A humble and soft-spoken musician, Chaisson began performing publically during primary school in a family Celtic ensemble before embracing his inner songwriter as a teenager and self-releasing four albums. With 2009’s “Broken Hearted Beat”, an international audience’s ears became tuned to the sound of this golden-voiced young performer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose music borrowed from a wide range of influences...
Cold Specks is the name of a band led by Al Spx, the pseudonym of a very talented gal from Ontario with a profound affinity for the Deep South. Her sound has been described as 'Doom Soul' – it’s music infused with the soulful, emotional sounds of Deep South gospel, but with a strong gothic streak. Her voice evokes the 'spirit feel' of Mahalia Jackson...
Boston-based Debo Band takes traditional and popular Ethiopian sounds to a astonishing new place – a party place where funk, soul and free jazz swirl together with the heady, sultry melodies and harmonies of Addis Ababa . . .
It all started as a live collaboration in 2006 at CelticFest Vancouver, when Dugg Simpson (our own esteemed former AD) put together a collaborative and cross-cultural band as a one-off performance piece called Delhi to Dublin. The sound, the energy, the mix was so well-received that requests for additional performances led to the official formation of the band Delhi 2 Dublin...
This four piece multi-instrumental and vocal ensemble has built an adoring audience for their musical fusion of Romani, Greek, Slavic and Bolero music with American punk and folk roots. Their name comes from the Russian word for “girl”, devochka (девочка), but their music is much more global, incorporating at various times cabaret, polka, mariachi, tango and flamenco into a very cool indie mix...
You will not be able to resist Joaquin Diaz. His light-fingered accordion playing and his infectious vocals drenched in Latin soul make this Caribbean maestro the best of the new generation of traditional folk merengue artists. His musical career began on the streets of San Pedro de Macorix at age nine...
The Raghu Dixit Project, led by former Bharatnatyam dancer Raghu Dixit, performs a potent mix of folk, blues, rock, Sufi, funk, reggae, Latin and bhangra. With songs inspired by the verse of classic Indian poets, Dixit's unique sound reflects the diversity of contemporary India's alternative music scene: ethnically and traditionally rooted, yet global in outlook...
Scotland-born Maria Dunn has been described as "an arrestingly powerful singer-songwriter who writes great historical and social commentary." Her music blends Celtic folk with North American bluegrass and country influences, and she draws deeply on the folk tradition of storytelling through song. Known for her keen social awareness and unvarnished songs about the lives of working men and women...
The daughter of a diplomat and a classically trained violinist, Kathleen Edwards grew up in countries like South Korea and Switzerland, listening to pop. But back in Canada, her brother’s musical taste shaped her own: Bob Dylan and Neil Young became a part of her musical world. It’s been about a decade ...
A protégé of legendary songwriters Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark, Steve Earle quickly became a renowned master storyteller in his own right. When his debut record, “Guitar Town”, shot to the top of the country charts in 1986, the term ‘new country’ was coined to reflect...