Photo: Southwest Virginia Community College

The Southwest Virginia Community College begins their 2018 Festival of the Arts on Thursday, April 12, 2018. From Across the Pond to Southwest Virginia is this year’s theme as Che Apalache performs at the SWCC King Community Center at 7:30pm on Thursday, and at the Jettie Baker Center in Clintwood, Virginia on Friday, April 13 at 7pm. Che Apalache means “my Appalachian homeboy,” and the band was started after Joe Troop of North Carolina immigrated to Buenos Aires, Argentina, teaching local musicians bluegrass and old time music. The band mixes traditional Appalachian string and Latin American style music. Admission to both performances is free.