Resultats 2020

Shannon released her second album in July 2015 entitled ‘If All the Young Ladies’ which was nominated for 9 national awards taking home both ‘Roots Traditional Album of the year’ & ‘Best New Artist Recording’ in 2016 at the Music Nova Scotia awards. Recently Shannon worked as a producer for Jeremy Finney’s modern original-work fiddle album ‘Tip the Bottle’. Shannon’s also recently toured as a fiddler for Joel Plaskett, Lennie Gallant, as well as Jimmy Rankin. Her (self-produced) third album ‘Watchmaker’ – a modern Celtic concept album, inspired by the painting ‘The Watchmaker of Switzerland’ was released January 2019.

Shannon released her second album in July 2015 entitled ‘If All the Young Ladies’ which was nominated for 9 national awards taking home both ‘Roots Traditional Album of the year’ & ‘Best New Artist Recording’ in 2016 at the Music Nova Scotia awards. Recently Shannon worked as a producer for Jeremy Finney’s modern original-work fiddle album ‘Tip the Bottle’. Shannon’s also recently toured as a fiddler for Joel Plaskett, Lennie Gallant, as well as Jimmy Rankin. Her (self-produced) third album ‘Watchmaker’ – a modern Celtic concept album, inspired by the painting ‘The Watchmaker of Switzerland’ was released January 2019.

The two time Juno and multi east coast music award winning,Polaris prize nominee, Old Man Luedecke, returns with hisnew album “Easy Money”. Four years since his last release,Luedecke’s sixth studio album deals with grappling the newnessof middle age, dad jokes, love for an abiding partner, and thedeath of a parent, mixed in with some calypso-feeling localNova Scotia history thrown in for good measure. The recordfeatures 9 new original tracks and guest appearances by Grammyaward-winning Tim O’Brien, Alfie Jurvanen (Bahamas), and FatsKaplin (Jack White, John Prine).

Acadian powerhouse trio Vishtèn has been recognized worldwide as an ambassador of francophone culture. The Canadian band has dazzled audiences with its fiery blend of traditional French songs and original instrumentals that fuse Celtic and Acadian genres with a modern rock sensibilities and indie-folk influences. With members hailing from Prince Edward Island’s Evangeline region and the windswept Magdalen Islands, twin sisters Emmanuelle and Pastelle LeBlanc join musical forces with Pascal Miousse to create a sophisticated sonic signature that combines tight vocal harmonies, layered foot percussion, and virtuoso acoustic instrumentation.

A native of rural Prince Edward Island, Lennie Gallant weaves stories from joy, sorrow, regret, redemption and humour, telling them with finesse and strong emotion. He has recorded 12 albums that have been recognized by the Junos, Prix Éloizes, Prix Étoiles, Music PEI Awards, East Coast Music Awards and Canadian Folk Music Awards. Gallant’s melodies also broke free from the planet when astronaut and Lieutenant-Governor Julie Payette chose one of his albums to accompany her on her 2009 mission on the space shuttle Endeavour. His most recent release ‘Time Travel’ was named one of the Top 10 albums of 2018 by Penguin Eggs.

Call it prairie noir or Canadiana desert rock: Abigail Lapell sings haunting, gorgeous modern folk songs. Her sophomore album, Hide Nor Hair, won a Canadian Folk Music Award for Contemporary Album of the Year in 2017. Since then, Lapell has been on the road, touring across Canada, the U.S. and Europe and performing on vocals, piano, harmonica and finger style guitar. She’s shared stages with the likes of Tune-Yards, Andy Shauf and Jenn Grant, and appeared at festivals like Pop Montreal, Mariposa and Folk on the Rocks. Her latest album, GETAWAY, was released February 1, 2019 on Coax Records.

Keri and Devin Latimer of alt-folk group Leaf Rapids (previous JUNO-winners with the band Nathan) have been plunging into the depths of their family’s ancestral memories, resurfacing with stories like jewels that had been tucked away and forgotten, then brought together on Citizen Alien, their brand-new sophomore album. 
Stories of lives that crept forward in boats across the water, lunches packed in liquor-store bags and gropey lumberjacks being stabbed by great grandmothers. The liquid silver of Keri’s voice spills over a brushed snare, a Theremin trill, an acoustic guitar; all are given room to speak fully.

With 12 albums to his credit, Dave Gunning is one of Canada’s acclaimed singer-songwriters who has earned two Canadian Folk Music Awards, a Juno nomination and nine East Coast Music Awards for his well-crafted work. Dave has gained a reputation for being a great storyteller and takes listeners on a musical journey through his songs. Much of his material is about the underdogs, heroes, the heart and reflects the messaging of social justice and carrying about the world around us. The fruits of those labours are now on display in his latest collection, Up Against The Sky.

THE AL PURDY SONGBOOK

THE AL PURDY SONGBOOK is an album of music inspired by the life, words and landscapes of legendary Canadian poet Al Purdy (1918-2000). It consists of tracks composed and recorded by Canadian musicians and authors. These artists have contributed their work in support of the Al Purdy A-Frame Association, a registered charity that has successfully restored Purdy’s historic home in Ontario’s Prince Edward County and created a residency program there for a new generation of poets.

Ariana Gillis made an immediate impact on the Niagara music scene, and the Canadian Folk music scene, winning Songwriter of the Year at the 2009 Niagara Music Awards, followed by Female Vocalist and Album of the Year in 2010, as well as 2009 Canadian Folk Music Award, Young Performer of the Year.
Nine years later Buddy Miller heard Ariana perform at the City Winery in Nashville and as Buddy puts it, “experienced the conviction and power of her song writing, singing, and astonishing stage presence”. This ultimately brought them together to create the album, “The Maze” at Buddy’s home studio.

Jenn Grant is a multi-award-winning Canadian artist. She released her seventh studio album ‘Love Inevitable’ on May 31st. No. 1 on iTunes Canada, Love, Inevitable was recorded with Grammy-nominated producer and engineer Tucker Martine.
Jenn has earned Juno nominations for Songwriter and Adult Alternative Album of the year, a Polaris long-list, has won multiple Canadian Folk awards, and been awarded and acknowledged by the ECMAs & Music Nova Scotia.
Regarded as one of the finest songwriters to come out of Canada in many years, Jenn has sold-out coast-to-coast tours including dates in the prestigious Massey Hall and Rebecca Cohn Auditorium.

JUNO-nominated Ginalina is a beloved TV character known to children everywhere on Kids’ Knowledge Network! She is popular for her upbeat musical arrangements, fun harmonies and solid family-friendly lyrics inspired by themes such as nature, healthy homes and strong communities.With a vision to inspire the best in every person, Ginalina tours for local, national and international audiences, in French, English and Mandarin, for music shows, children’s international festivals, schools and more. Recent highlights include one Western Canadian Music Award, two Juno and Canadian Folk Music Award nominations, three Canadian Children’s Book Centre honours and four Parents’ Choice Awards.

Will Stroet of Will’s Jams is a JUNO, WCMA and CFMA nominated musician, CBC Kids, Universal Kids and Kidoodle TV star, educator and dad. For more than a decade, Will’s been entertaining kids through his (English/French) music. Will’s 10th album, “Rocks and Roots,” celebrates the outdoors and trying new things. Will began writing kids music while completing his BEd at UBC and released his first album in 2005. In 2009, he left teaching to pursue music full time and has performed nearly 2,000 shows across Canada and China. In 2015, UBC’s Education faculty honoured Will in their top 100 Alumni.

Since its release in 2012, Les berceuses enchantées has been ushering little ones to sleep in French. The newly published English version, Magical Lullabies, is a refreshing and musical adaptation. It features the tender voice of a loving father, the talented Amos J. (a 2018 quarter finalist on The Voice Canada). Original composer of the project and fellow dad Jérôme Fortin, who’s prolific musical career inclues bands like Musique à bouches, seeks to transport young and old to the land of dreams. At its heart, the immersive orchestration of guitar, piano, violin, xylophone, accordion, and double bass, is a serene musical journey.

Splash’N Boots’ music creates family dance parties; it is a soundtrack to bedtimes, mealtime and all moments in between. They have 12 original music albums and 5 JUNO Award nominations. Their album, “You, Me and the Sea” produced by Alan Doyle won the 2019 JUNO Award for Children’s Album of the Year. Their original music is enjoyed internationally, with over 2 million combined streams on Spotify and Apple Music. Splash’N Boots are committed to to raising awareness for important causes, and are the first children’s act to partner with PLUS1, in support of adaptive instruments for young children via Musicounts.

Allison Lupton has worked with various bands including Killiecrankie, which was regularly heard on CBC’s legendary Max Ferguson Show. Allison has since recorded 4 solo CDs and been featured on CBC’s The Vinyl Café and BBC Radio nan Gàidheal. She has toured the UK performing at the HebCelt and Warwick Folk Festivals. Allison has been honoured with nominations from the CFMAs for “Traditional Singer of the Year” and more recently “Vocal Group of the Year” (-The Lucky Sisters). Allison was the FMO’s 2015 “Songs From The Heart” grand prize winner.

Songlines Magazine say that Sophie & Fiachra’s music is “from the heart”. Playing traditional Irish and Québécois music, blended with Lavoie’s “lithe and masterful compositions” (The Irish Times), they have intensely toure internationally in the past 10 years. Recently they have been collaborating with renowned guitarist André Marchand.“The combination with Sophie & Fiachra is quite magical” (The Irish Music Magazin). Sophie & Fiachra + André Marchand have recorded Un Canadien errant, nominated at ADISQ and CFMA in 2016. In 2019, they released Portraits, “one of the most downright enjoyable albums to come this way for a considerable time”( fRoots Magazine).

The two time Juno and multi east coast music award winning,Polaris prize nominee, Old Man Luedecke, returns with hisnew album “Easy Money”. Four years since his last release,Luedecke’s sixth studio album deals with grappling the newnessof middle age, dad jokes, love for an abiding partner, and thedeath of a parent, mixed in with some calypso-feeling localNova Scotia history thrown in for good measure. The recordfeatures 9 new original tracks and guest appearances by Grammyaward-winning Tim O’Brien, Alfie Jurvanen (Bahamas), and FatsKaplin (Jack White, John Prine).

Joshua Haulli is a very talented and gifted 20 year old Hunter & Singer Songwriter from Igloolik.  As a teenager of 16 he won the Alianait battle of the bands. Haulli took part in the Northern Lights Trade Show in 2017 and was able to do a tour in 2018 across Nunavut and Nunavik.     Joshua Haulli’s first album Aqqut paints a picture about life in the north and its challenges. These nostalgic reflections that Haulli envisioned for Inuit are about the importance of friendship, the amazing calming and exciting moments of being out on the land and words about life itself. 

With 12 albums to his credit, Dave Gunning is one of Canada’s acclaimed singer-songwriters who has earned two Canadian Folk Music Awards, a Juno nomination and nine East Coast Music Awards for his well-crafted work. Dave has gained a reputation for being a great storyteller and takes listeners on a musical journey through his songs. Much of his material is about the underdogs, heroes, the heart and reflects the messaging of social justice and carrying about the world around us. The fruits of those labours are now on display in his latest collection, Up Against The Sky.

Andrea Ramolo is a multiple CFMA nominee and has been recording and touring for over a decade. She is one half of Scarlett Jane and spent five years touring extensively behind two albums, earning two more CFMA nominations. Ramolo contributed to projects by Lee Harvey Osmond (where she crossed paths with Timmins), leading to the creation of NUDA. The alternative folk album is album is cool, dark, understated and melancholy and earned her a mention on the 2017 Polaris Prize longer list. Homage stands as an important next step in her journey honouring songs by the great Leonard Cohen.

A fixture of Toronto’s music community, Humber Jazz Program graduate and Oscar Peterson Award winner Lydia Persaud’s debut album Let Me Show You was released May 10, 2019 via Next Door Records. Let Me Show You, produced by Robbie Grunwald (Donovan Woods, Jill Barber) – a stunning neo-folk-soul album, reminiscent of Bill Withers and Carol King, running the gamut from romance, to social activism, to anger – has earned acclaim from the CBC (with “Low Light” reaching top 10 on CBC Radio), prestigious playlisting features including Spotify’s “Renegade Folk,” and “Acoustic Soul,” and has seen Lydia join a cross-Canada tour with Serena Ryder.

Jenn Grant is a multi-award-winning Canadian artist. She released her seventh studio album ‘Love Inevitable’ on May 31st. No. 1 on iTunes Canada, Love, Inevitable was recorded with Grammy-nominated producer and engineer Tucker Martine.
Jenn has earned Juno nominations for Songwriter and Adult Alternative Album of the year, a Polaris long-list, has won multiple Canadian Folk awards, and been awarded and acknowledged by the ECMAs & Music Nova Scotia.
Regarded as one of the finest songwriters to come out of Canada in many years, Jenn has sold-out coast-to-coast tours including dates in the prestigious Massey Hall and Rebecca Cohn Auditorium.

Recipient of the 2014 ACUM Prize for Special Achievement in Jazz and the prestigious 2014 Landau Prize, Itamar Erez is an internationally renowned composer and guitarist who has shared the stage with such musicians as Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Tomatito, Avishai Cohen, Jean-Louis Matinier, Zohar Fresco, and others.Itamar has released two CDs with his quartet The Adama Ensemble: “Desert Song” (2006) & “Hommage” (2010). “New Dawn” (2013), is a duet collaboration with Yshai Afterman (percussion), with special guest Antonio Serrano (harmonica). His most recent CD “Mi Alegria” was released in June 2019.

Graham Lindsey is a multi-instrumentalist and composer, writing inventive and varied tunes. His compositions don’t follow the traditional Irish, Scottish or other Celtic styles, and the subtle differences bring a unique feel and rhythm to this album. Graham also produced the recording in Canada and Sweden, mostly in houses but in a couple of studios as well. Four of his compositions have been played on the Carillon (the bells that play daily at noon) in the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill, and in 2017 Graham was the “Guest Artist of the Year” at the Folk at Heart Festival in Örebro, Sweden.

For more than three decades, Richard Wood has impressed audiences with his electric live show all across the world.

He has just released his eighth album, UNBROKEN, which was mastered by multi Grammy award winning, Bob Ludwig. UNBROKEN has been hailed by many as Richard’s greatest album to date and is the 2019 ECMA Instrumental Recording of the year winner!

Richard has won countless championships as both a step dancer and as a fiddler including many Music PEI awards, four Canadian East Coast Music Awards. Plus, twice he has earned the Don Messer Memorial Trophy for top Maritime fiddler.

Jon Pilatzke is a proud Canadian musician and stepdancer, touring the world performing Canadian and Irish traditional music and dance for upwards of 25 years. Jon has been honoured to be the lead fiddle player with Ireland’s six-time Grammy winners The Chieftains for the past 17 years. He is also the fiddle player for northern Spain’s world music sensation Carlos Nunez and a co-creator of and performer in a unique Canadian music and dance show called The StepCrew. In 2007 Jon received a Canadian Gemini Award for his performance on CBC’s ‘The Chieftains in Canada’.

Emilyn Stam and Felippo Gambetta

Emilyn and Filippo met in 2003 through their mutual friend and musical mentor, Oliver Schroer.Thirteen years later their musical friendship was rekindled and they started their duo project in Filippo’s hometown, Genova, Italy.

Both live and in concert the duo blends tunes rooted in tradition, with original compositions. The influences of Northern Italian and French traditional music meld with idioms and styles that arise from North American fiddle traditions in a transatlantic musical connection that is exciting both for an audience of listeners and dancers.

Toronto Tabla Ensemble, founded by tabla master Ritesh Das mesmerizes audiences using the rhythms and grooves of North India. Their concerts bring audiences to the edge of their seats by showcasing the complexity of pure traditional tabla augmented by South Indian percussion, drum kit, Japanese taiko and kathak dance to create a high energy stage presence. The Ensemble’s unique voice in World Music comes from their ability to translate these classic rhythms from the tabla to percussion, dance footwork, and melody creating an incomparable listening experience.

Meet The Fitzgeralds ~ a sibling group consisting of 3-time Canadian Grandmaster Fiddle and Step Dance champions – Tom, Kerry & Julie Fitzgerald. With roots in Canada’s renowned Ottawa Valley, The Fitzgeralds have evolved to include a wide variety of material in their performances, including Celtic fiddle pieces, high-energy step dancing, and a strong focus on original compositions and arrangements. Their extensive tour history includes performances with notable artists; Natalie McMaster, Ireland’s Nathan Carter, Tony McManus, and The StepCrew. In 2017, The Fitzgeralds went “viral” on Facebook via Ireland’s leading newspaper (Independent.ie), with over 7 MILLION views of their original choreographed dance routine!

Experience the magic of this phenomenal Canadian Celtic duo, fiddler Pierre Schryer & guitarist Adam Dobres. Schryer & Dobres have just released a new album called “Mandorla” which features an eclectic array of musical gems from across the globe including traditional and contemporary tunes in various styles from far reaching places including Canada, Ireland, Algeria, Brazil & more. The show will surely delight, as this duo is a tour de force of versatility, fine musicianship & technical dexterity. Together they represent two diverse and successful music careers laden with awards & nominations including JUNO, Canadian Folk Music Awards, Western Canadian Music Awards and Grammy Awards

A native of rural Prince Edward Island, Lennie Gallant weaves stories from joy, sorrow, regret, redemption and humour, telling them with finesse and strong emotion. He has recorded 12 albums that have been recognized by the Junos, Prix Éloizes, Prix Étoiles, Music PEI Awards, East Coast Music Awards and Canadian Folk Music Awards. Gallant’s melodies also broke free from the planet when astronaut and Lieutenant-Governor Julie Payette chose one of his albums to accompany her on her 2009 mission on the space shuttle Endeavour. His most recent release ‘Time Travel’ was named one of the Top 10 albums of 2018 by Penguin Eggs.

Combining timeless melodies with a contemporary folk-rock twist, singer-songwriter Ben Caplan explores the immigrant experience with profound understanding and wry humor on his latest album, Old Stock. Adapted from the acclaimed music-theater piece Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story, Caplan weaves a captivating concept album that reflects on modern issues from immigration to religion to sexuality through his darkly funny and urgently heartfelt songs. With his enormous beard, unruly mane, intimately booming voice and beguiling charm, Caplan brings a striking presence to the stage.

Madeleine Roger is a contemporary folksinger from Winnipeg, Manitoba. While accompanying herself on acoustic guitar in multiple tunings, it is her artistry as a songwriter that can silence a room, uniting her captivating voice with vivid lyricism and a maturity beyond her years. A former thespian and a lifelong traveler, she is prone to absorbing stories and questioning the way that things are, creating songs with imaginative melodies and honesty that bares truths about being alive.

With 12 albums to his credit, Dave Gunning is one of Canada’s acclaimed singer-songwriters who has earned two Canadian Folk Music Awards, a Juno nomination and nine East Coast Music Awards for his well-crafted work. Dave has gained a reputation for being a great storyteller and takes listeners on a musical journey through his songs. Much of his material is about the underdogs, heroes, the heart and reflects the messaging of social justice and carrying about the world around us. The fruits of those labours are now on display in his latest collection, Up Against The Sky.

Roots powerhouse duo The Small Glories are Cara Luft & JD Edwards, a musical tour-de-force partnership planted on the Canadian Prairies. With a stage banter striking a unique balance between slapstick and sermon, these veteran singer-songwriters have a way of making time disappear, rooms shrink, and audiences feel as though they are right there on the stage with the band. On record, Luft and Edwards take the musical synergy honed from hundreds of shows together, and expand it into a new soundscape amplified by pounding drums and other textural embellishments which only reinforce the magic of their innate chemistry.

2016 release ‘Nine Pin’ earned a Canadian Folk Music Award, sending her on 18-months of touring from Ireland to Iowa. Her new album ‘Grenades’ explores themes of migration and belonging and has been nominated for a 2019 JUNO award and long-listed for the Polaris Music Prize.

Juno Award winning artist, Justin Rutledge returns with his new album, Passages. Justin’s band on Passages includes guitarist Rob Baker from the Tragically Hip, and the album was co-produced by Justin and Chris Stringer (Timbre Timbre, Elliot Brood). The NOW Magazine Toronto Songwriter of the Year, CMFA Album of The Year winner and multi Polaris nominee recorded Passages in-between getting married to HGTV Canada’s Sarah Keenleyside and his acclaimed performance in the Montreal run of Tony Award winning musical, Once. Passages has been met with national/worldwide critical acclaim, and has been featured by Spotify as the cover artist for Folk & Friends.

With her dark, folk-inspired songs, Safia Nolin has won over fans and critics alike. The artist manages to break your heart with each verse she finishes (Holly Gordon, CBC Music). Each song off her two records, Limoilou and Dans le noir, reads like a polaroid, revealing faults in failed relationships. Her self-described super depressive style of writing has won her the Prix Félix-Leclerc de la chanson, the SOCAN Breakthrough Award and the Félix for Female Artist of the Year.

Having crossed the continent in train, Jordane has turned a lot of heads with her stunning renditions of canadian folk classics. Her first tour was a huge success everywhere from Montreal to Vancouver. Jordane worked with Jeannot Bournival (producer of the musician and storyteller Fred Pellerin), a first album of original compositions, ‘’12 jours’’, recorded in St-Elie-de-Claxton and released in January 2019. Native of Les Escoumins and gifted with a warm, flexible, but fully in control voice, Jordane evokes things gently rather than attacking, invokes rather than shouting. Her temper from the North suggests the great and wide American spaces.

Since her music scene debut in 2011, the young singer-songwriter has had an impressive track record, including two acclaimed EPs and performing more than five hundred shows (Canada, the United States, Belgium and France). In 2015, she’s the winner of the Festival international de la chanson de Granby. Fall 2016, she launches a first self-titled album, unanimously hailed and directed by Jay Newland. In February 2019, she releases her second album, produced by Philippe Brault. Allegory of the revival and the rebirth, Pourchasser l’aube, it’s the light after the storm, the peace found again.

Natural anticoformist, his spectacular media stunts can’t make us forget the guts that helped Jean Leloup sold close to 1 000 000 albums in his career and to become one the greatest icon from Quebec. We can count 14 albums in career for The Wolfe.

Mike Paul is a Pekuakamiulnu singer-songwriter born in Mashteuiatsh, an Innu community on the shores of Lac St Jean in the province of Quebec. His folk singing in Innu and French transports us into a contemporary and authentic Aboriginal universe! His voice blown by the north wind and the echo of his drum makes us rediscover a millennial culture of a nomadic hunter-gatherer people. His album Origine is nominated in the category best Inuit album, in native or francophone language at the prestigious Indigenous music Awards 2019.

Eastern Owl is known locally and nationally as a unique group of women who blend the styles of First Nations Drum Music and Contemporary Folk to create their own innovative sound. With deep roots in community, Eastern Owl has committed to deepening their connection with their traditional practices while helping to educate indigenous and non- indigenous audiences alike. They are recipients of the 2016 ArtsNL CBC Emerging Artist award and are currently celebrating the release of their sophomore album, Qama’si. Eastern Owl is of the most in-demand groups in Newfoundland and Labrador today.

Joshua Haulli is a very talented and gifted 20 year old Hunter & Singer Songwriter from Igloolik.  As a teenager of 16 he won the Alianait battle of the bands. Haulli took part in the Northern Lights Trade Show in 2017 and was able to do a tour in 2018 across Nunavut and Nunavik.     Joshua Haulli’s first album Aqqut paints a picture about life in the north and its challenges. These nostalgic reflections that Haulli envisioned for Inuit are about the importance of friendship, the amazing calming and exciting moments of being out on the land and words about life itself. 

The 18 songs on the ‘Constitution’ album celebrate the struggles and achievements of Canadians with mixed Black and Indigenous ancestry. This long-standing reality of this country’s history is largely undocumented, and in fact was unnamed prior to this project. The goal of this album is to document, honour and celebrate this rich and important legacy through the songs, styles and rhythms associated with those cultures.

Five male voices, firmly established as leaders in a cappella arrangements accompanied by rhythmical foot tapping, join together in a vibrant blend of harmonies. Musique à bouches delve into the repertoire of traditional songs to uncover parts of our history and take you on a voyage through traditionnel québécois as well as Canadian and European traditional songs and folk singalongs. Singing a wide repertoire, Musique à bouches have recorded three albums and have toured extensively throughout Quebec, USA and France for over fifteen years.

Gaining critical acclaim wherever their music takes them, The Sweet Lowdown have accomplished much in the past 10 years. In 2015 Fiddler Magazine wrote “This trio from British Columbia is a force to be reckoned with.” With three full length albums, an EP, and numerous awards and award nominations, the group has toured Canada, the US and the UK, and in 2015 was featured on CBC’s Vinyl Cafe with Stuart McLean. Playing original acoustic roots music inspired by both Appalachian and Celtic influences, The Sweet Lowdown embodies that particularly Canadian blend of driving tradition and ground-breaking originality.

Fortunate Ones is the Newfoundland indie folk duo of Catherine Allan and Andrew O’Brien. Through dynamic, high-energy, harmony entwined performances, and songs that celebrate the resilience of the human spirit, they are endearing audiences across Canada and beyond. Their 2016 debut album “The Bliss” was nominated for a JUNO Award, garnered two #1 singles on CBC Music’s Top 20, won the 2016 “Rising Star” ECMA and the 2015 “Vocal Group” CFMA. Their sophomore album, Hold Fast l, was nominated for 4 2018 East Coast Music Awards and the title track hit number 1 on the CBC Music Top 20.

In 2016, the folk singer-songwriters duet Geneviève et Alain released there first album On est les deux. A series of shows followed in Ontario, Quebec, Acadia, Guyana and Suriname (South America). Then, they won the Song of the Year Award at Ma Première Place-des-Arts, 3 nominations at the Gala Trille Or and the Prix Relève at the Gala des Culturiades.
At Wild Studio, Carl Bastien produced their second album; De la rivière à la mer, launched in May 2019.

The Slocan Ramblers (2019 Juno Award Nominees) are Canada’s bluegrass band to watch. Rooted in tradition, fearlessly creative and possessing a bold, dynamic sound, The Slocans have quickly become a leading light of today’s acoustic music scene. With a reputation for energetic live shows, impeccable musicianship and an uncanny ability to convert anyone within earshot into a lifelong fan, The Slocans have been winning over audiences from Edmonton Folk Fest (2015 Emerging Artist Award) to Merlefest and everywhere in between. This is roots music without pretension, music intended to make you feel something – say hello to your new favourite band.

Oliver the Crow (Kaitlyn Raitz, cello and Ben Plotnick, fiddle) navigates effortlessly between the gravitas of chamber composition, the longing of folk music, the near dreamlike quality of atmospheric sound art, and above all, pop music’s candy-sweet escape. It’s no wonder NPR Music has named their duo “an inspired collaboration.” Oliver the Crow cannot be defined by genre, and yet is timeless, indelible. Kaitlyn and Ben have mastered the art of anchoring a folk song in epic pop sensibility, and it is so fun to hear them smash all the rules.

Acadian powerhouse trio Vishtèn has been recognized worldwide as an ambassador of francophone culture. The Canadian band has dazzled audiences with its fiery blend of traditional French songs and original instrumentals that fuse Celtic and Acadian genres with a modern rock sensibilities and indie-folk influences. With members hailing from Prince Edward Island’s Evangeline region and the windswept Magdalen Islands, twin sisters Emmanuelle and Pastelle LeBlanc join musical forces with Pascal Miousse to create a sophisticated sonic signature that combines tight vocal harmonies, layered foot percussion, and virtuoso acoustic instrumentation.

The joyful and uplifting collaboration of Haley Richardson and Quinn Bachand is a testament not only to their individual skills and imaginations, but also to the health and vibrancy of traditional music and the fresh vision that these two young artists bring to it. Both certified musical prodigies, they began touring while still in their pre-teens with some of the leading artists in the Celtic music world, winning awards and recognition nationally and internationally. Their immersion in Celtic and American roots music is palpable through their instrumental mastery and together they bring a passionate, youthful energy to this fiddle tradition.

With 12 albums to his credit, Dave Gunning is one of Canada’s acclaimed singer-songwriters who has earned two Canadian Folk Music Awards, a Juno nomination and nine East Coast Music Awards for his well-crafted work. Dave has gained a reputation for being a great storyteller and takes listeners on a musical journey through his songs. Much of his material is about the underdogs, heroes, the heart and reflects the messaging of social justice and carrying about the world around us. The fruits of those labours are now on display in his latest collection, Up Against The Sky.

MICHAEL JEROME BROWNE

Three-time Canadian Folk Music Award winner (Traditional Singer, 2015; Solo Artist, 2012 & 2008), Maple Blues Award winner (with 32 nominations since 1999), Kerrville (Texas) New Folk Finalist, Four-time Juno Award Nominee in both the Roots/Traditional and Blues categories- MJB is a multi-instrumentalist, a songwriter, and a living encyclopedia of American Roots music.

A musician’s musician, when he isn’t performing his own material he is in demand backing up and recording with other artists, most notably Eric Bibb, whose Grammy nominated CD “Migration Blues” he co-produced and played on.

Danny’s own self-described musical A.D.D. has kept his music fresh for decades. His thoughtful lyrics & charming performances have earned a devoted fanbase, CFMA’s “Producer of the year” and “Pushing Boundaries” Awards, multiple nominations for Junos, Polaris, and CBC’s “Heart Of Gold.” Danny considers his career highlights to include unique moments like performing for Jane Goodall’s 85th birthday, touring with Stuart Mclean, and working with charities. His adventures range from recording in Belize to a Russian ice-breaker in the arctic. When Danny’s not performing, he’s fighting for musicians’ rights, the environment, making short films, producing, or filming “Dan’s Space Van”

I grew up in in southern Sweden, surrounded by ocean, forest and farmland. I started playing the organ at 7, before picking up my mum’s old guitar from the attic at 11. That’s when I started writing songs, and I formed my first rock band at 12. I spent my teenage years in a dingy rehearsal space in the city of Malmö, always obsessed with the art of a song.

Jenn Grant is a multi-award-winning Canadian artist. She released her seventh studio album ‘Love Inevitable’ on May 31st. No. 1 on iTunes Canada, Love, Inevitable was recorded with Grammy-nominated producer and engineer Tucker Martine.
Jenn has earned Juno nominations for Songwriter and Adult Alternative Album of the year, a Polaris long-list, has won multiple Canadian Folk awards, and been awarded and acknowledged by the ECMAs & Music Nova Scotia.
Regarded as one of the finest songwriters to come out of Canada in many years, Jenn has sold-out coast-to-coast tours including dates in the prestigious Massey Hall and Rebecca Cohn Auditorium.

Hook & Nail is an eccentric folk/roots trio from Estevan, SK, that uses rich vocal harmony to tell the stories of the prairies. Live, they combine mandolin, acoustic and electric guitar to give their music the honesty of folk-music, the twang of country and the drive of pop/rock music. Their songs explore the personal accounts of historical events that have shaped life on the prairies today. The stories within the music are similar to those told around the kitchen table after a meal shared with friends and family: a blend of confessions, childhood memories, local history and rural legends.

T. Buckley’s songs blew across the prairies like a Nor’easter, hanging on to their creator as he stormed the Calgary scene. He produced three albums with renowned Calgary group The T. Buckley Trio. Buckley could have kept his tunes on the straight country roads, but instead he veered off course, landing in Montreal where Grammy nominated recording engineer/producer Howard Bilerman awaited the new compositions. The in-studio chemistry was undeniable. Miles We Put Behind is the result of that collaboration, a collection of songs interrogating what it means to be a husband, father, and keen observer of the world around him

There is no other band out around like Gordie MacKeeman and His Rhythm Boys. Led by fiddling wiz Gordie “Crazy Legs” MacKeeman, the high-energy roots quartet features all-star pickers and singers and have an eclectic signature sound that draws upon folk, bluegrass, old time country, rockabilly, Celtic, and other styles in genre-defying fashion. The band have spent the last few years exciting audiences all over the world and have been recognized with 12 East Coast Music Awards and Music PEI Awards. Their latest release, “Dreamland” moves from highlight to highlight, showcasing everything the band has to offer.

Toronto-based folk-alt outfit Birds of Bellwoods have wasted little time making an indelible mark on Canada’s musical landscape, having amassed an impressive pile of achievements and accolades in a few short years on the back of their boisterous blend of anthemic alternative, folk, and pop music.Now signed with eOne Music Canada, Birds of Bellwoods dropped their highly anticipated debut LP, Victoria, on Oct 19, 2018. The album invites listeners to join the band’s high-energy musical parade built on honest, emotive songwriting and laced with sweet, sticky hooks.

The Unfaithful Servants have quickly gained a reputation in Western Canada as an in demand festival band and a must-see act. With an original and exciting approach to traditional music, the group serves up explosive instrumentals, compelling story-telling and high powered vocals.“Gorgeous harmonies and fine song writing, beautiful instrumental interplay, and some seriously rippin’ solos,The Unfaithful Servants are one of the most exciting bands from Vancouver Island in some time”~ Kelly Nakatsuka, Islands Folk Festival Director, CBC/Radio-Canada

A celebrated cast of ‘Old Time’ Fiddlers, piano and step dancers from New Brunswick, reviving the province’s historical roots of down east fiddle. With an eye to the past and icons like NB’s late Don Messer; since 2014 they have represented their genre in Northern Ireland,at The HebCelt Festival in Scotland, Schots and Zilleghem Folk Festivals in Belgium and The National Celtic Festival of Australia. Also appearing at The Stan Rogers Folk Festival, Winnipeg Folk Festival, Lunenburg Folk Festival; the live show is beloved tunes, discovered melodies, flying bows and feet; and tender sweet waltzes, harkening back to another time.

A fixture of Toronto’s music community, Humber Jazz Program graduate and Oscar Peterson Award winner Lydia Persaud’s debut album Let Me Show You was released May 10, 2019 via Next Door Records. Let Me Show You, produced by Robbie Grunwald (Donovan Woods, Jill Barber) – a stunning neo-folk-soul album, reminiscent of Bill Withers and Carol King, running the gamut from romance, to social activism, to anger – has earned acclaim from the CBC (with “Low Light” reaching top 10 on CBC Radio), prestigious playlisting features including Spotify’s “Renegade Folk,” and “Acoustic Soul,” and has seen Lydia join a cross-Canada tour with Serena Ryder.

Unbridled joy springs eternal from Halfway Home by Morning. Recorded live off the floor inNashville, Tennessee, celebrated songwriter Matt Andersen’s tenth album collects all theessential elements for a down-home ramble and shoots them through with enough electrifying energy to drive the rock ‘n’ roll faithful to simmer, shimmy, and shake. Over its lucky 13 tracks,he explores every facet of his sound—sweat-soaked soul, incendiary rhythm and blues,heartbroken folk, and gritty Americana..

Jory Nash blends elements of folk, jazz, blues and soul into an original stew of sound. He has recorded 9 full length albums and is a veteran of Canada’s folk music scene. Jory plays guitar and piano and his unique, warm voice urges you to listen to his compelling songs. Jory Nash is a 4-time CFMA nominee.

Ethereal folk. Space Cowboy twang. Psychedelic spaghetti western. Intergalactic blues grooves. Pop noir. Since their debut in 2011, Whitehorse has evolved from magnetic folk duo to full-blown rock band. In truth, Whitehorse is never fully either one or the other, but an ever-evolving creative partnership that challenges both artists to explore new instrumental and lyrical terrain with each project. Together, Luke Doucet and Melissa McClelland’s searing Americana noir sensibility is distinguished by guitar wizardry (and instantly recognizable tone) and magnetic harmonies.

2016 release ‘Nine Pin’ earned a Canadian Folk Music Award, sending her on 18-months of touring from Ireland to Iowa. Her new album ‘Grenades’ explores themes of migration and belonging and has been nominated for a 2019 JUNO award and long-listed for the Polaris Music Prize.

Combining timeless melodies with a contemporary folk-rock twist, singer-songwriter Ben Caplan explores the immigrant experience with profound understanding and wry humor on his latest album, Old Stock. Adapted from the acclaimed music-theater piece Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story, Caplan weaves a captivating concept album that reflects on modern issues from immigration to religion to sexuality through his darkly funny and urgently heartfelt songs. With his enormous beard, unruly mane, intimately booming voice and beguiling charm, Caplan brings a striking presence to the stage.

TRI-CONTINENTAL – a collaborative evolution fusing the talents of three accomplished guitar-players, singers and songwriters. Bill Bourne, Lester Quitzau and Madagascar Slim are well-recognized and respected artists with successful solo careers and major players in the Canadian roots and blues music scene who have individually and collectively received 4 Juno awards and 10 nominations. They are 2019 International Folk Music Award Nominees for Album of the Year with Dust Dance. Together as Tri-Continental, something very special and magical happens with the grand improvisor, the kidnapper of the blues, and inventor and promoter of the universal Malagasy blues sound.

Acadian powerhouse trio Vishtèn has been recognized worldwide as an ambassador of francophone culture. The Canadian band has dazzled audiences with its fiery blend of traditional French songs and original instrumentals that fuse Celtic and Acadian genres with a modern rock sensibilities and indie-folk influences. With members hailing from Prince Edward Island’s Evangeline region and the windswept Magdalen Islands, twin sisters Emmanuelle and Pastelle LeBlanc join musical forces with Pascal Miousse to create a sophisticated sonic signature that combines tight vocal harmonies, layered foot percussion, and virtuoso acoustic instrumentation.

Samson Wrote is Sam Boer, an unorthodox singer-songwriter & multi-instrumentalist from Guelph, Ontario. His experimental folk songs are always rooted in the human voice while also incorporating a diverse array of instruments, such as synthesizers, glockenspiels, recorders, and digital samples. Samson Wrote released his debut full-length album, Pigeon, in February 2019—a collection of songs about how familial upbringing affects the most intimate moments of life. When he is not creating on his own, he is drumming for acclaimed Canadian acts like The Lifers, Run Coyote, and Tragedy Ann.

Keltie is a singer/songwriter from Edmonton. Her 2017 debut EP Everything I Haven’t Said reached #1 on iTunes Canada Singer Songwriter chart.
Someone Tell Her earned Keltie the Rising Star Award at the 2018 Edmonton Music Awards, a Finalist in The Canadian Songwriting Contest and a CFMA Young Performer nomination.
Keltie will be performing at the Winnipeg Folk Festival again this summer on the Young Performers stage.

She continues to impress with a constant stream of new songs. Expect Inhibition, her latest recording, was released in April of 2019. It is another testament to her soul-baring lyrics and exceptional musicianship.

CONWAY are a Contemporary Celtic Duo from Newfoundland and Labrador who range in age from 14 to 16 and have been performing and touring Atlantic Canada together for the past 5 years.
CONWAY have performed live on the Janeway Children’s Miracle Network Telethon, the annual George Street Festival, Mount Pearl City Days as well as multiple appearances at The Brigus Blueberry Festival, The NL Folk Festival and the East Coast Music Awards, multiple live radio and TV appearances as well as their own 1 hour TV Christmas Special and over 300 other great stages in their busy career.

Nick Earle is a Canadian guitarist, singer-songwriter from St. John’s, Newfoundland. Nick began his career in the music industry as one half of the nationally recognized duo “Earle and Coffin”. As part of this duo he has received two Canadian Folk Music awards, 2 MusicNL awards and a multitude of ECMA, Maple Blues and MusicNL nominations. Nick has now stepped out in his solo career with his debut project, Breaking New Ground. Nick brings his unique combination of soulful vocals and unorthodox guitar playing to this solo effort and the combination is an unqualified success.

Jacques Surette is a 19-year-old singer- songwriter from Southwestern Nova Scotia who spends most of his time writing songs about his culture and his neck of the woods. He started playing guitar at the age of 12 and composing songs at 14. The rising star has captured fans throughout the Maritimes with his simple yet touching songs.