Sun Times Article #12: Prepare for the magic
Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan When I […]
Sun Times Article #11: From unexpected places…
Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan Two years […]
Sun Times Article #10: A songwriter’s story
Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan Last year, […]
Sun Times Article #9: Road to Summerfolk
Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan I played […]
Sun Times Article #8: Memories and magic
Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan The only […]
Sun Times Article #7: West Coast road trips
Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan There has […]
Sun Times Article #6: Mashing it up!
Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan This is […]
Sun Times Article #5: William Prince
Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan Peguis First […]
Sun Times Article #4: Garnet Rogers
There was a great gig that used to happen in Ohio at a place called the Wildcat Ranch. The concerts there were magical. The venue was the hayloft in a […]
Sun Times Article #3: Vildá
Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan In what […]
Sun Times Article #2: The Once
Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan A couple […]
Sun Times Article #1: A year-round effort
Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival At Summerfolk, we’re a little […]
Sun Times Article 12: Two’s company
Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan One of […]
Sun Times Article 8: A world of talent
Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan There is […]
Sun Times Article 9: Family Fun
Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan A couple […]
Sun Times Article 10: Mix-match and magic…
Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan I have […]
Sun Times Article 6: Soul Run
Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan If you […]
Sun Times Article 5: Unbound Creativity
Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan I was […]
Sun Times Article 4: Music of Childhood
Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan We didn’t […]
Sun Times Article 3: From Cuba to Canada
Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan To make […]
Sun Times Article 2: Irish roots
Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan Surprise! I’m […]
Sun Times Article 1: Waiting for Summerfolk…
Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan There are […]
Family Ties
Several years ago, I was teaching at a music camp in New Jersey. I had a group of about 16 songwriters as students. On the first night they invited me […]
Bringing the world to the OS
Musically, I was raised on a strange brew. My Da, Irish by birth, loved traditional Irish music. The Clancy Brothers were the high priests of his musical church. Any deviation […]
Those magic moments
I could fill a book with the magical moments I’ve had at festivals. As a performer, I had the opportunity to sit in with some of my musical heroes in […]
Trying on Pants
Shawn Hall of The Harpoonist and the Axe Murderer has provided me with my mantra for the next year. In an interview with Mike Usinger of the Georgia Straight, Hall […]
Small town…
When I am not wearing my Artistic Director’s hat, I’m wearing my touring, singer-songwriter’s hat. I’ve been wearing that headgear for over 30 years now. That job takes me to […]
We have you covered
Every year the Artistic Director of Summerfolk writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times in the 12 weeks leading up to the festival. […]
Summerfolk is For Kids … Too
By David Newland Ask what “folk” means as a musical genre, and the conversation could go on for weeks. One thing we can all agree on is that the “folk” […]
Natalie MacMaster and Bruce Cockburn at Summerfolk
By James Keelaghan You have to understand that there was a full-tilt party going on. The performers’ bar was like a who’s who of Folk Music — Paul Brady, Mary […]
Honestly Unforgettable Performers
By James Keelaghan Sometimes an artist owns a song. Chances are they didn’t write it, but it’s their voice that you hear when you imagine the song being sung. Judy […]
Refreshing Classics And New Traditions
By James Keelaghan It should be no surprise to you that with a name like Keelaghan, I know a bit about Celtic flavoured music. It might surprise you that it’s […]
Where the music happens
By James Keelaghan When you talk about folk festivals, music is essential, but really it’s all about the space. In 1992, I played the Tønder Festival in Denmark for the […]
Outside of the Box
One of the great things about the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival is that there has always been room for acts that are outside of the box. Acts that are […]
Bringing West Coast Energy to Summerfolk41
By James Keelaghan Last summer, I was able to cross a music festival off my life list. It’s in a little town called Atlin, in Northern BC, population 450. In […]
Keeping the Magic (A)live
By Jon Farmer Lately, I’ve been asking people to describe Summerfolk in one word. The most common response has been ‘magic’. It’s an accurate description but it makes it hard […]
Brothers and Sisters
Every year our artistic director writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times in the 12 weeks leading up to the festival. This is the first […]
The View From Stage Right
By David Newland The other day, my teenage daughter confronted me: “Dad, why are you still wearing that t-shirt? It’s ten years old!” I looked down, stunned. “What?! This is […]
Workshops and Festival Magic
By James Keelaghan We have a lot of people who buy tickets to the festival before we announce even one name from the lineup. They know that what happens at […]
Fruitful artists have roots in tradition
By James Keelaghan Several years ago, I was teaching at a music camp in New Jersey. I had a group of about 16 songwriters as students. On the first night […]
Putting the Crafts into Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival
By Jon Farmer When the first Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival was held in 1976, organizers intended to promote folk music and folk arts. They filled the space between musical […]
Building on Musical Mentors
By James Keelaghan In April this year, I lost a good friend. Ron Casat had been one of my earliest mentors. He taught me pretty well everything I know about […]
Trout Fishing in America
By James Keelaghan Nineteen eighty-eight was the first year I played Summerfolk with my own band. The festival, as usual, supplied rooms to out of town performers. Our rooms were […]
The Story Behind the Logo
By James Keelaghan Performers live for stickers and lanyards. They are the campaign medals of the touring circuit. I’ve got a wall full of them in my office. I had one […]
Deep Roots at Summerfolk
By James Keelaghan The other day, I was doing research into Canadian folk festivals. Every now and again, I like to go old school on the fact finding. I went […]
Claire Lynch Has The Voice
By James Keelaghan Every now and again I play a little game with myself. I imagine which musician I would like to be. Sometimes I’d like to be Phil Ochs, […]
Sun Times 08022014 Why We Folk
The only thing that keeps me going in the winter is the thought of summer. There used to be a time when I embraced winter, but that time is long […]
Sun Times Article 07/25/2014 Molsky/Naiman
Every year, as part of our continuing sponsorship with the Owen Sound Sun Times, the Artistic Director writes a series of 12 articles about the festival and the performers.The Sun […]
Sun Times Article 07/18/2014 The blues
Every year, as part of our continuing sponsorship with the Owen Sound Sun Times, the Artistic Director writes a series of 12 articles about the festival and the performers.The Sun […]
Sun Times Articles 07/11/2014 Oh Susanna
Every year, as part of our continuing sponsorship with the Owen Sound Sun Times, the Artistic Director writes a series of 12 articles about the festival and the performers.The Sun […]
Sun Times Article 06/27/2014 Buffy Sainte-Marie
Every year, as part of our continuing sponsorship with the Owen Sound Sun Times, the Artistic Director writes a series of 12 articles about the festival and the performers. When […]
Sun Times Article 06/06/2014 Laura Cortese and the Dance Cards/Alysha Brilla
Every year, as part of our continuing sponsorship with the Owen Sound Sun Times, the Artistic Director writes a series of 12 articles about the festival and the performers. You […]
Sun Times Article 05/30/2014 Yves Lambert
Every year, as part of our continuing sponsorship with the Owen Sound Sun Times, The Artistic Director writes a series of 12 articles about the festival and the performers. You […]
Sun Times Article #4
Article 4 highlights the The Proclaimers. It’s become something of a tradition- a series of articles written by the Summerfolk AD for the Owen Sound Sun Times. An article a […]
The Sun Times Articles 2013 – 1 and 3
It’s become something of a tradition- a series of articles written by the Summerfolk AD for the Owen Sound Sun Times. An article a week is published between now and […]
Sun Times Articles 2012 – part 8
James Keelaghan wrote a series of articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times last year as part of the lead up to Summerfolk. July 25 I played my first paying […]
Sun Times Articles 2012 – part 7
James Keelaghan wrote a series of articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times last year as part of the lead up to Summerfolk. July 12 My six year old, Tomas, […]
Sun Times Articles 2012 – part 6
James Keelaghan wrote a series of articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times last year as part of the lead up to Summerfolk. July 5th – Andersen and Vishtèn All […]
Sun Times Articles 2012 – part 5
James Keelaghan wrote a series of articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times last year as part of the lead up to Summerfolk. Gunning and Miles If Dave Gunning had […]
Sun Times Articles 2012 – part 4
James Keelaghan wrote a series of articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times last year as part of the lead up to Summerfolk. Something in the Winter In 2001 my […]
Sun Times Articles 2012 – part 3
James Keelaghan wrote a series of articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times last year as part of the lead up to Summerfolk. Lemon Bucket Orchestra When I was hired […]
Sun Times Articles 2012 – part 2
James Keelaghan wrote a series of articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times last year as part of the lead up to Summerfolk. Oscar and Popo If you love the […]
Sun Times Articles 2012 – part 1
James Keelaghan wrote a series of articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times last year as part of the lead up to Summerfolk. Article 1, Rogers and Prescott In my […]