“We are pulling together a diverse artistic presentation with plenty of surprises for our audience this year. The performers announced today are a good indication of the scope of line-up that is coming together” said Mike Hill, Artistic Director.
Performers unveiled today include Old Man Luedecke (Nova Scotia), Julian Fauth (Ontario), Danny Michel (Ontario), The Once (Newfoundland & Labrador), Gandalf Murphy & The Slambovian Circus of Dreams (New York), Florent Vollant (Québec), and The Arrogant Worms (Ontario).
Festival tickets are on sale now at the lowest available price. Prices go up January 1st.
Mariposa Folk Festival takes place July 6-8, 2012, in Orillia, Ontario, Canada.
Here are the performer bios
Old Man Luedecke
An auditioned Mariposa Showcase performer at the 2005 festival, Old Man Luedecke went on to become one of Canada’s best loved and most intriguing roots singer-songwriters. He has earned a 2011 Juno Award for My Hands Are On Fire And Other Love Songs and a 2009 Juno Award for Proof of Love. His performances are exciting and totally entertaining, and his un-clinched banjo playing style sparkles. He’s a young man with an old soul who doesn’t sugar coat his fears, and this lets his songs breathe with bittersweet hopefulness. It’s almost as though Luedecke channels Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger, with maybe a hint of Loudon Wainwright III, and the result is modern old-time originality that is pleasing to the ears and the soul.
Julian Fauth
With a performer as driven as Julian Fauth, you get the distinct impression he shares his body with an old spirit from the beyond. There’s just no other way to explain his grasp of the pre-war piano blues he so loves to share. Seemingly possessed by his muse, Julian’s mystical and enchanting performance style is beyond bewitching. His enthusiastic and vigorous stage presence rejuvenates his beloved music like few before him ever could. While some musicians wear their influences casually on their sleeves, Julian’s influences are hard-wired into his biological makeup. The result is a joyful musical experience only a fool would miss.
Danny Michel
Performer and producer, Danny Michel, slips into any genre with ease, spontaneity and disarming sincerity. A true innovator, he is proof that creativity in the digital age can still build a rich, successful and intimate relationship with fans. For his 2011 album, Sunset Sea, Danny challenged fans from around the world to submit their own tracks, and a few of his own parts were replaced by what he considered "better ones". One of the tracks features a global chorus of fans. In 2008, he made his single, Feather, Fur & Fin, available for his fans to remix, and posted their versions on his website.
The Once
From their beginnings as three actors who loved to sing together, The Once has embraced a different vision of Newfoundland music. Their sounds do not come from the noisy pubs and dockside taverns that fuel so much of the Island’s energy. Instead, their music comes from a quieter and more thoughtful place. Geraldine Hollett’s voice is an instrument of rare power. She can still a noisy room and tell a moving story with just a few words. Accompanied by Phil Churchill and Andrew Dale on guitar, mandolin, fiddle and bouzouki, together they create a perfect, beautiful blend of voice and melody.
Gandalf Murphy & The Slambovian Circus of Dreams
This crowd pleasing troupe of gifted musicians, armed with great songs and a unique stage gravitas, has affectionately been called "the hillbilly Pink Floyd". This is a particularly apt description, especially if you throw in elements of Incredible String Band, Neil Young, The Band, Dylan, and maybe even a little Frank Zappa. Formed in the late 90's when the ‘Slambovians’ were still in art school, they have toured extensively in North America and abroad, building an ever growing and devoted fan base with their electrifying live performances and strong original music. Something in the water along the Hudson River continues to inspire creative souls, and we believe this thoroughly entertaining act will quench the thirst of even the most musically adventurous folkie.
Florent Vollant
This Innu writer-composer-performer was half of the duo, Kashtin, one of the most commercially successful musical groups in First Nations history. Kashtin’s three albums earned Florent Vollant 4 Félix Awards, and would take him across Canada and to France, Belgium, South Korea, USA and Bolivia. Florent has collaborated on many musical projects since Kashtin including Robbie Robertson’s The Native Americans album. His serene Christmas album, Nipaiamianan, sung in Innu, earned him his first Juno Award as well as an apostolic blessing from Pope John Paul II. He was also the driving force behind a recording studio that doubles as a training and production centre for young native musicians.
The Arrogant Worms
Three quarters of a quarter of a century ago, something magnificent happened in Kingston, Ontario. Out of a desperate need for musical comedy, The Arrogant Worms was formed. They began by making fun of a big dumb world, and the world is still dumb so they have plenty to sing about. Their show is fast and furious, the satire is biting and the musicianship is second to none. Their appeal has earned fans from kids to parents to grandparents to Princess Leia. Their songs are in school lesson plans, textbooks, and were even played on the Space Shuttle. On earth or in space, everyone digs these Worms.
Joe Cornelisse-SSGS
