The
first seven bookings for the renowned Mariposa Folk Festival have been
announced. This initial group of performers indicates that an eclectic
festival line-up is coming together.
“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
