Moira Smiley & VOCO is a visionary blend of voices - redefining harmony singing with the power and physicality of folksong, the avant-garde fearlessness of Bela Bartok and the delicious, vaudevillian accompaniment of cello, banjo, accordion and body percussion. Smiley leads an ensemble of extraordinary musicians who share a passion for spreading powerful, emotional music with lush four-part vocal harmony...
She’s been called “an enigma.” She can be unwavering, yet delicate; powerful, yielding, gentle and fierce. MC, singer, musician, poet, actress, artist, seeker Kinnie Starr is a trusted guide and a fearless explorer who’s name garners respect in almost any cultural or artistic conversation. Her extraordinary voice continues to provoke new thought and inspiration. She writes and performs songs in a range of genres...
Two-time Juno winning banjo-player Jayme Stone makes music inspired by folk traditions from around the world. His curiosity started early with the quirky physics of the banjo, led to a mysterious librarian who stocked his local public library with a vast trove of banjo recordings, and landed him long-lasting lessons with maestros like Tony Trischka and Bill Frisell...
Stringband was the little Canadian folk band that could. Over forty years ago they pioneered do-it-yourself- recording and touring and wrote endearing and enduring songs about this country, its people, places and personalities. From the early seventies until the mid-eighties they were in the forefront of folk music. Since then they have gone on to varied pursuits in the creative arts...
Vancouver is home to some of the most accomplished exponents of Chinese music in the country, the Vancouver Chinese Music Ensemble undoubtedly among the most renowned. Each member of the group, which was founded in 1989, is a highly accomplished instrumentalist and interpreter of traditional and contemporary Chinese music. Performing on a variety of traditional instruments, including Chinese violin (ehru)...
In 2012, critically acclaimed Australian folk-pop darlings, Tinpan Orange released Over the Sun, an album singer-songwriter Emily Lubitz refers to as "the greatest album of my life." Months later, just to pay the bills, Lubitz sang the anonymous lead vocal on an Australian train safety commercial that became the viral internet sensation Dumb Ways To Die...
For more than five generations, the Vega family, natives of Boca de San Miguel in the Municipality of Tlacotalpan, Mexico, have contributed to the traditional son jarocho of Veracruz. Son jarocho melds Mexican folk music with Cuban son and other influences in a dynamic and lyrical music special to the Veracruz region. It is music traditionally played on stringed instruments like the jarana...
Led by the legendary, literate Celtic troubadour Mike Scott, The Waterboys began marrying Celtic themes to rock ‘n’ roll 30 years ago, and in the process created a sound that influenced a generation of musicians. Scott has made a career turning poetry into what has been called “the big music,” . . .
Before there was Martha, before Rufus hit the scene, Loudon Wainwright III was the guy in the spotlight at festivals, concerts, on television and radio for many years – and still is! This American songwriter, folk singer, humorist, and actor (and dad) has been a happening guy since the 1960s. He makes his first-ever appearance at the VFMF this year!
After spending nearly two decades as singer and fiddle player for the Grammy Award-winning bluegrass-folk hybrid (and family) band Nickel Creek, Sara Watkins stepped away from that marquee name, alone. Watkins then spent two years on the road with her new band, making stops at events such as the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and the Newport Folk Festival...