert format, it was a practice — a space where lineage could live and breathe, where differences could deepen understanding, and where the heart behind the music could be heard perhaps even more clearly than the notes.

UnBrokenCircle is about making room for the artist inside the tradition — to pass on what inspires them, in their own words, in their own time.

And as the circle continues to grow, so does the vision toward larger gatherings, deeper storytelling, and a fuller picture of who we are when we bring all our songs to the same fire.

Who We Are

Lilli Lewis

Founder

Lilli Lewis, the "Folk Rock Diva," is a classically trained opera singer and pianist turned award-winning singer/songwriter, composer, and producer. Known for her dynamic blend of folk, Americana, and rock, Lewis's 2021 album “Americana” earned praise from NPR's All Songs Considered and Rolling Stone. She has toured extensively across the U.S., sharing stages with icons like the Indigo Girls, and is a regular performer at major events such as the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and French Quarter Fest. Her accolades include *OffBeat Magazine's Best Folk/Country/Americana Album Award and Folk Alliance International’s "Spirit of Folk" Award.

As the former VP and Head of A&R for Louisiana Red Hot Records, Lewis has spearheaded projects like the Black Opry Fest and the Black American Music Summit in partnership with Folk Alliance International. She has also co-produced notable events, including NOLAxNashville at AMERICANAFEST and the Cutting Edge CE Songwriter’s Camp. A passionate advocate for diversity in music, Lewis frequently speaks on industry and social justice topics. With a powerful voice and unwavering dedication to "Practice Radical Decency," Lilli Lewis continues to inspire audiences and champion underrepresented voices in American music.

Bertrand
Evans-Taylor

Executive Director

Bertrand Evans-Taylor is the Executive Director of the Black American Music Movement (BAMM), a national initiative dedicated to reclaiming and celebrating the legacy, presence, and contributions of Black musicians in genres where their influence has often been overlooked.

With over a decade of experience as an arts advocate, administrator, event producer, and lifelong pianist, Bertrand brings both cultural fluency and systems-level strategy to his leadership. He is also the founder of Ujima Cultural Solutions, an arts-based social enterprise advancing justice-, equity-, diversity-, and inclusion-centered training, community engagement, and professional development across the cultural sector. His production work includes festivals such as the Five Points Jazz Festival and The Colour of Music Festival.

Bertrand holds a Master’s in Arts & Culture Management with a concentration in Advocacy and Outreach, where his graduate research focused on the professional development needs of Black artists. He is currently pursuing a Master of Social Work, deepening his integration of care, equity, and systemic change into arts leadership.

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