The first notes have yet to ring out, yet there’s an unspoken agreement that the Edmonton Folk Festival is one of the summer’s biggest hits.
Running Aug. 7 to 10, the four-day festival held at Gallagher Park packs in an amazing number of roots artists that will make you laugh, weep, reflect and even sing-along.
This year’s international voices range from Alpha Yaya Diallo’s West African Summit to Ukraine’s Dakha Brakha to the Masters of Hawaiian Music.
According to former St. Albert resident Cathy Morin, who fields media questions for EFF, Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite are gathering a lot of media attention after winning the Grammy for Best Blues Album.
Morin cites Dan Mangan as another successful draw.
“He has such a clever writing style and approach to music.”
And then there’s Imelda May, a returning artist from Ireland that has captured a niche market as a bodhran-playing rockabilly vocalist.
“She has a way of bringing old school music and putting it in a contemporary way.”
Festival founder Terry Wickham is a strong promoter of emerging talent and this year the School of Song introduces Bardic Form, Scenic Route, Trevor McNeely and Rebecca Lappa.
Lappa, a student at Visionary College, is a prolific singer-songwriter with 100 songs to her name. She has performed at over a dozen area festivals and won vocal scholarships at the St. Albert Rotary Music Festival. She also won a St. Albert Junior Idol performing original songs.
Lappa has released three CDs, Avant Garden (2013), Myths and Monsters (2012) and Not in Neverland (2011). She performs her storytelling songs on Saturday, Aug. 9 at 12:35 p.m.
The 33rd Edmonton International Fringe Festival is running Aug. 14 to 24 and tickets went on sale yesterday.
Dubbed Fringed and Confused, it’s a throwback to ’70s grassroots spirit of sunshine, happiness, granola and weed.
“Since arriving at FTA last year, I have spent a lot of time learning the grassroots history of the festival; how themes came to be and what is different now from then,” said program director Murray Utas.
As usual, the festival will be tricked up to be a psychedelic blast. So gas up the old boogie van, dust off the old platforms and truck down to Old Strathcona.
Tickets are on sale at 780-409-1910 or online at www.fringetheatre.ca.
