Calgary Folk Music Festival

We are 'beloved'

2010-05-04T08:47:00.000-07:00

The Herald this Sunday chose a photo of the folk festival as one of 25 photos that define Calgary.

Here's what it said....

"Calgary has grown into a mosaic of cultural and multicultural showcases that are as cosmopolitan in makeup as they are community-minded in ethos. The beloved folk fest has led the change, becoming a Prince’s Island institution and sparking a multitude of other festivals to dream big."

http://www.calgaryherald.com/Photos+That+Define+Calgary/2977030/story.html

Kerry on Key of A May 15

2010-04-28T12:34:00.000-07:00

Our artistic director Kerry Clarke will be on CBC Radio One's Key of A on May 15 to discuss our lineup and profile Alberta artists coming to this year's fest. Tune in!

CFMF named in top 25 International festivals by Songlines

2010-04-20T12:58:00.000-07:00

We're excited to hear we'll be part of Songlines UK's festival issue, as one of the top 25 destination festivals.

The April/May 2010 #67 issue of Songlines comes with a compilation CD featuring tracks from the ten Top of the World albums, including Balkan Beat Box, Asha Bhosle and Asere. The CD also includes a guest playlist by actor, comedian and Grammy-Award winner Steve Martin. The issue also comes with a bonus 2nd CD of Iranian Underground music.

Get it from your better booksellers (do those even exist anymore?) or check out their terrific digital edition at www.songlines.co.uk

Win a chance to blog at the festival!

2010-04-20T12:56:00.001-07:00

No Depression magazine wants to send you to the folk fest as a blogger. Here's the deets from their website:

We're teaming up to give a lucky ND community member a trip to the festival, where they'll be our on-site blogger for the duration. Included in this covetable prize package is:

Press pass to all four days of the festival
Three-four nights lodging at the Westin Hotel
Access to press tent
Access to side stage viewing area
Access to artist for interviews
Invite to VIP after parties

To enter, create a blog post on this site to talk about any of the artists on the Calgary lineup or an experience you've had at this festival in the past. You are welcome to enter more than once, but make sure the title of your blog post(s) includes the phrase "Calgary Folk Festival" so that we can know it's an entry in this contest. You must be able to actually attend this festival, as you'll be expected to blog about your experience, to share it with the community. (Transportation is not included, and will be your responsibility if you win.)

More info at http://www.nodepression.com/profiles/blogs/win-tickets-to-the-calgary

Our 2010 image!

2010-03-10T13:33:00.000-08:00

The talented and charming Jon Langford has hit it out of the park again. We are pleased to present the 2010 Calgary Folk Music Festival poster design....

Extended programming Friday July 23!

2010-02-25T08:48:00.000-08:00

The Folk Festival gives you permission to call in sick Friday July 23.

How else will you enjoy our extended daytime programming, with three stages presenting concerts and sessions from 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm? That adds up to 9 hours of additional programming!

We know many of you are already at the festival Friday afternoon patiently waiting for the gates to open, so wait no longer!

CBC Radio 3 Searchlight: The Best Music Festival in Canada

2010-02-12T14:42:00.000-08:00

The Calgary Folk Music Festival has been nominated in CBC Radio 3's Searchlight competition. Now music fans from across the country will determine which fest is the best. Voting takes place at radio3.cbc.ca by clicking on the searchlight promo.

Three years ago, the Globe and Mail declared the Calgary Folk Music Festival to be ‘one of the seven musical wonders of the world.’ A nod from CBC Radio 3 would be the icing on our kudos cake.

And why might we be among the finest festivals in Canada, perhaps even THE BEST? It could be due to the setting: Prince’s Island Park, a forested retreat nestled downtown which houses our 7 stages, family area, beer garden and arts and food markets. You can’t beat the ambiance, setting and array of offerings at Calgary’s annual musical antidote to Stampede mayhem.

Or maybe it’s the cool, relaxed vibe. Here, hippies and CEOs co-exist; the audience ranges from babies to seniors. We’ve been called the loosest and tightest festival, thanks to our organization, great recycling program and contributions of our 1500 community volunteers. It's a safe haven where the usual laws of order, decorum and fashion are temporarily suspended for the weekend.

But of course, it’s really about the music. It has been said that the Calgary Folk Music Festival has the best programming of any of the post-folk music fests; a genre-bending program that cleverly combines roots, world and indie artists from around the globe. It’s the city’s largest annual gathering of original, independent artists. From influential artists who began making music in the ‘60s to innovative artists whose music was created in the last decade, the Festival is a wonderful journey into the heart and soul of the roots and evolution of the music we like to call folk.

Ever-evolving programming pairs musicians in magical collaborations where one-time ensembles are created as artists trade songs and back each other up. Where else can you find Dick Gaughan jamming with Arrested Development, Jason Wilson and Mutabaruka?

Make the 31st annual Calgary Folk Music Festival the soundtrack to your summer, and vote for us every day at radio3.cbc.ca.

The secret of the Canadian folk festival: Chumbawamba-style

2010-02-08T09:53:00.000-08:00

The Canadian Folk Festival - it's a closed secret. What happens over there
doesn't seem to happen anywhere else on the planet, but all the British
musicians who make the trip over there and play these things don't ever say
anything once they get back. Shhh! Canada? Folk Festival? Don't know what
you're on about, mate.

It's like the Freemasons. You meet someone who's played at one and suddenly
you're all fancy handshakes and nods and winks. Oh yes, ha ha, how weird and
freaky. But between ourselves, let's keep it quiet, eh?

Here's the big secret (what a blabbermouth. Half a lager and a cocktail with
an umbrella in it and I'll tell you anything). You go to Canada and play one
of the Folk Festivals. You may or may not get the chance to play on the main
stage (and to be honest, the main stage is an irrelevance there). You're
given an itinerary that tells you that you'll be doing four workshops over
the weekend, at any given time of day, sharing a stage with any given type
of act/musician/band. It's like opening Xmas presents. Ooh, what've we got?
It's exciting and weird and interesting.

Canadian festivals open their gates at some unearthly hour of the morning,
and hundreds - no, many thousands - of people pile through the gap armed
with folding chairs and rucksacks full of sandwiches. At one such festival
last year we were told that this morning rush was called (after the
preferred choice of footwear) 'The Birkenstock Dash'.

Those few hundred who get to the main stage first set up their chairs and
their little rugs and blankets, do their territorial pissing, and then
wander off to find coffee. The chairs and blankets stay put, ensuring that
the space is reserved for the time seven hours later when some ageing old
folkie strums his/her way through a couple of old hits as the evening's
finale.

Thus, the main stage audience is claimed and staked out first thing. The
only thing to do is see what's going on on the other stages. There are
usually four, five, six other stages. Here's where the interesting stuff
goes on. No Birkenstock 'claim your patch' bollocks here. Turn up and watch.
Elbow your way to the front, like at a proper gig.

The Canadian organisers call them 'workshops'. That implies teaching, or
demonstrating, or something. In reality they're loose gatherings of several
musicians, stick 'em on a stage together and see what they come up with. And
call it 'a workshop'.

Now anyone that knows Chumbawamba will know that we're not Grateful Dead or
Phish or any of those jamming bands. In fact, we are officially the
anti-jamming band. We don't jam. We meet. We don't play loosely together,
hoping for musical inspiration. We meet. We don't cruise the old twelve-bar
looking for inspiration. We meet.

We meet and discuss what we should sing about, and how, and why, and in what
form. It makes everyone's life simpler and clearer. It's verbal and open,
not hidden behind fretwork and foot-tapping and fancy musicianship. That's
how we see it, anyway.

So the idea of this band sharing music with other bands on stage at these
Canadian Festivals could be seen as the ultimate horror. But no! Because,
despite our aversion to jamming/noodling/communicating with the musical
muse, we love a challenge. Love being thrown in at the deep end. Swim,
y'buggers!

And this is what the Canadian Festival has taught us - get up there, and
make it work. There's an audience. Yes, we know it's 11 o'clock in the
morning. But the audience want to be entertained. Now! Fear and thrill all
rolled into one.

Over the past few years we've been up onstage playing with Scottish trad
fiddlers, fey singer-songwriters, African dancebands, the lot. This year at
Edmonton we were pitched right in with Arrested Development, fantastic
Atlanta rap group, great tunes, amazing history, great politics. But a
hip-hop group nonetheless, and how do we fit in with that? We shared a stage
for an hour. We played our songs, laughed together, sang 'Enough is Enough'
and kept the rhythm and chords going as Speech from Arrested Development
rapped over the top. We joined in with them, they joined in with us. We
marvelled at the ass-shaking women on stage (don't cry 'sexist!', we all
love to see a woman shaking her behind), they laughed at our ridiculous
Englishness, and we all met somewhere in the middle . somewhere that's
friendly and funny and political and audience-friendly and entertaining.

And half-way through the show I caught myself thinking, 'this wouldn't
happen this easily anywhere else in the world.'

I recently saw Tinariwen and Tunng playing in Leeds. Two different cultures
meeting in the middle. It was brilliant. And I thought then, as I think now,
this is what happens on stage at all those strange and obscure and massive
and amazing Canadian festivals. Every day of the long weekend, on five
different stages. Sometimes it's a disaster. Sometimes it's boring. But it's
always an adventure. Always.

We did other workshops that weekend. One with some bands I can't remember
the name of. One with Oysterband and Dick Gaughan (which, frankly, was too
easy - joining in with Gaughan on 'Diggers Song' and convincing Chopper from
the Oysters up to sing Johnny Cash with us) and one with Mongolian throat
singers Hanggai, which was incredible. Singing one of our acapella songs
along to a throat-sung drone was risky, ridiculous and beautiful, all at the
same time. Joining in with their Chinese drinking song was a joy.

So there you have it. The secret of the Canadian festival. It doesn't seem
to happen anywhere else in the world - the Canadians have their own strange
rules within their own cultural bubble, and I'm happy for them. Happy that
they don't think like we do, that festivals have to be neatly parceled into
genres and styles and boxes. Happy that they don't feel the need to massage
the artist's egos by keeping them well separated from the other acts. Happy
that it forces us musicians into thinking on our feet, working together,
dealing with stuff outside our cosy worlds.
And believe me, the Canadian Festivals are well outside this band's cosy
world. Good. I'm glad. Just don't expect me to buy a pair of Birkenstocks.

A tribute to Kate McGarrigle

2010-01-29T08:11:00.000-08:00

Here's some fond remembrances from the Calgary Herald.

'Irreplaceable' folksinger Kate McGarrigle dies

Max Harrold
Canwest News Service; With files from Heath McCoy, Calgary Herald

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Montreal folksinger and songwriter Kate McGarrigle has died.

The folksinger, famous for her collaboration with her sister Anna, was 63 and had been battling clear-cell carcinoma. She died Monday at home in Montreal surrounded by family members, her brother-in-law Dane Lanken said.

The McGarrigle sisters sang in English and French and played piano, guitar, banjo, and button accordion.

"Sadly, our sweet Kate had to leave us last night," said a statement on the McGarrigle sisters' website. "She departed in a haze of song and love surrounded by family and good friends. She is irreplaceable."

Mike Regenstreif, 55, a music writer and producer of the McGarrigle sisters' tours in the 1970s, described Kate as "one of Canada's greatest singers. It was the sisters' wonderful harmonies that first attracted me to them."

Their sound and style had a closeness that reflected their tight-knit family and it added to their art, he said.

Kerry Clarke, artistic director of the Calgary Folk Music Festival, added her voice to a chorus detailing McGarrigle's impact on the Canadian music scene. "(Kate and Anna McGarrigle) were almost like building blocks of folk music in Canada," Clarke said. "(They were) that crucial. And they're so influential, when you get people like Emmylou Harris covering their songs."

Clarke fondly remembered watching the McGarrigle sisters perform at the Calgary folk fest over the years, noting their quirkiness behind the scenes and the magic of their music onstage.

"(Before their set) it was almost like they were a little bumbling and not quite ready," Clarke said. "They seemed hesitant and a little disorganized. . . . Not quite set up. But then they'd do this amazing, mesmerizing brilliant kind of show. There's nobody like them."

In the 1960s, the sisters were influenced by Bob Dylan and Pete Seger and the McGarrigless gwriting had strong appeal. Over the years the McGarrigles' songs have been recorded by Judy Collins, Marianne Faithful, Emmylou Harris and Nana Mouskouri.

Anna's Heart Like a Wheel was recorded in 1972 by McKendree Spring and, as the title song of an LP, in 1975 by Linda Ronstadt; Anna's Work Song and Kate's Cool River and Lying Song were included on LPs by Maria Muldaur in this same period.

The sisters were awarded the Order of Canada in 1994.

Kate McGarrigle was the mother of singers Rufus Wainwright and Martha Wainwright.

© Calgary Herald 2010

Another loss for the folk community

2010-01-05T12:53:00.000-08:00

If bad news comes in threes, let's hope Lhasa's is the last remembrance we post for a good long while...

The wonderful artist Lhasa de Sela who mesmerized audiences at folk festivals and other venues across Canada passed away in her Montreal home on January 1, at the age of 37. She succumbed to breast cancer after a twenty-one month long struggle, which she faced with courage and determination.

Throughout this difficult period, she continued to touch the lives of those around her with her characteristic grace, beauty and humor. The strength of her will carried her once again into the recording studio, where she completed her latest album, followed by successful record launches in Montreal at the Théatre Corona and in Paris at the Théatre des Bouffes du Nord. Two concerts in Iceland in May were to be her last.

Lhasa's unusual childhood was marked by long periods of nomadic wandering through Mexico and the U.S., with her parents and sisters in the school bus which was their home. During this period the children improvised, both theatrically and musically, performing for their parents on a nightly basis. Lhasa grew up in a world imbued with artistic discovery, far from conventional culture.

Later Lhasa became the exceptional artist that the world discovered in 1997 with La Llorona, followed by 2003's The Living Road, and 2009's self-titled LHASA. Her unique voice and stage presence, earned her iconic status in many countries throughout the world. She has been described as passionate, sensual, untameable, tender, profound, troubling, enchanting, hypnotic, hushed, powerful, intense, a voice for all time. Lhasa had a unique way of communicating with her public. She dared to open her heart on stage, allowing her audience to experience an intimate connection and communion with her.

An old friend of Lhasa's, Jules Beckman, offered these words:

"We have always heard something ancestral coming through her. She has always spoken from the threshold between the worlds, outside of time. She has always sung of human tragedy and triumph, estrangement and seeking with a witness's wisdom. She has placed her life at the feet of the unseen."

RIP Vic Chesnutt

2009-12-31T09:43:00.000-08:00

The Athens, Georgia singer-songwriter Vic Chesnutt died Christmas Day. He performed at the Calgary Folk Music Festival in 1997, bringing his unique take on songwriting and sense of humour to the rapt audiences. He returned to Calgary in November to perform at Calgary’s Marquee Room.

Paralysed from the waist down following a car accident in 1983, Chesnutt expressed that this tragedy helped to focus his creativity. The sense of humility and wry levity in his songs could only have been born out of tough personal experience that elevated his music far beyond the maudlin.

REM’s Michael Stipe produced his first two albums, 1990's Little and West Of Rome. Chesnutt released over a dozen albums, and was considered at the peak of his abilities. His last couple of Constellation Records’s recordings At The Cut and North Star Deserter highlight raw, powerful, fragile chamber-rock elegies.

Chesnutt was a real songwriter who lived his songs and transformed our sense of what true character, grace and determination are all about. As his good friend Kirstin Hersh wrote: “Vic was brilliant, hilarious and necessary; his songs messages from the ether, uncensored. He developed a guitar style that allowed him to play bass, rhythm and lead in the same song — this with the movement of only two fingers. His fluid timing was inimitable, his poetry untainted by influences.”

Hersh has set up a website to raise money for Vic’s family, to cover his considerable medical bills: http://kristinhersh.cashmusic.org/vic.

While insured, Chesnutt reportedly owed $70,000 in unpaid medical bills and had recently been served with a lawsuit by a Georgia hospital. On the Constellation Records homepage, Jem Cohen, a filmmaker and producer of Chesnutt's North Star Deserter vented his spleen at the United States' "broken health care system depriving so many of the help they need to stay around and stay sane, and a society that never balks at providing more money for more wars but fights tooth and nail against decent care for its citizens. Vic's death, just so you all know, did not come at the end of some cliché downward spiral. He was battling deep depression but also at the peak of his powers, and with the help of friends and family he was in the middle of a desperate search for help. The system failed to provide it."

Community remembers Reverend Ron

2009-11-20T10:10:00.000-08:00

Calgary's music community is still in shock following the announcement that Reverend Ron, 20-year host of CJSW's The Blues Witness, passed away Thursday Nov 12, after a battle with cancer.

Ronald J. Predika died the night before CJSW made their long awaited move to the third floor of the MacEwan Student Centre, on the University of Calgary campus. The last song to be played in the old space was Ron's theme song, Merlin Johnson's "Down on Easy Street."

Ron was respected by many and his social circles extended wide and far, said CJSW station manager Chad Saunders.

He kept his illness private. People didn't know much about his background because he didn't think it was necessary -- he wanted to know what your thoughts were now, explained Saunders.

"I can recall blues musicians coming into CJSW," he said. "They were welcomed by Ron as if they had been friends for years -- some were and some he had just met."

Saunders first met Ron after a station meeting when they went for a beer in the Den and sat down at the old picnic tables. When Ron asked the server what was on tap, she replied Labatt's Blue.

"Ron pointed at me and said 'That's for young guys like him, that's not my beer.' The server went through all the beers and Ron had a comment on every single one. It was pretty funny," he recalled.

"Then Ron looked at Don McSwiney [former CJSW station manager] and said, 'Let's talk about CJSW and what makes good radio.' For somebody brand new to the station, that was probably the most informal yet most significant oral history lesson on what it took to make good radio. You knew that as long as Reverend Ron was there, it was going to be alright. He was also our good luck charm when it came to the funding drives. He could get people pumped up."

Over half of CJSW's impressive collection of blues discs have Ron's notes written on them. He had an influential hand in defining that library.

"I don't think that anyone who knew Ron here at the station will forget his programming," mused Saunders. "That will live on forever for sure."

It was Kerry Clarke, now artistic director for the Calgary Folk Music Festival, who put Ron on the air for the first time in 1990.

"I invited him to come on a show Suki Davis and I did as a guest," recalled Clarke. "He brought all kinds of wacky albums, including some Hawaiian ones he found in the garbage. Upon discovering he knew quite a bit about the blues, I asked him to do a few shows. He initially just hosted and I teched. I slowly groomed him into taking over the show, [then called The Blues Experiment.] I remember his first few interviews, where he asked artists things like 'do you have a jukebox?' and 'do you eat jambalaya?' which prompted nervous record reps to suggest that I have Ron ask about their latest album and tour."

During the Calgary Midwinter Blues Festival last February, Ron was inducted into the Calgary Blues Music Association Hall of Fame as a Lifetime Achievement award recipient.

Calgary International Blues Festival co-producer Cindy McLeod said they couldn't imagine a more worthy choice.

"His acceptance speech underscored his humble view that he was 'just a guy spinning records,' but to those of us who love the blues, the Rev will evermore be remembered as the man who brought the best in blues to our radios every week for nearly two decades."

Friends and family are invited to a celebration of Ron's life at Mikey's Juke Joint, 1901 - 10th Avenue S.W., at 12:30 p.m. Sun., Nov. 22. All are invited to stay for the following Sunday open jam.

Image caption: Reverend Ron preaches to the masses at the 2008 International Blues Festival.
Image credit: Ken Clarke / the Gauntlet

From Ken Clarke, The Gauntlet, Thursday, November 19, 2009

Festival Hall hits the airwaves

2009-11-01T11:30:00.000-08:00

This weekend Jian Ghomeshi talked up Festival Hall and doled out kudos to the CFMF and city hall for working to make new creative spaces. Thanks Jian!

http://www.calgaryfolkfest.com/mp3/festivalhall_CBCQ.mp3

Triple Song Contest winner releases new album.

2009-10-20T12:57:00.000-07:00

Three of John Wort Hannam's Ship & Anchor and CFMF Songwriting contest songs are included on his new release. Congratulations John.

Songwriters - the 2010 song contest will be coming soon! We will begin accepting entries on December 15 with new criteria and categories. Stay tuned. (Word is that John will be a judge this year instead of a contestant.)

(PR) Black Hen Music announces a November 17 release date for Queen's Hotel, the latest album of songs from Canadian singer/songwriter John Wort Hannam. The Black Hen Music label is distributed in the U.S. by Burnside Distribution

Queen's Hotel is Wort Hannam's fourth full-length CD and second release for Black Hen Music. His last album, Two-Bit Suit, was released in 2007 and produced by Juno award-winner Steve Dawson, who again takes the helm producing 11 tracks of authentic Canadiana folk/roots music on the new CD. The writing, although true to John's narrative story-telling style, is tighter, smarter, more personal, and with a breadth of subject matter not seen on previous recordings. The upbeat "With the Grain" (a song for which Wort Hannam won Grand Prize at the 2009 Calgary Folk Music Festival Songwriting Competition) recalls the conversation where John tells his father he would quit teaching to attempt a shot at performing music.

"Worth a Damn", a timeless sounding duet performed with multi-Juno award-winner Jenny Whiteley, is reminiscent of a John Prine/Iris Dement collaboration. Despite the title, "Requiem For A Small Town" is a rollicking 3 and ½ minute look at the town that just never quite made it. The poignant but catchy closing song, "Lucky Strikes," was written after a visit to the infamous Queen's Hotel, located near the Canadian Rockies in the Western Canadian province of Alberta. "When I Drink Too Much" (winner, CFMF Song Contest 2007 - ed) is a humorous tune that begs for a sing-a-long in a funky barroom. Wort Hannam also revisits two songs from previous independent releases: "Church of the Long Grass," (winner, CFMF Song Contest 2004 - ed) which has been called by some "the unofficial anthem of southern Alberta," and "Pier 21," which recounts the immigration of Wort Hannam's family from the island of Jersey in the Channel Islands, UK, to Canada in the late '70s.

- from antimusic.com

The festival's international reach

2009-10-06T11:25:00.001-07:00

We recently received a great email from Brasil regarding a CFMF sighting...

I must tell someone with the Festival Management about an incidence of amazing synergy involving mind boggling logistics and of course if there was such a thing as coincidence we could definitely use that term...

I am a former CFF goer - my absence in recent summers is due to the fact that I have relocated to Sao Paulo Brasil.

Sao Paulo is a monster city and amongst the 20 million or so residents are counted the largest number of Japanese people in a community outside of Japan. Sao Paulo has a "Japan Town" called Liberdade. There are a few Chinese and Korean businesses mixed in but anyway...I'm with a friend recently she was here on vacation- a Calgarian woman of asian origins and we are poking around in Liberdade. I was looking at some of the wares in this hole in the wall shop including beautiful Japanese pottery and mass produced Chinese dishes , I picked up a blue plastic plate with a cow sporting a guitar around her neck and a familiar logo. I bought it and the mate, for 4 Reals which is about $2.50 CDN. I always returned my plate for the twoonie back home. They now have an honored place at my BBQ here in Brasil and I am still trying to figure out what it all means.
I'm guessing global distribution has something to do with it...

Sincerely & with a chuckle from Brasil ,
Tracy Meier-Ragazzi

Thanks Tracy for bringing this to our attention - you got a steal of a deal!

Deep Dark Woods and Little Miss Higgins

2009-09-29T14:02:00.000-07:00

We love a party and we love our volunteers. Volunteer parties are a perfect combination of the two, don't ya think? The Deep Dark Woods and Little Miss Higgins show is in honor of that army of 1500 who make the folk fest happen.

Not a volunteer? You are still welcome to come! Buy a ticket from our office or at Megatunes or Heritage Posters and Music. And while you're at the show, take a moment to thank a volunteer.

Deep Dark Woods wowed the crowds this summer...here's a music video of them in their underwear.

Amelia Curran live Sept 26

2009-09-21T08:48:00.000-07:00

CFMF is proud to present Amelia Curran this week at Local 522 - listen to our podcast!. Beautiful music in a beautiful atmosphere! Tickets $15 in advance online or at Megatunes or Heritage Posters and Music, or at the door for $18.

CFMF remembers Frank Stanley

2009-09-09T12:24:00.000-07:00

It is with the deepest sorrow that I share the sad news of Frank Stanley's passing on Wednesday, September 2.

Frank Stanley was a Calgary folk institution unto himself, donating 30 years of his time not only to the Folk Fest but to the Rocky Mountain Folk Club, the Calgary Folk Club and of course the Nickolodeon Music Club. Many times I have made a connection with someone new just based on the fact we both knew Frank and I rest assured that these connections will continue for years to come, even in passing Frank will continue to be that folk institution.

In 2007 Frank Stanley was the CFMF's volunteer in profile. His long time friend and volunteer Keith Johnson wrote the following words to express why Frank was chosen as the CFMF very first volunteer in profile,

Frank has volunteered for the CFMF for 28 years. Yes, every single festival. He is a valued member of the Stage Security crew. Frank is probably one of the most recognized volunteers during the festival but is often aloof and shy, except for when it comes time for him to go to work. He knows his job and he does it very well. "I don't want to let my boss down,” he says. Frank is a senior now but has absolutely no intention of slowing down or retiring his volunteer position, and that suits his "Boss" just fine. Frank, thank you for so many years of support and dedication to the CFMF.

Frank continued to volunteer in 2008 but was unable to put in his hours in 2009 due to failing health, nonetheless he was still down on the Island making sure we were getting things done right.

If you never met Frank I am sorry you missed the opportunity but I know his dedication, spirit and enthusiasm will live on in the hearts of all true folkies. Whether or not you knew Frank please make the time in the coming days to remember him or someone else you know that has left an indelible mark on a community you belong to.

Talia Potter, Volunteer Manager

CADA makes nice videos.

2009-08-04T16:00:00.000-07:00

A great feature on the festival with Kerry Clarke.

Calgary Folk Music Festival from Calgary Arts Development on Vimeo.

Justin Rutledge & the Boot Camp singers!

2009-07-31T12:12:00.000-07:00

Here's an mp3 of I Had to Try: the final song from Justin Rutledge and his songwriting workshop students. The song was written as part of the 2009 Folk Boot Camp. Thanks Justin!

Michael Franti's hospital video diary

2009-07-29T12:54:00.000-07:00

This might get a little gross...

Part II http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLPlZR6yU4g

Part III http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYAf9Ng6avI

Part IV http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZOctxR41lg

Part V http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2w2XPlL1_88

Part VI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnjAZst_5rE

Send us your blog posts

2009-07-28T07:05:00.001-07:00

We'd love to see what you, the folk , have to say about your experiences at this year's festival: Our audience blogs are always a great read. So send us some links!

Folk Boot Camp Lectures - $20 each

2009-07-07T16:12:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday evening, July 22, come crawl inside the brains of renowned dub poet Mutabaruka and the Mekons’ Jon Langford and Sally Timms at two special lectures. Mutabaruka delves into his country’s history, politics and all things reggae and dub at 6:00 pm with his Jamaica is a Word event. Jon and Sally give you a glimpse into their 30-year history creating art and music in My Life in the Punk Rock Trenches at 8:00 pm. Both lectures are at Cantos, 134-11th Avenue SE and are $20 each. Buy online or call 403-233-0904

Music Thursdays at Eau Claire

2009-07-03T10:46:00.000-07:00

For the first 3 Thursdays in July drop by our archive exhibit inside Eau Claire Market for free musical happy hour - next week July 16: Clinton St John, Foon Yap, Chantal Vitalis, Kris Demeanor

New podcast on new favourites

2009-07-03T10:43:00.000-07:00

The festival always delivers new-to-you faves - festival friend Eric Rosenbaum profiles 3 artists who will get into high rotation in your music collection: Bellowhead, Tom Fun Orchestra and LeE HARVeY OsMOND.

Listen now or subscribe on iTunes (search Calgary Folk Music Festival).

Jon Langford's art for sale in Calgary

2009-06-24T09:17:00.000-07:00

Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Joe Strummer, Townes Van Zant, Elvis and Patsy Cline will all make an appearance in Calgary in the form of paintings in Jon Langford’s art exhibit, part of 30 Years of Folk. Celebrate the Calgary Folk Music Festival’s 30th anniversary the month of July with a multi-media installation of festival lore: photographs, video, podcasts, vintage shirts, posters and other memorabilia.

Jon designed the Festival’s much-loved 2009 poster. You may have seen his paintings at Austin’s Yard Dog, on Bloodshot Records album covers, or galleries around North America and the UK. Jon has been a constant fixture on the fringes of the music industry and art world for 30 years, happily charting his own course through the choppy waters of popular culture.

The Welsh born artist and musician, who relocated to Chicago in 1992, has a degree in fine art, where in the British art school tradition he downed brushes to co-found a band - The Mekons in 1977.

Jon returned to art-making when he arrived in America, steeping himself in printmaking, folk and tattoo art, choosing the careers and power struggles of the country musicians he loved as his initial (quasi-autobiographical) subject. The paintings (acrylic paint, pencil and marker on plywood) depicted images country and rock music icons.

"Like rabbits frozen in history's headlights, they are trapped beneath layers of nicotine and neglect. Pearl buttons still gleam as they sign their contracts and stare out of the honky-tonk shadows with glazed promo-shot grins. I thought of the paintings as songs, to me there was no difference."

Langford currently divides his time between painting, playing honky-tonk, rock ‘n’ roll and country music with The Mekons, The Waco Brothers and The Pine Valley Cosmonauts and collaborating with artists like the Sadies. His other job-descriptions include cartoonist, raconteur, political activist, low-rent record mogul, soccer Dad and co-host of a Chicago revolutionary free-form radio show.

30 Years of Folk and Jon Langford’s exhibit can be found in the community space, just below the movie theatres, in the Eau Claire Market. The exhibit is open Wednesday through Sunday the month of July between 11:00 am and 6:00 pm. Meet Jon in person Wednesday July 22 from 4-6 pm, and drop in for our special happy hour events each Thursday between 4-7 pm.
http://www.jonlangford.de/

Road Stories

2009-06-19T15:57:00.000-07:00

Our newest podcasts feature Emily Wells, Apostle of Hustle, Justin Rutledge, Jason Wilson and Carolyn Mark. Produced by Artistic Director Kerry Clarke.

http://feeds2.feedburner.com/pookahindustries/edNY or subscribe on iTunes (Search Calgary Folk Music Festival in the iTunes store).

Alejandro and the Boss

2009-06-19T08:48:00.000-07:00

Here's a great video of Alejandro playing his song "Always a Friend" with Bruce Springsteen.

"Always A Friend" with Bruce Springsteen

New podcasts uploaded

2009-06-04T12:35:00.000-07:00

Kerry Clarke has produced a 2-part series on African American vocal traditions featuring The Sojourners and The Persuasions. Listen now! Also available for free in iTunes (Search Calgary Folk Music Festival under Podcasts in the iTunes Store)

Artist Profiles on CBC

2009-06-03T15:54:00.000-07:00

Every Wednesday at 5:45pm, Artistic Associate Kenna Burima will profile festival artists with Homestretch host Jeff Collins on CBC Radio One.

June 1 – Ray Wylie Hubbard
June 8 – Jason Wilson
June 15 – Umalali
June 22 – Emily Wells
June 29 – Dry Branch Fire Squad
July 6 – Jolie Holland
July 13 – Ebony Hillbillies

Lend us your Folk Festival memorabilia

2009-06-02T10:00:00.000-07:00

We will be installing a month-long exhibit of festival imagery and lore at Eau Claire in July. If you have any 'vintage' t-shirts, photos of friends and family at the festival from the early days to the mid-90s, or other items to contribute, let me know!

We will handle them gently, and credit you appropriately.

Email me for more information at johanna@calgaryfolkfest.com

Kerry on Key of A

2009-05-26T15:42:00.000-07:00

Artistic Director Kerry Clarke will be on CBC Radio 1’s the Key of A Saturday May 30 between 5:00 and 6:00 pm. http://www.cbc.ca/keyofa/

Akron/Family on the Twilight Stage..ooh this will be good

2009-05-19T15:15:00.001-07:00

For your consideration. This will be a not-to-miss affair.

New podcast with Jon Langford

2009-05-15T08:18:00.001-07:00

Kerry and I had the pleasure of spending many many hours at Guerro's in Austin drinking margaritas with Jon Langford during sxsw this year.

Jon can regale, oh yes he can! And he has made us a podcast about his band, the Mekons, who are coming to the festival. They are part of the Friday night line up.

(Do you know the Friday night line up? LeE HARVeY OsMOND, Bell Orchestre, Gomez, Mekons, Arrested Development, The Decemberists, PLUS Chad Van Gaalen, Esthero and Apostle of Hustle on the twilight stage.)

So the podcast is now available on iTunes if you are a subscriber already. I'll be interviewing Alejandro Escovedo next week.

Lots of photos from the song contest

2009-05-11T22:05:00.001-07:00

You know you want to see more...

New design launch

2009-05-08T10:10:00.000-07:00

The festival has relaunched our website, with cleaned up new look and some cool new features.

We've removed the old discussion board, and welcome your comments here. This blog will be a much more open line of communication between you, our audience, and us, the staff! Kenna has started posting her office playlists, and as we all get into the thick of things you'll get a behind-the-scenes view of the CFMF office (we are a colourful bunch).

Once our line-up goes live on May 14, our artist page will have links to mp3 files, bios and my personal fave "If you like...then you'll love" interactive artist list. I like to start randomly, and follow the links to see a new perspective on the variety of artists we have.

And hey! Come by the Ship and Anchor this weekend to check out the final two days of the song contest. Bring yer mum!

Johanna

TGIHD

2009-05-06T14:27:00.000-07:00

Thank God It's Hump Day!

Hello again from the Artist Monkey,

I love Wednesdays. I have my radio show on CJSW 90.9 in the morning (have I mentioned to listen online at www.cjsw.com?). That means I really only have half a day at work. It's also Brenda Vaqueros rehearsal night. At 7pm I walk down in the depths of the Brenda Vaqueros castle in a Calgary Renfrew basement and play as loud and fast garage-rock-spaghetti-western that I can. Check us out here. I play keys and sing and we have an album release party at Broken City on May 29th. Can I mention that here? It's no where near work related...
www.myspace.com/thebrendavaqueros
http://radio3.cbc.ca/nmc/artist.aspx?name=The-Brenda-Vaqueros
http://www.beatroute.ca/view_article.php?sectionID=15&articleID=1983

Today we've been listening to some awesome shit in the office (if I do say so myself).

We started out with the new Mike Marshall & Darol Anger with Vasen. Fantastic new acoustic stuff http://www.mcbooking.com/Duo_Vasen_EPK/Home.html

There guys are the loves of my lives (just so you know, I've had many).....Medeski, Martin and Wood. Their second album in their Radiolarians CD is out. They're coming to the Calgary Jazz Festival in June! Hooray! http://www.mmw.net/

Lee Harvey Osmond- The new Tom Wilson project. Pardon my language but it's fucking awesome. The new CD is A Quiet Evil available on Latent Recordings. There's a wicked article about Lee Harvey Osmond on the No Depression website. Check it out. http://nodepression.com/articles.aspx?id=5372

Lastly, the amazing Glen Campbell, another festival artist for this year, has a crazy CD out called Meet Glen Campbell where he covers (of all people) Green Day, Tom Petty, Joackosn Browne, Foo Fighters, Paul Westerberg, and Lou Reed. Mister Campbell is much more than "Rhinestone Cowboy" people.

Oh look it's almost beer o'clock. See you cats later.

Cheers,
Kenna "Artist Monkey" Burima

Festival Office Radio

2009-05-05T14:29:00.000-07:00

Hello from the Artist Monkey:

As artist monkey for the Calgary Folk Music Festival, I also have the illustrious position of being the office DJ. I have a pretty huge iTunes library that I keep on attempting to dump onto an external hard drive because I get the "Your Start Up Disk is almost full". That scares me but I like to horde stuff and mp3s are so easy to horde (and please I just can't part quite yet with my Beatles Discographuy quite yet).

So artists that we've booked for the festival this year are sending their CDs to me....The Acorn, Akron/Family (the new one!), Mark Berube and Iron and Wine....the list goes on. And now between artist CDs, CJSW 90.9 FM (listen online! www.cjsw.com), and my 51 days worth of music on my iTunes, we have a lot of music being played in the office. I'm calling it Festival Office Radio. I started it on May 1st. I come in, get my coffee, sit down and come up with a day-long playlist of music. I'd like to post the playlist here. Thing is, of course the playlists become pages and pages, and honestly maybe people don't care.

But here's the thing......

The music that we play determines the mood of the office. I noticed the moment I started playing doo wop and early funk last Friday, the office mood totally picked up. So I'm going to continue to make day-long playlists every morning and I'm going to continue to post what we play.

It's because I care. That's what artist monkeys do. We care. And then sometimes we freak out and throw our shit at people. Watch out when that happens (I suppose it also depends what I've eaten that day);)

Cheers,
Artist Monkey aka Kenna Burima

Festival Office Radio May 1st Playlist

Artist, Song, Album
Geminis, A Friend Of Mine, Girl Group Sounds Lost & Found
Roddie Joy, If There's Anything Else You Want (Let Me Know), Girl Group Sounds Lost & Found
The Raveonettes, My Boyfriend's Back, Pretty In Black
Bon Iver, Skinny Love, For Emma, Forever Ago
Chad VanGaalen, Cries of the Dead, Soft Airplane
The Searchers, Love Potion Number Nine, The British Beat: Best Of The '60s
Laura Marling, Ghosts, Alas I Cannot Swim
Calexico, House Of Valparaiso, Carried To Dust [2008]
Lulu, I'll Come Running, Girl Group Sounds Lost & Found
Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele, Meet Me in the Garden, The Good Feeling Music of Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele
The Angels, I Adore Him, Girl Group Sounds Lost & Found
Dee Dee Warwick, You're No Good, Girl Group Sounds Lost & Found
M. Ward, Rave On (Featuring Zooey Deschanel), Hold Time
The Marvelettes, I'll Keep Holding On, Girl Group Sounds Lost & Found
The Raveonettes, Somewhere In Texas, Pretty In Black
The Breakaways, That's How It Goes, Girl Group Sounds Lost & Found
Leslie Gore, Sunshine, Lollipops And Rainbows, Various
Dawn, I'm Afraid They're All Talking About Me, Girl Group Sounds Lost & Found
The Humane Society, 14_Knock, Knock , Nuggets: Original Artyfacts...
The Kinks, You Really Got Me, The British Beat: Best Of The '60s
The Velvelettes, Needle In A Haystack, Girl Group Sounds Lost & Found
M. Ward, Oh Lonesome Me (Featuring Lucinda Williams), Hold Time
The Mojo Men, 23_She's My Baby, Nuggets: Original Artyfacts...
The Sonics, Money (That's What I Want), Psycho-Sonic
Paul Simon, The Boy In The Bubble, Graceland
Buena Vista Social Club, Chan Chan, Buena Vista Social Club
Elton John, 24 Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting, Greatest Hits
David Bowie, Starman, Ziggy Stardust
Simon & Garfunkel, Mrs. Robinson, The Best of Simon & Garfunkel
M. Ward, Never Had Nobody Like You (Featuring Zooey Deschanel), Hold Time
Blossom Dearie, Doop-Doo-De-Doop (A Doodlin' S, Once Upon a Summertime
Beirut, My Wife, Lost In The Wild, March Of The Zapotec / Realpeople Holland
José González, How Low, In Our Nature
The Beatles, I Want You (She's So Heavy), Abbey Road
Adele, Chasing Pavements, 19
Nostalgia 77, Seven Nation Army, The Garden
Emily Wells, Symphony 1 In the Barrel of a Gun, The Symphonies: Dreams Memories & Parties
The Velvet Underground, There She Goes Again, The Velvet Underground & Nico
David Bowie, Oh! You Pretty Things, Hunky Dory
Bjork, Army Of Me, Greatest Hits
Zero 7, In The Waiting Line, Simple Things (Bonus)
Lykke Li, This Trumpet in My Head, Youth Novels
The Beatles, A Day In the Life, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Bjork, Joga, Greatest Hits
Fiona Apple, Extraordinary Machine, Extraordinary Machine
James Brown, Papa's Got A Brand New Bag pt.1, Sex Machine: The Very Best Of James Brown
J.J. Cale, Call me the breeze, Naturally
Iron & Wine & Calexico, He Lays in the Reins, In The Reins
Bruce Springsteen, Pay Me My Money Down, We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions Disc 1
Zero 7, Home, When It Falls
J.J.Cale, After Midnight, Naturally
The Beatles, In My Life, Rubber Soul
Aretha Franklin, Chain Of Fools, Lady Soul
5.6.7.8's, Woo Hoo, Bomb The Rocks - Early Days Singles
Dusty Springfield, Son of a Preacher Man, Original Oldies 60's & 70's
Neil Young Greatest Hits, Heart of Gold, Neil Young & The Stray Gators
Soggy Bottom Boys, I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow, O Brother, Where Art Thou
Elliott Smith, Sweet Adeline, XO
Fats Domino, There Goes My Heart Again, Various
The Beatles, Eleanor Rigby, Revolver
Sam Cooke, Under the Board Walk, Sam Cooke
Chad VanGaalen, Red Hot Drops, Skelliconnection
Michael Bernard Fitzgerald, Can Be Done, Various
Lou Rawls, Nobody But Me, Best of Capitol Jazz & Blues Sessions
Jamie Lidell, Multiply, Multiply
The Surpremes, Baby Love, Various
The Velvet Underground, I'm Waiting For The Man, The Velvet Underground & Nico
José González, Down The Line, In Our Nature
The Chambers Brothers, Love, Peace, And Happiness [Single version], Time Has Come! Best Of The Chambers Brothers
Jimmy Smith, Walk On The Wild Side, Walk On The Wild Side: The Best Of The Verve Years
Lauryn Hill, Doo Wop (That Thing), The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill
The Bosshoss, Toxic, Internashville Urban Hymns
Gladys Knight & The Pips, I Heard It Through The Grapevine, Best Of Gladys Knight & The Pips
Stevie Wonder, Part-Time Lover, Definitive Collection
Radiohead, Karma Police, OK Computer
Stevie Wonder, Boogie On Reggae Woman, Definitive Collection
Marvin Gaye, Me and Mrs. Jones, Various
The Consonant C, Lonely Kiss, Capes & Crowns
Dusty Springfield, It's In His Kiss, Various
Marvin Gaye, Can I Get a Witness, The Very Best of Marvin Gaye
Amy Winehouse, Fuck Me Pumps, Frank
Ray Charles, I Don't Need No Doctor, Anthology
RJD2, Ghostwriter, Prime Soundtrack
Donovan, Riki Tiki Tavi, Very Best Of Donovan
Devendra Banhart, Shabop Shalom, Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon
Left Banke, Pretty Ballerina, There's Gonna Be A Storm: The Complete Recordings 1966-69
Jens Lekman, Black Cab, Oh You're So Silent Jens

Festival Office Radio May 4th Playlist

Artist, Album
Mulatu Astatke & The Heliocentrics, Inspiration Information- Entire Album
Kid Koala,Your Mom's Favourite DJ-Entire Album
Amelia Curran, War Brides- Entire Album
Danny Barnes, Dirt on the Angel- Entire Album
The Acorn, Glory Hope Mountain- Entire Album
Lyra Brown, All her tunes on Myspace Page (Youth Songwriting Conest Winner!)
Väsen, Live in Japan- Entire Album
Doug Cox, Slide to Freedom 2- Entire Album

Festival Office Radio May 5th Playlist

Artist, Album
Apostle Of Hustle, Eats Darkness - Entire Album
Mirah, (A)Spera- Entire Album
Labess, Tout Va Bien- Entire Album
David Byrne and Brian Eno, Everything That Happens Will Happen Today- Entire Album
Best of the Talking Heads
CJSW 90.9 FM (The Electric Company with Rob Faust) Listening online!

Missing Bea Arthur

2009-04-26T12:01:00.000-07:00

Can't stop thinking about Rufus Wainwright's terrific song 'California'.

I don't know this sea of neon
Thousand surfers, whiffs of freon
And my new grandma Bea Arthur
Come on over

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCel8QqcoXU

Welcome Big Rock Festival reporters!

2009-04-17T08:54:00.000-07:00

The Calgary Folk Music Festival welcomes Claire and Bryn, the winners of Big Rock's Festival Field Reporters contest.

Magic happens over beer at the Folk Fest

2009-04-15T15:09:00.000-07:00

Fan favourites Great Big Sea and Hawskley Workman have joined forces due to a bit o' festival magic.

From [Here] magazine: "Fortune's Favor, while still Celtic in nature and close to the band's roots, includes a few more rock-inspired songs than usual. "This is by far the most rock 'n' roll record, and we're coming off the back of our most traditional record," says Doyle. "One is just a roll off the back of the other." The sound was largely inspired by long-time friend of GBS, Hawksley Workman. Doyle said the five thought it would be interesting to allow an album to be steered by someone else for a change of pace, and Workman was the perfect guy for the job. "We've known Hawksley for years. He was available and eager, and we kept trying to hook up. After a cold beer at the Calgary Folk Festival, we decided that now is the time," Doyle chuckles."

http://herenb.canadaeast.com/news/article/592597