Meet Topical Songstress Erin Saoirse Adair

Meet Topical Songstress Erin Saoirse Adair

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Songwerinadairriter, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and composer, Erin Saoirse Adair, has become a prominent and popular voice on the national folk scene, with widespread praise for her accessible and deeply relevant songs.

In the time-honoured tradition of topical song writing, her work deals with social justice, the environment, sex positivity, worker’s rights, alcoholism, mental health, sexual assault and more.

She sings frankly, but often with disarming humour.

Co-founder and former member of the feminist folk trio, Three Little Birds, nominated for a 2012 Canadian Folk Music Award, Erin already has a lot of stage experience under her young belt, and it shines brightly in her strong performances.

RUNA – Bringing a Mystical, Lyrical, Exciting Sound to Mariposa

RUNA – Bringing a Mystical, Lyrical, Exciting Sound to Mariposa

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runaRecognized as one of Irish music’s new super-groups, RUNA has been enchanting audiences by pushing the boundaries of Irish folk music.

Interweaving the haunting melodies and exuberant tunes of Ireland and Scotland with the lush harmonies and intoxicating rhythms of bluegrass, flamenco, blues, and jazz, they offer a thrilling and redefining take on traditional music.

The group has been honoured internationally, winning Top Group and Top Traditional Group in the Irish Music Awards and an Independent Music Award for Best World/Traditional Song.

They combine vocals, step-dancing, guitar, percussion, mandolin, bodhrán, and fiddle for a sound that is at once mystical, lyrical, unique and exciting.

Turbo Street Funk’s Infectious Sounds Make You Move and Groove!

Turbo Street Funk’s Infectious Sounds Make You Move and Groove!

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turbostreetfunkWhether they’re playing a festival, pub, concert hall, or even on a busy corner, the infectious sounds of Turbo Street Funk get people moving and grooving.

Discovered by jazz legend, Richard Underhill, they have grown from a street savvy busking crew to a collection of dynamic showmen.

With a performance style rooted in the New Orleans horn band tradition, this collection of musical talents draws inspiration from R&B, disco, jazz, funk, rock, Colombian porro, electronica and even classical, arranging every piece for a fun-loving ‘street jazz’ sound.

These guys are exuberant, highly entertaining and loads of fun. You don’t want to miss them.

Charlie A’Court – Planted at the Crossroads of Roots and Soul

Charlie A’Court – Planted at the Crossroads of Roots and Soul

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charlieacourtPlanted at the crossroads of roots and soul, the mighty voice, fierce guitar work and contemporary song writing of Charlie A’Court connect with people, one emotion at a time.

He’s a country boy raised on classic R&B, soul, blues, rock and folk ranging from The Band and John Prine to Otis Redding and B.B. King.

Charlie is well known for his emotional delivery and strong stage presence, and for fearlessly bridging genres and challenging stylistic conventions.

He has toured extensively internationally both as a headlining performer or sharing the stage with greats like James Cotton, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, George Thorogood, Harry Manx, Martin Sexton, Delbert McClinton, Colin James and Dan Aykroyd.

Reuben And The Dark Making Their Mariposa Debut

Reuben And The Dark Making Their Mariposa Debut

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reubenDarkReuben And The Dark is a collection of five multi-instrumentalists and vocalists that make chilling, emotive folk and soul driven by dark, introspective lyrics exploring the duality of misery and joy.

Boasting a rare chemistry between all of its members, the group has emerged from the independent music scene on the strength of strong compositions that translate emotion into song with haunting clarity.

Their debut album, Funeral Sky (2014), has been described as a “…rich, deep, mood-drenched, roots-rock record textured with hymns and hosanna…”

It was produced by Chris Hayden (Florence & the Machine) and Stephen Kozmeniuk (Madonna, Nicki Minaj, and The Game feat Kanye West).

Check out our Reuben And The Dark Pinterest Board.

Brian Litvin and Jabulani Bringing Township Jive, Zulu Maskande, and South African Jazz to Mariposa

Brian Litvin and Jabulani Bringing Township Jive, Zulu Maskande, and South African Jazz to Mariposa

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brianLitvinThe uplifting music, driving rhythms, and exotic dancing of Brian Litvin and Jubalani will transport you to South Africa from where most of the group hails.

Jabulani is a Zulu word that means “we are happy”, and that is a perfect description of how this group will make you feel.

They play a blend of Township Jive, Zulu Maskande, traditional Zulu music, and South African Jazz learned first-hand from street walking guitar players, migrant workers in hostels, and in the townships that bred these wonderful sounds.

The group has had the honour of performing at numerous memorial services in memory of Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s most famous son.

Adam Crossley is Mariposa Bound

Adam Crossley is Mariposa Bound

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adamCrossleySinger-songwriter Adam Crossley was raised in South Jersey, had a sojourn in Toronto, and honed his writing and playing in Tennessee.

During his time in Canada, a period that significantly influenced the artist that he is today, he wrote for other artists, and for television and film.

Adam’s single, Beautiful World (We’re All Here), from his solo album, Anvil of the Heart (2010), hit the #4 spot on the AC Billboard charts in the U.S. and Canada.

His song, So She Dances, was recorded by Josh Groban.

Adam is currently living in Nashville where he is working on his highly anticipated sophomore album.

Kunle Basks His Audience in Beautiful Gentleness and Optimism

Kunle Basks His Audience in Beautiful Gentleness and Optimism

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KunleNigerian-born singer songwriter, Kunle, launched his musical career in Ghana, spent time on the open seas as a marine engineer, and made his way to Toronto where he is currently based.

His music employs guitar tapping, harmonica, talking drum, and rich vocals to animate traditional and contemporary songs that guide audiences into a musical place where there are no boundaries, and where traditions from Celtic to blues to rock to African folk meld together.

Whether singing in Yoruba, English, Pidgin or German, his sensitivity and kindness come out through his songs and generous performances, leaving his audience basking in beautiful gentleness and optimism.

Ash & Bloom: Powerhouse Duo with a Modern Simon & Garfunkel Feel

Ash & Bloom: Powerhouse Duo with a Modern Simon & Garfunkel Feel

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ashBloomThe words ‘incredible harmonies’ and ‘brilliant song writing’ most succinctly describe Ash & Bloom.

This powerhouse duo beautifully masters the heart-warming sound of two people playing and singing together in a modern Simon & Garfunkel kind of way.

Their debut full-length album, Let The Storm Come, released in North America in 2014, and earlier this year in Australia and New Zealand, has garnered positive press and extensive play.

It was followed by an Australian tour, sold-out audiences, and performances alongside artists like Buffy Sainte-Marie and Sinead O’Connor.

To our great fortune, their tour of Canada and the U.S. this Spring and Summer brings them to our Mariposa stage.

Let George Leach Take You on a Fantastic, Wild, Transcendent Ride

Let George Leach Take You on a Fantastic, Wild, Transcendent Ride

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georgeLeachSongwriters accomplish a strange magic, pulling songs from the ether and giving voice to our feelings and experiences.

George Leach is one of these magicians. He’s a consummate showman too.

The high energy level of his shows might surprise you.

With the first note played on his double neck Gibson, the air in the room changes, the crowd falls silent, and bodies begin to sway.

Whether playing a ballad or grinding out some funky blues, George disappears into the moment, taking his audience along with him for the fantastic, wild, transcendent ride.

You never know where you might end up.

Find out more on our George Leach Pinterest Board.

RéVeillons: Amuse-toi bien!

RéVeillons: Amuse-toi bien!

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reveillonsQuébecois quartet, RéVeillons, sweeps audiences off their feet with rousing arrangements that are rooted in the traditional, yet are curiously avant garde.

With stunning musicianship, and tunes that lilt, howl and rumble, their music is like comfort food for the aural senses.

They are four cool dudes who will dance you to the soul of Québecois music, and demonstrate what joie de vivre truly means.

Playing bodhran, concertina, guimbarde, guitar, banjo, fiddle, and even suitcase, they step, stomp, sing and harmonize with swaggering panache.

This is a melodic, percussive, stirring sound that will get your spirit moving, toes tapping and hips swinging.

Amuse-toi bien!

Iconic Lucinda Williams is Mariposa’s Saturday Evening Main Stage Headliner

Iconic Lucinda Williams is Mariposa’s Saturday Evening Main Stage Headliner

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lucindaWilliamsLucinda Williams has been maneuvering down a path all her own for more than three decades now. Hailing from Lake Charles, Louisiana – a town with a rich tradition in all of America’s indigenous music, from country to the blues – her creative verve is deeply informed by being imbued with a culturally rich, economically poor worldview. After several years of playing the hardscrabble clubs of her adopted state of Texas, Williams gained a solid enough footing to record a self-titled album that would become a touchstone for the embryonic Americana movement.

While not a huge commercial success at the time – it went out of print and stayed there for years – Lucinda Williams (aka, the Rough Trade album) retained a cult reputation, and finally got the reception it deserved upon its reissue. Jim Farber of New York’s Daily News hailed the reissue by saying “Listening again proves it to be that rarest of beasts: a perfect work. There’s not a chord, lyric, beat or inflection that doesn’t pull at the heart or make it soar.” In calling it “a masterpiece,” Blurt magazine dubbed it “a discovery worth making and music that will live in your heart and mind long after the disk stops spinning.”

For much of the next decade, Lucinda Williams moved around the country, stopping in Austin, Los Angeles, Nashville, and turning out work that won immense respect within the industry (winning a Grammy for Mary Chapin Carpenter’s version of Passionate Kisses) and gradually growing a very loyal cult audience. While her recorded output was sparse for a time, the work that emerged was invariably hailed for its indelible impressionism: like 1998’s Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, which notched her first Grammy as a performer.

The past decade brought further development, both musically and personally, evidenced on albums like West (2007), which All Music Guide called “flawless…destined to become a classic” and Blessed (2011), which the Los Angeles Times dubbed “a dynamic, human, album, one that’s easy to fall in love with.” Those albums retained much of Williams’ trademark melancholy and southern Gothic starkness, but also exuded more rays of light and hope: hues that were no doubt imparted by a more soothing personal life, as well as a more settled creative space.

lucindaWilliams2Those vibes come to the fore once again on her latest release, Down Where The Spirit Meets The Bone (2014). While the album stays very much rooted in the here and now, Williams also conjures up the spirit of classic ‘70s country soul – think Bobbie Gentry. The resulting warmth of tone gives the album a late-night front-porch vibe.

It is said you can divide music into three categories: the kind that aims for the head, the kind that aims for the heart and the kind that aims for the hips. Forging two of those connections at once is pretty impressive, but connecting on all three? That’s a rare accomplishment. But it’s not too much to ask of the iconic Lucinda Williams.

Find out more on Mariposa’s Lucinda Williams Pinterest Board.

Celtic Music for Purists and Modern Ears: Poor Angus

Celtic Music for Purists and Modern Ears: Poor Angus

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poorAngusPoor Angus interprets the music of past and present, performing original and traditional Scottish, Irish and East Coast pieces, and transforming them into thoroughly original, dynamic and entertaining arrangements.

This collection of five talented musicians expresses profound admiration for Celtic music in a manner that excites both traditional purists and modern audiences.

Featuring masterful highland and uilleann piping, tin whistles, fiddling, bodhran, guitar, mandolin, and bass, they’re a stirring group of players is also known for strong vocal harmonies.

These guys are the life of the party.

They always get feet stomping, dancers hoofing it, and audiences roaring for more.

Celtic Music for Purists and Modern Ears: Poor Angus

Celtic Music for Purists and Modern Ears: Poor Angus

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poorAngusPoor Angus interprets the music of past and present, performing original and traditional Scottish, Irish and East Coast pieces, and transforming them into thoroughly original, dynamic and entertaining arrangements.

This collection of five talented musicians expresses profound admiration for Celtic music in a manner that excites both traditional purists and modern audiences.

Featuring masterful highland and uilleann piping, tin whistles, fiddling, bodhran, guitar, mandolin, and bass, they’re a stirring group of players is also known for strong vocal harmonies.

These guys are the life of the party.

They always get feet stomping, dancers hoofing it, and audiences roaring for more.

Consummate Performer with a Big Voice: Irish Mythen

Consummate Performer with a Big Voice: Irish Mythen

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irishMythenA singer-songwriter, musician, and lyrical maven with an immense stage presence and an even bigger voice, Irish Mythen’s performances take you on an emotional roller coaster.

Her songs are rooted in myriad places and experiences, expressed through artistry that can only be honed by working with peers like Tom Paxton, The Dubliners, The Pogues, Joel Plaskett, Ron Hynes, and Matt Andersen.

Irish is a consummate entertainer who is known for gripping live shows; storytelling that brings you on an incredible and emotional journey; comedic anecdotes that have you laughing; and musical philosophies that get you thinking until long after the performance has ended.

https://youtu.be/ASXhaXoqHwo

Rick Fines: Veteran of the Blues and Folk Circuits

Rick Fines: Veteran of the Blues and Folk Circuits

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rickFinesRick Fines refuses to be pigeonholed.

Steeped in roots music, he crafts a unique blend of warm-hearted blues, juke joint folk, and dockside soul that both embraces and defies the genres.

A veteran of the North American blues and folk circuits, he engages audiences with captivating songs, diverse guitar styling and his signature vocal growl.

Rick’s storied career has seen him working in stellar collaboration and as a successful solo act.

First gaining attention as part of the legendary Jackson Delta, he’s since released four solo albums, another with his own Rick Fines Trio, and a critically acclaimed disc with fellow troubadour, Suzie Vinnick.

Ruth Moody is Mariposa Bound

Ruth Moody is Mariposa Bound

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RuthMoodyRuth Moody is an artist of exceptional depth and grace, whose ethereal vocals, impressive multi-instrumentalism, and insightful song writing evoke maturity and wisdom well beyond her age.

Her songs are timeless, universal, exquisitely crafted, and performed with intimacy and honesty.

A founding and current member of the internationally renowned trio The Wailin’ Jennys, Ruth has leased two critically acclaimed albums on her own.

She toured world-wide with her last album, These Wilder Things (2013), including a string of dates in Europe opening for Mark Knopfler who also guested on the recording.

The Ruth Moody Band features fiddle, mandolin, viola, mandola, guitars, ukulele, upright bass and vocals.

For more photos and videos, check out our Ruth Moody Pinterest Board.

Thursday, 19 March 2015 Farrucas Duo Paint an Exotic Musical Portrait

Thursday, 19 March 2015 Farrucas Duo Paint an Exotic Musical Portrait

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FarrucasWordThe stirring rhythms, Latin sounds, and intricate instrumentation of Farrucas Duo paint an exotic musical portrait.

The group is a fusion of two musical traditions – Mediterranean and Ecuadorian – brought together through Laura Spada and Jorge Cuamacás, and spiced up by elements of other genres through Arab, Cumbia, rumba, flamenco, salsa and rock influences.

Two talents that shine equally well in the recording studio and on stage, this duo has been performing together for twenty years.

With stunning performances, a variety of instruments, homage to diverse cultures and nationalities, three albums, and legions of fans, this is a musical journey you need to experience.

Bram Morrison Making His Premier Solo Appearance at Mariposa

Bram Morrison Making His Premier Solo Appearance at Mariposa

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bramMorrisonBram Morrison has been part of the Canadian folk music scene since the early 60’s, developing his performance and song-leading skills in folk clubs and folk festivals.

An accompanist and apprentice to folksinger Alan Mills, in 1978 he joined forces with Sharon Hampson and Lois Lilienstein to form Sharon, Lois & Bram, which went on to become a Canadian institution.

Bram has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate is inducted as a Member of the Order of Canada.

His repertoire is vast and eclectic, singing in English, and with authentic, idiomatic accents in French, Spanish and Yiddish.

He is very pleased to be making his first solo appearance at Mariposa Folk Festival after all of these years.

Mary Chapin Carpenter – Friday Evening Main Stage Headliner

Mary Chapin Carpenter – Friday Evening Main Stage Headliner

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maryChapinFearless creativity has been the common thread woven throughout the career of Mary Chapin Carpenter. Her music gracefully meanders through influences broader than the country and folk genres for which she is most commonly known, producing a body of work that is spiked with delightful musical surprises.

Carpenter is the only artist ever to have won four consecutive Grammy Awards for Best Female Country Vocal Performance. She was also awarded a Grammy Award for Best Country Album and has been a Grammy Nominee an impressive fifteen times. Other recognition includes two Country Music Association awards and two Academy of Country Music Awards. In 2012, she was inducted into the Nashville Songwriter’s Hall of Fame.

Carpenter has sold over 13 million albums and has had several hit songs including Passionate Kisses and He Thinks He’ll Keep Her. Her compositions have been covered by a diverse assortment of artists including Joan Baez, Wynonna Judd, Cyndi Lauper, Trisha Yearwood, Maura O’Connell, Mary Black and Dianne Reeves. She has also collaborated, on record and/or on stage, with the likes of Joan Baez, Shawn Colvin, Dolly Parton, the Indigo Girls and Tony Bennett.

Mary Chapin Carpenter’s most recent album, Songs From The Movie, marks a career first and yet another new front in her creative exploration. Recorded in London with a 63-piece ensemble, it’s her very first orchestral album. She has spent the past year performing alongside world-renowned orchestras since its release.

Carpenter will be joined on stage at Mariposa Folk festival by long-time friends Jon Carroll (piano) and John Doyle (guitars, bouzouki).