| Music | Festival Announces 2008
Artist Lineup
Spirit of the West,
Ozomatli and Michael Franti Lead Stellar Lineup
Dates:
July 18, 19 & 20, 2008
Venue:
Jericho Beach Park in Vancouver, British Columbia
Information:
604.602.9798 or
www.thefestival.bc.ca
Tickets:
Available online at
www.thefestival.bc.ca,
at the Festival office at 411 Dunsmuir (604.602.9798) and retail
outlets including Zulu Records, Little Sisters Bookstore and Neptoon
Records (see website for details).
The Headlines
An exciting mix of
contemporary and traditional folk, roots and world music will ensure a lively
weekend at Jericho Beach Park July 18, 19 and 20 when musicians from around the
world and across the street gather for the 31st annual Vancouver Folk Music
Festival.
From Vancouver-based folk
music icons Spirit of the West, to Los Angeles’ multi-ethnic Ozomatli with their
dynamic mix of Latin salsa, urban hip hop and jazz funk, and the return of
Michael Franti and Spearhead, with their own unique blend of funk, reggae, and
folk stylings, the Festival will once again embrace the full range of folk and
world music expression.
An engaging mix of
Americana, old-time, folk and bluegrass will bring us Abigail Washburn and the
Sparrow Quartet, featuring Béla Fleck, embodying the notion of Americana as a
world-wide musical language.
Critically acclaimed
Canadian singer, songwriter, musician and poet Ferron returns to her roots at
the Festival, while, from the furthest reaches of the global village, the Master
Musicians of Jajouka, called by Mick Jagger “one of the most inspiring musical
groups still left on the planet”, will bring us the traditional music from the
Rif mountains of northern Morocco.
With something for
every folk-roots-world music taste, on seven outdoor stages over three evenings
and two full days of non-stop music, songs of peace, social justice, and human
love and joy will bring to life this annual celebration that is Vancouver’s
signature festival event.
The Highlights
With the dynamic growth of
experimental techniques and multi-ethnic musical fusion, the Festival’s
programming no longer fits into neat and tidy categories. Celtic tunes can be
played with traditional Indian instruments, Appalachian bluegrass banjos can
pick up African beats, and punk stylings can show up along with down-home
country. But let’s try to pull out a few common threads in 2008s amazing lineup.
The Celtic world is close to
the heart of the folk-roots musical experience, and LAU is a formidable union of
three of the most innovative exponents of traditional music in Scotland today.
Grammy-winning Maeve MacKinnon brings a diverse Scots and Gaelic repertoire sun
in a beautiful and distinctive voice.
From the other side of the
globe, Kiran Ahluwalia will represent Punjabi traditions with her lush ghazals
and lively folk songs, while Delhi 2 Dublin, an electro-acoustic collaboration
between five world fusion artists, blends the traditional folk melodies of North
India and Ireland with cutting edge technology.
Bluegrass, with its roots in
the music of the British Isles and deep in Appalachia, has inspired many
artists, including Juno-winner Jayme Stone, who blurs the lines between time and
location with Malian kora player Mansa Sissoko in building a bridge between
Africa and America through the unexpected medium of the banjo. And The Carrivick
Sisters, 19-year-old twins Hazel and Charlotte, prove that the bluegrass
tradition is safe in the hands of the next generation.
Québec has always been the
home of great music and song, and Les Chauffeurs à pieds serve up lively
instrumental versions of traditions tunes. The Pascale Picard Band is considered
one of this year’s hottest discoveries, and Jorane is widely celebrated for
playing alternative music on a typically classical instrument, not to mention
her unusual ability to sing while playing the cello!
Speaking of unexpected
mixing and matching, Dubblestandart’s fusion of Jamaican reggae with electronic
atmospherics, Kobo Town’s blend of calypso, reggae and dub poetry, and Markus
James and the Wassonrai, with their vital mix of music from the Mississippi
Delta and Mali will stretch your mind and broaden your musical horizons.
In a league of his own, jazz
legend John Boutté lives and breathes the heart and soul of New Orleans,
blending New Orleans jazz, soul, blues and gospel with his own Creole
traditions, while Harry Manx and Kevin Breit,
two artists who are comfortable
playing virtually anything with strings, are a match made in guitar heaven.
For the straight goods,
T-Model Ford is pure Mississippi blues, Outlaw Social delivers folk music that
sounds as though it was recorded in Dust Bowl days of the great Depression, and
The Sojourners capture the spirit of the “old school” gospel recordings of the
1930s and ‘40s.
See the full lineup below,
and for all the details visit the Vancouver Folk Music Festival’s website at
www.thefestival.bc.ca.
The Festival
A major event on the world
folk and roots music circuit, the Vancouver Folk Music Festival challenges
audiences to expand their understanding and appreciation of what 'folk' can mean
in a global context. Bringing attention to exciting young artists who are
pushing the boundaries and honouring the elders of the tradition, the Festival
is an acknowledged leader in creating new ways of working with artists in
developing forums and vehicles for experimentation, improvisation and
education.
The Festival features a
twenty-vendor food area, a crafts market, a stage and activity area dedicated to
the Little Folks and their families, and the Festival Community Village where
local community-building organizations and businesses are represented.
All of this takes place in
the spectacular outdoor setting of Jericho Beach Park, amidst groves of pine and
cedar trees and against a backdrop of the beautiful Coast Mountains rising above
a modern city skyline.
Citywide public performances
build community excitement leading up to the Festival Weekend, including Live On
The Drive, a free concert on Commercial Drive on the Wednesday before the
Festival featuring Eneida Marta, and two great nights at The Yale, with Marcus
James and the Wassonrai on July 17 and T-Model Ford on July 21.
The Vancouver Folk
Music Festival is a world of music on the beach for one magic weekend every
summer. We'll see you in the Park!
Early Bird Prices (until
June 21):
- Adult: Friday $46;
Saturday & Sunday each $74; Weekend $112.
- Student (19 +): Friday
$41; Saturday & Sunday each $47; Weekend $72.
- Youth (13 to 18):
Friday $26.50; Saturday & Sunday each $33; Weekend $62.
- Elders (65 +): Friday
$32; Saturday or Sunday each $37; Weekend $53.
- Little Folks (12 and
under): Admitted free when accompanied by an adult.
Ticket Outlets
- Highlife Records: 1317
Commercial Drive, 604.251.6964
- Neptoon Records: 3561
Main Street, 604.324.1229
- Little Sisters
Bookstore: 1238 Davie Street, 604.669.1753
- Zulu Records:
1972 West Fourth Avenue,
604.738.3232
The Festival
Lineup
- Abigail Washburn and
the Sparrow Quartet featuring Béla Fleck.
This all-star collaboration
has created a new sound that challenges traditional notions of country and
culture;
- Kiran Ahluwalia.
Captivating live
performances featuring lush ghazals and lively Punjabi folk songs;
- Bill Bourne and
Madagascar Slim.
A deep passion for the blues
fused with world and African rhythms, sweet harmonies and ingenious guitar
playing;
- John Boutté.
His smoky, soulful
vocals typify the music of his native New Orleans;
- The Carrivick Sisters.
This young twin
duo perform bluegrass with sweet harmonies and stellar original songs;
- Charanga Cakewalk.
A pan-Latin American
martini of equal parts traditional instruments and deep, urban, grooves;
- Les Chauffeurs à pieds.
This Québecois
quartet serve up lively instrumental versions of traditional tunes full of
zest, humour and joie de vivre;
- The Checkerboard Guy.
A humourous
comic daredevil who is sure to liven up the Little Folks Village;
- Jason Collett.
The Broken Social
Scene guitarist brings his instrument and a stack of intimate tales to tell
at the Festival;
- Creaking Tree String
Quartet. Paying
no heed to stylistic boundaries, this quartet is as tight and polished as it
is improvisational and exuberant;
- Dawn Tyler Watson and
Paul Deslauriers.
Montreal’s “Queen of the
Blues” has teamed up with guitarist/singer/ songwriter extrordinaire Paul
Deslauriers;
- Delhi 2 Dublin.
An electro-acoustic
collaboration between five world fusion artists, blending the traditional
folk melodies of North India and Ireland with cutting edge technology;
- Del Castillo.
A high-energy
Chicano band that sings in Spanish, combining old-school Gitano with nuevo
flamenco and churning polyrhythmic percussion;
- DNA6.
A hot combination of hip hop
and funky jazz sounds blended with smooth stirring vocals;
- Dubblestandart.
Transplanted dub
from Jamaica to Vienna that mingles electronic atmospherics with a reggae
foundation;
- Etran Finatawa.
From the shifting
dunes of the Sahara desert, these two legendary nomadic peoples perform
desert blues with guitar lines, looping camel rhythms and wailing responses;
- Ferron.
The critically acclaimed
Canadian singer, songwriter, musician and poet returns to her roots;
- Eliza Gilkyson.
Masterfully
structured, startlingly intimate songs in a beautifully lived in voice;
- Jenn Grant.
Her agile voice and
superb songwriting skills make her one of the most promising artists on the
Halifax scene;
- Harry Manx and Kevin
Breit. A match
made in guitar heaven with two artists that are comfortable playing
virtually anything with strings;
- Jayme Stone and Mansa
Sissoko.
Inventive banjo styles steeped in the technique and lore of old-time and
bluegrass music meets a Malian griot and kora master;
- John Reischman and the
Jaybirds. A
top-flight band delivering a truly fresh blend of original songs and
instrumentals, old-time heritage, and bluegrass power;
- Jorane.
Her voice and that of the
cello intertwine in ways unique, mysterious and otherworldly, creating her
signature sound;
- Harrison Kennedy.
This blues
troubadour and former Chairmen of the Board concocts a powerful stew of
rhythm and blues;
- Kobo Town.
Named after the vibrant and
turbulent neighborhood in old Port-of-Spain, their music draws its
inspiration from traditional calypso, roots reggae and dub poetry;
- LAU.
A formidable union of three of
the finest and most innovative exponents of modern traditional music in
Scotland today;
- Maeve MacKinnon.
A diverse Scots and
Gaelic repertoire joined to a beautiful and distinctive voice;
- Aimee Mann.
A thoroughly
engaging and accomplished Grammy-winning singer-songwriter with thought
provoking songs;
- Carolyn Mark.
A country-punk
chanteuse who sings songs that will tickle your heart and break your funny
bone;
- Markus James and the
Wassonrai. A
vital mix of music from the Mississippi Delta and Mali featuring Malian and
Guinean musicians based in the US;
- Eneida Marta.
Captivating vocals
with songs that celebrate the traditions of solidarity and rhythms from her
native Africa and her new home of Portugal;
- Master Musicians of
Jajouka.
Traditional music from the Rif Mountains. Mick Jagger has called them “one
of the most inspiring musical groups still left on the planet”;
- Michael Franti and
Spearhead. The
band makes a triumphant return with hip hop, funk, reggae, folk stylings,
and songs of peace and social justice issues;
- T. Nile.
A banjo-fueled ensemble
that delivers a rootsy and upbeat west coast sound;
- Faith Nolan.
She belts it, rocks
it, rolls it and tells the truth using her powerful voice for political and
cultural expression;
- Outlaw Social.
Cheerful funky alt
old time folk music that sounds as if it was recorded in the Dust Bowl days
of the great Depression;
- Ozomatli.
This multi-ethnic Los
Angeles-based group brew a vital concoction of Latin salsa, urban hip hop,
and jazz funk;
- Pascale Picard Band.
Considered one
of the year’s hottest discoveries, Pascale is at the center of this dynamic
young band;
- Murray Porter.
He’s the traveled
the world for 30 years with his blues, telling the Aboriginal side of
history with a mixture of country, blues and humour;
- Hayley Sales.
Laidback
surf-folk-pop-rock straight from Vancouver Island;
- Martin Sexton.
Soulful folk and
blues music and emotional songs that recall the work of Van Morrison and
Otis Redding;
- Slide to Freedom.
The blues of
Mississippi John Hurt with East Indian tunings and sonics, by Doug Cox,
Salil Bhatt (the son of V.M Bhatt) and Vineet Vyas;
- Meaghan Smith.
Her smooth, soaring
vocals blend her pop sensibilities with a folk shine that has earned her a
Galaxi Rising Star Award;
- The Sojourners.
They capture the
spirit of the “old school” gospel recordings of the 1930s and ’40’s combined
with soulful multi-textured vocals;
- Spirit of the West.
A Vancouver
institution renown for their rousing and engaging performances and great
songwriting;
- That 1 Guy.
This prolific and
insanely genius musician delivers earthshaking future funk from his magic
pipe;
- T-Model Ford.
Mississippi blues
from one the world’s finest;
- April Verch.
An ace fiddling step
dancer with vocals that cut through eras and genres to a timeless place very
close to your heart.
- And more … or less.
Lineup subject to change without notice.
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