Mississippi Artist Roster (July 2026 – June 2029) 
Folk: Music 
Traditional Fife and Drum
Available for national and international travel, depending on schedule and budget. 

AVAILABLE FOR HIRE 

  • Live Music Performances 
  • North Mississippi Hill Country Fife and Drum Tradition Cultural Demonstrations 
  • Educational Workshops 

Chris Mallory and Sharde Thomas-Mallory are the dynamic musicians behind the Rising Stars Fife and Drum Band. Their recent work includes a featured appearance in the four time Academy Award-winning film Sinners, including Best Score. Rising Stars Fife and Drum Band was also featured in the documentary Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story, which won a Grammy for Best Music Film in 2023. The Rising Stars toured with the musical “Voices of Mississippi,” based on the Grammy Award–winning box set documentary by fellow Mississippian and American folklorist William R. Ferris. In 2025, they received the prestigious Mississippi Governor’s Arts Award for Excellence in Traditional Arts. Rising Stars Fife and Drum’s latest album Evolution of Fife and Drum Music 2: Hickahala Creek was self-produced and released in 2024. 

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