"A musical force equipped with the soulful vocals of Janis and the guitar slinging skills of Stevie Ray, Carolyn Wonderland reaches into the depths of the Texas blues tradition with the wit of a poet."
"The David Lindley electro-acoustic performance effortlessly combines American folk, blues, and bluegrass traditions with elements from African, Arabic, Asian, Celtic, Malagasy, and Turkish musical sources."
"The Vancouver, Canada-based band plays an energetic mash-up of Bhangra, Celtic, Dub, Reggae and Electronica with global rhythms and club beats. They have become one of Canada’s most buzzed-about bands and 2011will only see them enhancing that reputation."
"They’ve won over legions of fans with their raw and energetic live shows and their atmospheric, richly crafted records, making a name for themselves worldwide."
"The literal meaning of their name is ‘the stars of tradition’. They are the first group to use the songs and music of the Wodaabe in a modern context. They began as a group of ten musicians who wanted to unite these two nomadic cultures as a symbol of peace and reconciliaton."
"Several elements make this group unique. First of all it consists of mainly women, which is rather unusual in this field. Second, there is no melodic instrument, as the instrumentation is focused on the voices, whether harmonized or in unison."
"Funny and upbeat, with just a pinch of sass, the Good Lovelies' textbook three-part harmonies, constant instrument swapping and witty on-stage banter have enlivened the folk music landscape since they joined forces in 2006..."
"Fret-burning, uptempo cuts like Ode to a Frozen Boot, Richard's Reel, and One More Lie to Love show why Canadian Folk Music calls James "truly amazing... a serious virtuoso upon the instrument."
"A prolific songwriter, a gifted and versatile instrumentalist and a powerful singer, Whiteley's music communicates themes of freedom, love, spiritual aspiration and social comment. His performances are presented with particapatory humor, grace and energy."
Six Shooter Records’ Melissa McClelland and Luke Doucet finally tie the musical knot to highlight their chemistry and talent as an undeniably smoldering duo.
"Lunch At Allen’s is an extraordinary musical revue by internationally renowned artists, Murray McLauchlan, Cindy Church, Marc Jordan, and Ian Thomas who perform together as a band..."
"At the heart of the group are siblings Shannon, Solon & Jeremiah who grew up playing Canadian folk music alongside their parents and among artists from around the world, a unique upbringing that led to a love and respect for all music."
"My name is michael bernard fitzgerald and I play music, I'm from calgary alberta canada. I am a friend, son and brother. I love openly. The movie jack makes me cry. I want to accomplish much before I die."
"From unaccompanied ballads layered with “vocal harmonies thick enough to stand on” to exquisitely arranged shanties featuring bouzouki, banjo, bodhrán and more..."
"The Steel Wheels are truly an Americana band, rooted in musical styles that explore the territories between blues and bluegrass, old-time sing-alongs and foot-stompin’ fiddle tunes.
"Ti-Coca and Wanga-Nègès are to be noticed among the rare professional musicians who embrace the troubadours tradition, small-size bands of acoustic instruments with compositions that reveal a sweet and sour chronicle of the society."
With the support of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie
U22 Performers
Micah Turchet (17) Caroline, Alberta
Micah Turchet’s fascination with flamenco began at a concert when he was five. As the guitars began to play, Micah jumped out of his seat and shouted, "Now this is what I call music!" Always mindful of the tradition of this richly expressive, passionate, and culturally-rooted music, Micah plays flamenco with youthful joy, sensitivity, and a passion beyond his years.
Scenic Route to Alaska Edmonton, Alberta
Scenic Route To Alaska proves that less is more. Being long time best friends, Shea Connor (drums and vocals) and Murray Wood (bass) intuitively know what Trevor Mann (guitar and vocals) is writing about. The music is real, raw, and emotion-filled. People like real. With inspiration harnessed from the sounds of indy-folk-rock, Scenic Route To Alaska stands out as a unique expression in an otherwise crowded sea of faceless music.
Braden Gates (18) - Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta
Braden is an Alberta Fiddle Champion turned songwriter. His mastery of the fiddle fretboard transfers seamlessly to guitar and mandolin to underpin his dirt folk storytelling style. Braden weaves homegrown original tales about stuff that matters. He is an active mentor and teacher who has toured extensively with Les Boucherons to promote the history of Canadian music in Alberta schools.
The Doll Sisters - Jenna (19) and Shelby (18) Rocky Mountain House, Alberta
Being roots musicians at heart affords sisters Jenna and Shelby the opportunity to explore the genres they love including Folk, Celtic, Bluegrass, Appalachian, and Cowboy. Both sisters are accomplished multi-instrumentalists whose arrangements, lyrics and stunning vocal harmonies are unshakably their own.
The Command Sisters - Charlotte (16) and Sarah (13) Stony Plain, Alberta
The Command Sisters have been taking the music scene by storm with their unique sound, hair-raising harmonies and a wicked live show. Charlotte is the writer of the duo, weaving lyric and music with a sophistication that is well beyond her years. Sarah is definitely the little firecracker, soloing and improvising with multiple instruments, she has the audience wrapped around her fingers from beginning to end!
Samantha and Emily Schultz - (20 & 16) Edmonton, Alberta
Samantha Schultz's talent in playing guitar is surpassed only by her ability to wrap her mature, soulful voice around any song she sings. Her remarkable talent was noted by Berklee University in Boston where she is attending on a full ride 4 year scholarship. She is joined onstage by her sister Emily. A powerful vocalist in her own right, Emily brings sweet harmonies and killer rhythms to the mix.
And mentoring with U22: Dean Kheroufi (15) - Edmonton, Alberta
Bassist Dean Kheroufi joins U22 at the Canmore Folk Festival to be mentored throughout the weekend by veteran U22 bass player, Murray Wood.
