August 19th – 21st 2022
August 19th – 21st 2022
Thank you to all the performers who played at Summerfolk 46. Your belief in the festival is greatly appreciated. Applications for this year’s festival are closed.
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Chantal Kreviazuk, a two-time JUNO Award winner and Raine Maida — a four-time winner with Our Lady Peace — are one of Canada’s most influential cultural couples.
Kreviazuk made her critically acclaimed full-length debut, Under These Rocks and Stones, in 1997. Since then, the Winnipeg born singer-songwriter has released five more studio albums, and garnered five JUNO Award nominations. Maida has forged a dynamic career as a solo artist and the front man for the band Our Lady Peace, 25-time JUNO Award nominees, including winners for Rock Album of the Year in 2003 (Gravity) and 1998 (Clumsy).
The pair has also co-written countless hits for artists such as Kelly Clarkson, David Cook and Carrie Underwood.
Check out their website here
The award winning and highly acclaimed band Le Vent du Nord is a leading force in Quebec’s progressive francophone folk movement. The group’s vast repertoire draws from both traditional sources and original compositions, while enhancing it’s hard-driving soulful music (rooted in the Celtic diaspora) with a broad range of global influences.
Since its inception in August 2002, Le Vent du Nord has enjoyed meteoric success, performing well over 2,000 concerts over 4 continents and racking up several prestigious awards, including a Grand Prix du Disque Charles Cros, two Junos (Canada’s Grammys), a Félix at ADISQ, a Canadian Folk Music Award, and “Artist of the Year” at Folk Alliance Annual Gala.
The group exhibits great finesse and flexibility, appearing regularly on Canadian, American, French, and UK television and radio, and participating in a wide variety of special musical projects. They’ve collaborated and performed with a diverse range of artists including: Harry Manx, Väsen, Dervish, The Chieftains, Breton musical pioneer Yann-Fañch Kemener, Québecois roots legend and master storyteller Michel Faubert, the Scottish folk band Breabach, s
inger Julie Fowlis, and the trans-Mediterranean ensemble Constantinople.
Not content with standard approaches to tradition, Le Vent du Nord has also created a symphonic concert that, according to Voir Montreal, “puts all traditional folk naysayers to shame.”
On stage these friends create intense, joyful and dynamic live performances that expand the bounds of tradition in striking global directions. This is the modern sound of tradition, a music of the here and now.
Check out their website here
A powerhouse performer with a giant, soul-filled voice and commanding stage presence, Matt Andersen has built a formidable following the old-fashioned way: touring worldwide and letting his stunned audiences and new devotees spread the good word of his righteous tunes all over.
And the world has indeed woken up and discovered him, helping him amass over 18 million views on YouTube. In addition to headlining major festivals, clubs and theatres throughout North America, Europe and Australia, he has shared the stage and toured with Bo Diddley, Buddy Guy, Greg Allman, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Randy Bachman, Little Feat, Jonny Lang, Serena Ryder, and more. Andersen nabbed the 2013 and 2016 European Blues Award for Best Solo/Acoustic Act, three Maple Blues Awards in 2012, and was the first ever Canadian to take home top honours in the solo/duo category at the 2010 International Blues Challenge in Memphis. Since the release of Weightless in early 2014, Andersen has received a JUNO nomination for Roots & Traditional Album of the Year, a CIMA Road Gold award, and eight Maple Blues Awards.
Check out their website here
A passionate singer/songwriter and soulful performer, Leela Gilday has a voice that comes straight from the heart. Confessing her stories to her audiences with a gutsy voice and open stage presence, Gilday weaves her experiences as a northerner, a member of the Dene Nation, and a traveler into a beautiful world that transports the listener.
If you’re from the North, Leela Gilday’s music is home. If you’ve never been, it will take you there. Born and raised in the Northwest Territories, she writes about the people and the land that created her. The power in her voice conveys the depth of her feelings of love and life in a rugged environment and vibrant culture, as if it comes straight from that earth. Leela’s family is from Délįne on the shore of Great Bear Lake and her rich vocals dance across the rhythmic beats of traditional Dene drumming as smoothly as a bass line onstage the largest venues in the country. And she has played them all.
Check out their website here
Irish Mythen was born in Ireland and now resides in Charlottetown Prince Edward Island.
“This Island creates music and musicians, art and artists. I found a shift to take things more seriously when I moved here.” And she did just that.
Her latest release, Little Bones, gained her recognition around the globe, including a 2020 JUNO nomination for Contemporary Roots Album of the Year, seven Music PEI 2020 nominations and two wins — Touring Artist of the Year and Roots Contemporary Recording of the Year, and a Canadian Folk Music Nomination for Solo Artist of the Year. Her previous self-titled album, Irish Mythen, garnered awards and nominations from Music PEI, East Coast Music Association, Folk Alliance International and SOCAN. Write-ups in Australian Guitar Magazine, Rollingstone and a plethora of other print and online media world wide have helped plant Irish firmly on the map of Must-See Artists.
Irish’s live performances are a thing of raw power, emotion and a connection with her audience that just has to be seen to be believed.
Check out their website here
My Son the Hurricane is a multi-horn, multi-drummer, multi-singer brass-funk beast from Niagara, Ontario.
The 12-piece brass-dance crew has toured multiple countries and some of the largest festivals in Canada, USA and Europe. 40 sold out shows in 2019 and early 2020 proved that there is no live show comparable to My Son the Hurricane.
Featuring trumpets, saxophones, trombones, drums, guitar, percussion and two wild front- people, we dare you not to dance!
In 2019, My Son the Hurricane released the full-length album titled “Ride the Bullet” (Vegas Funeral Records), which was followed by a 7-month Canada/USA/European tour that saw over 40 sold-out shows. They’ve been dubbed, “The brass beast thrift shop dance circus” and were scheduled (pre-pandemic) to be touring across Canada, USA, Belgium, Romania, Sweden, Norway and Slovenia in 2020. 2021 saw the release of their new single “Mississippi ‘88”.
Check out their website here
Connie Kaldor comes from Saskatchewan and is one of Canada’s finest songwriters. She has toured around the world, won Junos and is a member of the Order of Canada as well as winning a Western Literature award. As an independent, Kaldor has done it all: writing, singing and
performing, building her following one song, one show at a time. 
She is the author of three award winning cd books for children. She has written musicals and music for films and web-series. But always it is her live shows that are the bedrock of her career.
Her 16th album EVERYDAY MOMENTS is out and available now.
Check out their website here
Some people start life with a plan. Not Steve. He opens himself up to the universe in a way most of us will never be loose enough to achieve, and the universe responds with a wink, a seemingly bottomless well of inspiration, and the talent to truly connect with an audience. While 2021 could have found him adrift, faced with a tour moratorium the likes of which he hadn’t experienced in decades, it opened a door — literally, his friend Oliver Wood of The Wood Brother’s door — to creating an exuberant, thoughtful batch of songs that celebrate life in all of its stages. 
With a cult following that includes fellow musicians, regular folks and festival goers who stumble onto his performances, there’s no common denominator to Steve’s fans. Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia and raised in San Diego, CA Steve toured and recorded with San Diego cult favorites The Rugburns (they still play annual sold-out reunion shows). But it was through his creative partnership with Jewel that he vaulted into the national spotlight; co-writing her multiplatinum Billboard Hot 100-busting smash, “You Were Meant For Me,” and continues to work with her to this day.
Over the years, the Nashville-based troubadour has built a fascinating solo catalog, earmarked by his debut, One Left Shoe, Dreamhouse, Folk Singer, and 2019’s Shine On. No Depression crowned him, “A sardonic provocateur with a lighthearted acoustic-driven wit, suggesting at times a sunnier, less psychedelic Todd Snider, or maybe a less wan, washed Jackson Brown,” while the Associated Press dubbed him “part busker, part Iggy Pop and part Robin Williams, a freewheeling folkie with a quick wit and big heart.”
Among other collaborations, GRAMMY-winning bluegrass phenom Billy Strings tapped him to co-write “Leaders” on 2021’s Renewal and he’s co-written with Molly Tuttle, Sierra Hull, Nicki Bluhm, Oliver Wood and even Mojo Nixon.
Check out their website here
Born in Havana, Cuba, Elizabeth Rodriguez is a classically trained violinist who served as concertmaster for Havana’s Youth Orchestra. Magdelys Savigne hails from Santiago de Cuba and graduated with honours in orchestral percussion from Havana’s University of the Arts. Both are also Grammy-nominees for their contributions to Jane Bunnett and Maqueque, of which they are former members. Having recently worked with Bomba Estereo, Lido Pimienta and Bianca Gismonti, OKAN follows up on their Juno-nominated and Independent Music Award-winning debut album Sombras, with their sophomore release Espiral, out on the Lulaworld Records label.
Check out their website here
RedFox was formed when folk duo Jono Townsend and Tim Loten relocated to Montreal and joined up with vocalist/fiddle virtuoso Daphnee Vandal.
After months of honing their sound and rehearsing in apartment living rooms, the band had a vision, but was having difficulty finding their missing piece. Determined, they decided it was time to expand. Hoping to achieve a broader, more dynamic sound, the trio reached out to experienced metal drummer and longtime university friend, Sam Neumann, to join on drums, as well as prog-rock bassist Sam Robinson to complete the outfit. Their sound was transformed into the folky, ambient, high-energy experience that we come to know as RedFox, retaining their acoustic roots while also exploring and blending more electric sounds. The group can trace their influences back to bands such as Punch Brothers, Half Moon Run, and Paramore.
Visit their website HERE
Coming soon!
The only good thing about not shopping in record stores anymore is you won’t have to figure out what genre to look for Danny under. If that were the case, you could try looking under, rock, pop, folk, world or even classical.
His own self-described musical A.D.D. has kept his music fresh for decades. Maybe it has something to do with being born next to a candy factory, or his ambidextrous brain, but his thoughtful lyrics & charming performances have earned a devoted fan base, multiple nominations for Junos, The Polaris Prize, CBC’s “Heart Of Gold”, and most recently winning the CFMA’s “Producer of the year” and “Oliver Schroder Pushing the Boundaries” Awards.
But Danny considers his career highlights to be the unique real life moments like performing for Jane Goodall’s 85th birthday party, touring with Stuart Mclean and working with charities close to his heart.
Check out their website here
Boogát is a multi award-winning Canadian-Mexican musician from Québec who mixes Hip-Hop with Latin music like Cumbia, Salsa, Reggaeton and more… The son of immigrant parents from Paraguay and Mexico, he was born in Québec City and raised in Beauport Beach. In 2001, he moved to Montreal where his career started.
In 2013 he released ”El Dorado Sunset”, his first Spanish album. The album won two Félix Awards for ”Best World Music Album” and ”Producer of the Year”. Since then he has been touring Canada, USA, México, Argentina, UK, Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands, France, Czech Republic and Spain.
In 2015 he released ”Neo-Reconquista which won both a Félix and a Juno Award for ”Best World Music Album” in 2016. ”San Cristóbal Baile Inn”, which includes collaborations with Andrés Oddone, Frikstailers, Miss Bolivia, Niña Dioz and Lemon Bucket Orchestra, was released in 2017. And a new EP “El Gato y Los Rumberos” is now available.
Singing first in French, Boogát moved to Spanish after playing with the electronic music producer Poirier and the Latin music group Roberto Lopez Project; discovering a new world of possibilities that opened the way to collaborate with artists such as El Dusty, Celso Piña y su Ronda Bogotá, G-Flux, Cut Chemist, La Yegros, Uproot Andy, Lido Pimienta, Supersan, Mati Zundel, Kid Koala, Schlachthofbronx, Pierre Kwenders, Radio Radio and El Remolon, amongst others.
Check out their website here
Rick Fines is an engaging storyteller and songwriter. He
has won Maple Blues Awards for Songwriter of the Year and Acoustic Act Of The Year (twice), won first place in the blues category of 2003 International Songwriting Competition, with B.B. King one of the judges, received nominations from both the Juno and the Handy Awards, played for legendary blues piano player Pinetop Perkins. Rick toured from Newfoundland to B.C. to the Arctic last year alone.
Rick has just released “Solar Powered Too” – A stunning collection of songs; stories sung in Fines’ richly textured voice, a voyage through blues and folk guitar styles.
Check out their website here
Singer-songwriter Andrea Ramolo is the first to admit that she creates music out of chaos and often misery. If that is a dark statement, it’s also one she laughs about because it all works out in the end. This time, once again, it has lent itself to the creation of her stunning new seventh studio album, Quarantine Dream (due Oct.).
Her past six studio albums — four solo and two with the duo Scarlett Jane — have been borne out of heartbreak, but Quarantine Dream, made almost entirely with women, is different: it’s about a breakup with our lives as we knew it when COVID-19 hit in early 2020.
“The record’s about extreme hope, extreme fear, extreme loss, extreme loneliness, and extreme imagination — wishing and hoping for a better tomorrow,” says Andrea.
Check out their website here
Recent winners of the 2022 Canadian Folk Music Awards for Vocal Group of the Year and Indigenous Songwriters of the Year, Twin Flames will amaze and inspire you with their powerful musicality and storytelling. Join us for a one-of-a-kind show!
Indie rock, synth rock, and folk-pop are just a few of the ways critics have tried to label the music of Twin Flames. It isn’t an easy task and really, labels only serve the needs of those who choose to employ them.
From the beginning, husband and wife duo Chelsey June and Jaaji have chosen to let their music speak for itself. And when considered alongside the nearly 30 various music awards and nominations they have accumulated over the past six years as Twin Flames, it is obvious they have something special going on. Chelsey June, an Indigenous woman with (Métis, Algonquin Cree heritage) from Ottawa, and Jaaji (Inuk and Mohawk) man from Nunavik and Kahnawake, are part of an Indigenous renaissance. Their cultural backgrounds span Canada’s geography and their songs, delivered through a mix of English, French, and Inuktitut, have helped them earn a unique place among contemporary music makers from coast to coast. Their humour on stage is often unexpected and combined with impeccable storytelling Twin Flames allows audiences to feel a truly human connection.
Check out their website here
Toronto-based alt-rock 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.
Birds of Bellwoods released their highly anticipated debut LP, Victoria, (© eOne Music) in late 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.
Much of the attention to come their way thus far has stemmed from the band’s energetic and engaging live performances. The band has crossed Canada and dipped into the U.S. for all kinds of dates, including a slew of major Canadian music festivals, and most recently, a 28-show national arena tour as the musical guest on Rock The Rink, supporting Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir on their farewell shows.
Check out their website here
Emily Flack is a young Canadian performer from London, Ontario, now based in Toronto. She is a musician, a champion step-dancer, a composer and songwriter.
But her first love is singing. Emily has performed throughout Ontario, Canada and the US, as both a feature and guest artist, at festivals, in theatres, house concerts and ceilidhs. In 2013 she was featured at the prestigious folk festival, Summerfolk (Owen Sound, Ontario), after auditioning and winning a coveted spot on the Youth Discoveries Concert Showcase. She brought the house down. Emily has toured with Nova Scotia, Cape Breton’s Natalie MacMaster and Ontario’s own LEAHY. Emily is a next-generation Leahy.
But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have to work for her own success. Learning started early and Emily brings that foundation to her music – both in her writing and performance. She draws inspiration from her exposure to many different genres of music and dance. She blends folk, roots, country, alternative, contemporary and jazz styles.
Check out their website here
Beppe Gambetta is a guitarist, vocalist, researcher and composer born in Genoa, Italy in 1955 who developed a style of concert presentation that brings American and European Roots to speak together with one voice. In his unique approach, Gambetta blends energetic grooves with passionate melodies, giving new life to sources from different times, periods and places. In addition, the original music he composes gives contemporary influences to traditional roots music.
He first came to the United States in 1985 and then returned in 1988 to travel through the US with the first available Sony digital DAT machine. He managed to meet and record a collection of duets with 12 of the most admired guitarists in the American bluegrass/folk genre including Norman Blake, Mike Marshall, Charles Sawtelle, John Jorgenson and David Grier.
For his 14th CD (Where The Wind Blows, Borealis Records, Canada 2020) Beppe Gambetta revealed himself to be not simply a master guitarist but also a new songwriter of great feeling, wisdom and maturity. “Where the Wind Blows” is a collection of songs and tunes all written, arranged and performed by Beppe with the extraordinary collaboration of American bass player Rusty Holloway and percussionist Joe Bonadio.
The CD title track “Dove Tia O Vento” was a finalist in the “Best Song” Category at the Italian Awards Premio Tenco 2020.
Check out their website here
MIMI: NEW MUSIC FROM AN OLD SOUL
Mimi O’Bonsawin is an award winning roots songstress. You can find Mimi out on the road bringing songs and stories to diverse audiences all over this country and abroad. Her songs are heavily influenced by her French Canadian and Abenaki roots and flow through a centre of love and creativity. Her compositions are nurtured by the beauty of her home landscape, and her performances honest and raw.
Her previous release ELLE DANSE is a self-produced French EP that has been gaining momentum with placements on Spotify, Amazon and Apple Music curated playlists. ELLE DANSE was in ELMNT FM’s top 10 Best Albums of 2020 and it was recently nominated for two prizes at the TRILLE OR Awards. Her newest album, Fiddleheads and Ferns, is out now.
Check out their website here
Check out their website here
Born out of a love for southern soul, blues and roots music and a passion to create a powerful and moving experience for listeners, Bywater Call was formed by singer Meghan Parnell and guitar player Dave Barnes in 2017. The 7-piece outfit is completed by Bruce McCarthy on drums, Mike Meusel on bass, Alan Zemaitis on keys, Stephen Dyte on trumpet and Julian Nalli on tenor sax.
This Toronto-based band was nominated for the 2020 Maple Blues Awards for Best New Artist after the release of their debut album in 2019. The album received rave reviews and placed #1 on the Roots Music Report Canada’s Top 50 for 11 straight weeks.
Check out their website here
Moskitto Bar is a fresh and unique sound created in the multi-cultural hub of Toronto. Their sound combines a beautiful and original mix of Ukrainian, Balkan, Iraqi Middle-Eastern and French Celtic music. The project was initiated by Tangi Ropars when he met newcomers Yura, from Ukraine, and Ahmed, from Iraq. In June 2016, during a gathering in Northern Ontario, they met every day in the woods to share and teach each other their respective melodies and rhythms. As they were playing, the rural Ontario mosquitos, were joyfully feasting on the multicultural group inspiring their eponymous name.
Almost two years later, the trio connected with the notable violin player, Fethi Nadjem freshly landed from Algeria, adding his oriental flavour to the sound mix.
More than the music, despite their diverse traditions, political and social stories, they share a deeper connection, a mutual love and respect for each other and a common desire to spread messages of unity. “Connecting Cultures For a Better Future” Moskitto Bar. Toronto saw the band playing in the streets, community events and bars and more recently in public libraries, Aga Khan Museum, Opera House, Ashkenazi Festival and Korner Hall. Moskitto Bar shared the stage with international musicians such as famous Russian band Dobranotch, the Bosnian icon Bozo Vreco, and Burdon Fold Band from Ukraine. Collaborations with other artists is embedded in the band’s culture/mandate.
The Moskittos and their community of musicians can often be found jamming at Drom Taberna the new iconic live music venue in Toronto.
Aysanabee is a multi-instrumentalist, producer and singer songwriter currently based in Toronto. Born Evan Pang, he is Oji-Cree, Sucker Clan of the Sandy Lake First Nation. Moving off reserve at the age of 3, Pang grew up in several northern towns across Manitoba and Ontario until settling in Kaministiquia outside of Thunder Bay with his mother and siblings where he taught himself to play guitar and write songs.
His sound ranges from introspective folk and pop-rock to soul anthems with the driving drums, which can be heard in his debut singles, Ocean Breath and Howling.
In 2021 Aysanabe was featured in the Indigenous Music Awards Emerging Artists Series(IMAs) and was in the running for the IMA’s music video competition for his song “The Dawn”. One of sixteen artists, Aysanabee was featured at the 2021 International Indigenous Music Summit in a mini docu-series titled Giiwewizh, in partnership with Apple.
Aysanabee has played in several bands, but over the pandemic, started his solo career under his family name, Aysanabee. He has spent the last 6 years working in journalism for major news outlets, leading him to develop his skills in storytelling, but also dividing his life into two parts.
He is currently working on a full-length project that combines both aspects of his life to deliver the story of his family, his struggle with identity and reconnecting with his roots: a story that is echoed all across Canada
Check out their website here
Puuluup is a duo – Ramo Teder (Pastacas as a solo artist) and Marko Veisson. A pinch of surrealism, modern folklore and talharpa revival! The old and the new stick together like water and sleet in Puuluup’s oeuvre. The instruments – talharpas – represent tradition and folklore.
The characteristically susurrus sounds of these instruments are sent through effect blocks and a looper. The lyrics and melodies are a mixture of our musical memories and improvisation. Inspiration is often drawn from leiks from Vormsi, Finnish jouhikko repertoire, Sahel’s blues, chastushkas and other elements from the musical traditions from around the world. All kinds of random sources of inspiration are similarly important – unexpected excerpts from Polish TV series, old Estonian punk and sweetbread from Vormsi Island. As a side dish, when giving live concerts they also offer choreographic flittering which emerged on its own during the numerous days these two man spent in the rehearsal rooms.
Check out their website here
Morgan Barrie is an original Canadian singer-songwriter whose sound
seamlessly intertwines warm guitar riffs and thoughtful lyrics. Morgan finds a way of
opening the channels to your soul, singing about challenges all generations collectively
face in the 21st century. He’s raw, honest, and slightly haunting. Morgan’s songs
encompass topics of love, waste, and loss in equally passionate terms.
As an artist, Morgan takes control over all elements of the production process. From composing the
music to engineering the final product in his personal studio. Morgan’s ambitious efforts
pay off in his powerful sound.
Reticent to play in public at first, Morgan did not start sharing his music until 2015. His
debut solo LP ‘North’ was released to modest success in 2017. To promote the album,
Morgan preformed several sold-out shows and strengthened his music community.
Following the success of ‘North’, Morgan released his second full length album. Fall
(2018), is filled with beautiful soundscapes. It displays a subtle, yet palpable, angst over
the state of humanity. Songs from Fall hit the top 10 list for the CFRC Kingston station,
were played on CBC North, and have received praise from music critics across globe.
Morgan’s music has also been showcased internationally. Touring across Germany,
Morgan opened for Matt Epp on his 2018 European tour.
As follow-up to his experience overseas, Morgan has now secured his own fully-booked
three week tour through Germany and Switzerland in 2020. Morgan continues to
develop his abilities as an artist and a producer. From his first two albums, he has
learned how to connect with listeners and tell stories important to today’s complex
environment.
Check out their website here
It started the way all good things do, with a story, one that emerged from the time-shrouded attics of Keri Latimer’s family history. A tale of the great-grandmother she knew only as tiny and soft-spoken, a gentle soul who only spoke Japanese. Who would have guessed that once, in her youth, that same little old lady stabbed a man with a pair of barbershop shears?
That tale became the torch to light a new journey. As the years turned, Keri plunged into the depths of her family’s ancestral memories, resurfacing with stories like jewels that had been tucked away and forgotten. These she polished and kept safe, waiting until it was time to hold their colours up to the light once more.
Now, all of those stories come together on Citizen Alien, the brand-new sophomore album from Winnipeg folk duo Leaf Rapids. The project is a labour of love for Keri and her husband, Devin Latimer. Through their own family’s stories they created a new world from the old, delving into the intimate truths told by voices from decades long gone.
Check out their website here
It is by merging traditional Québécois song and electro music that Mélisande [electrotrad] has stood out since the release of her first album in 2014. From repertoire research in collections of folklorists, to excavations in archive centers and then by collecting traditional songs from elders along the Richelieu, the duo has remained anchored in tradition while creating a very contemporary sound.
The 4th opus ” Flash de mémoire” (Les Disques Passeport, 2021) revisits traditional classics in addition to offering 5 covers of popular songs inspired by the trad: Y’a pas grand chose dans l’ciel à soir, Boisson d’avril, Dégénérations, Les étoiles filantes et La marche du président. In doing so, Mélisande [electrotrad] sheds light on the influence of folklore on Quebec song over the past decades by offering a daring reinterpretation.
Whether it is by rewriting the words of the past or by giving an electrotrad sound on occasions, the duo gives new life to these works in order to transmit and disseminate our French-speaking culture. Hailed by critics from here and elsewhere and rewarded with a Canadian Folk Music Award, two Independent Music Awards and several nominations (ADISQ, GAMIQ, CFMA, IMA), Mélisande [electrotrad] presented more than 250 shows (Canada, Australia, Europe, United States).
On stage, Mélisande and “Moulin” present the Flash de Mémoire repertoire as well as titles from previous albums surrounded by two seasoned musicians (dancers and screenings optional).
You are invited to a highly energetic show ideal for making the general public discover the richness of Quebec tradition. “Electric, electrified and electrifying music, nothing less! “- ICI MUSIQUE
Check out their website here
Saturday August 20th 11:10-11:55PM
Down by the Bay
Aleksi Campagne is uniquely qualified to offer a contemporary, indie-folk take on the time-honoured fiddle-singing tradition. Aleksi grew up on stage. At five years old, he began performing alongside his mother, Canadian folk icon, Connie Kaldor. At 19, Aleksi moved to Paris to study under jazz violin legend Didier Lockwood. At 21, Aleksi became the only student to have ever been accepted into the classical violin, the jazz violin and the jazz voice performance programs at McGill University. And, by 25, with only a six-song EP, Aleksi graced the lineups of some of Canada’ most beloved folk festivals over three consecutive summers (until COVID)—including the Regina Folk Festival, the Canmore Folk Festival, the Northern Lights Festival and the Live from the Rock Festival, among others.
Most recently, Aleksi received both a Canada Council Grant and a FACTOR Grant to fully fund the recording and production of his highly anticipated 10-song debut album. He then received an additional CALQ grant to create a video version of the album. This new album titled For the Giving is set to launch in both audio and video formats this summer on a Canada-wide tour!
When playing live, Aleksi floors audiences by singing while bowing his violin and leading his four-piece band. His original music blends folk song writing with an edgy, multi-layered sound resulting from his unique combination of voice, violin and looping-effect pedals. In a full-page spread in the Montreal Gazette, Brennan Kelly described him as “not just a folksinger with a guitar!”
For the past four years, Aleksi has toured across the country with a four-piece band made up of some of the finest young musicians Montreal has to offer: Stephane Krims (Bass), Aaron Dolman (drums) and Zach Bachand (guitar). Together, they have played festivals and venues across Canada.
Check out their website here
Emilee Ann Pitawanakwat is only 10 years old and is already making an impact. This Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory hoop dancer was recently featured with musicians Andrea Ramolo and Kinnie Starr who were recently recognized with the Canadian Independent Music Video Award in the folk category for their video, Free. Emilee both starred and helped direct the video itself.
Owen Sound’s Rob Elder caught the music bug as a kid on the family farm where classic country & western songs, the Beach Boys, and Bob Seeger were the sound track to barn chores. Back then, picking up a guitar was an easy way to wind down at the end of a long day. Turned to music, his farm boy’s work ethic led to quick growth and an early creative blossoming, his festival debut at the age of 20, and the release of two self produced albums shortly afterwards.
Eventually, Rob moved to Toronto where he gigged every weekend and hosted an open mic for two and a half years. All that playing and networking exposed him to a world of musicians and sounds well beyond his parents record collection. Those influences fused into a style that playfully mixes blue-eyed soul, slick guitar, and crooning country rhythms and serves them with a voice that surfs from solid depths to groovy falsetto highs.
By his mid-twenties, Rob was chasing the Canadian dream. He got married, had two kids, and was advancing in a straight-laced career while gigging tirelessly in Toronto. There wasn’t much time for recording back then and Rob and his wife knew that they didn’t want to raise children in the city. So in 2012 they moved back to Grey County where a vibrant musical community welcomed them wholeheartedly. Rob put together a band, started mentoring younger musicians through the Georgian Bay Folk Society, and – as always – filled every available moment with music. Now with the release of ‘Changer‘ 12 years after his sophomore record, Rob self-identifies as a re-emerging artist. But make no mistake, his musical growth has never faltered and his roots have only dug deeper in the intervening years.
2018’s ‘Changer’ shows off how much Rob has grown and what he’s learned along the way. Where his first two albums ploughed popular themes of young love and heartbreak, Changer explores more mature themes of social unrest and inequality, solidarity, and the deep love that carries a relationship decades on. Don’t think that serious themes make the music less fun, though. With thoughtful lyrics and catchy melodies, Changer proves that Rob Elder still knows how to get audiences dancing – whether or not there’s a dance floor.
Check out their website here
RPR is a Canadian folk-rock band known for engaging live shows, soaring vocals and huge harmonies, all showcasing the music of this powerhouse band.
Running the spectrum from stirring anthems to whisper-gentle ballads, RPR’s songs evoke joy, tears and laughter with a dynamic tapestry of musical styles that range from folk, rock and blues traditions in unique and refreshing ways. It’s cinematic storytelling from four captivating songwriters.
Together since 2012, RPR have regularly played throughout Canada and the US, as well as three UK tours to date. Appearing on festival stages, concert series, music halls, theatres, town halls and beyond, RPR continue to win new fans along the way.
The band has released two CDs, Trans Atlantic in 2013 and the latest, Longview. The new record, nominated for Blues and Roots Radio 2019 Album of the Year, features twelve songs that showcase the songwriting and musicianship like never before.
Check out their website here
Treasa Levasseur is best known as powerful singer and a compelling performer. As comfortable fronting an 8 piece soul band as she is emceeing a festival mainstage or leading a pop-up choir, Treasa embodies values of community, connection and creativity in everything she does.
She is a proud Franco-Ontarian and now makes her home in Hamilton, where she runs a thriving community arts practice.
With 3 full length albums to her name, an EP recorded in Memphis with soul legends, dozens of recording credits as a side player, and a degree in theatre arts, Treasa is a consummate entertainer and savvy businesswoman. She has a passion for books, and can be heard regularly on CBC’s The Next Chapter.
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David Newland is a radio host, writer, musician, and speaker, currently completing an MA, English (Public Texts) at Trent University. David is a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. Born in Ottawa, raised on the shores of Georgian Bay near Parry Sound, David crisscrossed Canada and travelled the world before settling in Cobourg, Ontario. 
David can be heard on Spirit of the Song on Thursdays from 7-8 PM ET on Northumberland 89.7 in Cobourg, Ontario. David’s latest album NORTHBOUND, based on his adventures in the Arctic was released in 2019. NORTHBOUND was nominated for Album of the Year by BluesAndRootsRadio.com.
As host of The Morning Show on Northumberland 89.7 he initiated and hosted a Black History Month focus; co-created a Sustainable Cobourg segment; collaborated to feature all six artists of the Art Gallery of Northumberland Spotlight Series; and conducted more than 75 on-air interviews with notable musicians, artists, authors and community leaders.
David was the host of the televised 2021 Northumberland Diversity Festival. He hosted 12 episodes of the Summer Music Series on Northumberland 89.7 in 2021.
David’s most recent performance project was a highly successful tour of BC and Alberta with Wild Coasts of Canada, a collaborative performance with photographer Scott Forsyth. Along with Inuit cultural performers Siqiniup Qilauta (Sunsdrum) David was a showcase artist at the 2019 Northeast Regional Folk Alliance conference (NERFA). David and his band, Uncharted Waters have sold out venues across Ontario with his themed performance, The Northwest Passage in Story and Song.
David spent seven years travelling with Adventure Canada as a Zodiac driver, performer and host. He travels as a performer and speaker from coast to coast throughout the year.
David has been featured in the television programs Canada’s Greatest Ride (for which he also wrote the theme song), and Mighty Cruise Ships and has appeared on numerous TV and radio programs as a guest, featured artist, performer, programmer and host. He has received grants from the Ontario Arts Council for both writing, and music.
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