(Graphic | Courtesy of Sisters Folk Festival)
Canada, Ireland, Cuba, oh my!
From the familiar favorites Le Vent Du Nord of Quebec, Canada to Irish newcomers, JigJam, we’ve packed our 2022 festival lineup with artists from around the world. Read more about our international acts below and view our full lineup to learn more about ALL of our 2022 performers.
Roots powerhouse duo The Small Glories are Cara Luft and JD Edwards, a musical tour-de-force partnership planted on the Canadian Prairies. With a stage banter striking a unique balance between slapstick and sermon, these veteran singer-songwriters have a way of making time disappear, rooms shrink, and audiences feel as they are right there on the stage with the band.
JigJam is a multi-award-winning quartet from the heart of the midlands in Ireland. Blending the best of traditional Irish music with Bluegrass and Americana in a new genre which has been branded as ‘I-Grass’ (Irish-influenced Bluegrass), their onstage energy along with their virtuosic musical ability has captivated audiences throughout the world.
The award-winning and highly acclaimed band Le Vent du Nord is a leading force in Quebec’s progressive francophone folk movement. The group’s vast repertoire draws from both traditional sources and original compositions while enhancing its hard-driving soulful music (rooted in the Celtic diaspora) with a broad range of global influences. On stage, these friends create intense, joyful and dynamic live performances that expand the bounds of tradition in striking global directions. This is the modern sound of tradition, a music of the here and now.
A native of Havana, Cuba, Telmary has had a long and decorated career experimenting in many genres of music from rap and funk to jazz and soul atop traditional Afro-Cuban rhythms. After forging a successful solo career (winning the Cubadisco award for Best Hip Hop Album in 2007 for her flagship album “A Diario”) Telmary formed her band, HabanaSana and continues to collaborate with a flurry of Cuban and international artists including Interactivo, Pedrito Martinez, Descemer Bueno and Doctor John.
While brilliant cellist, Natalie Haas, hails from our neck of the woods (California), her musical partner, Alasdair Fraser is a native of Scotland and revered as “the Michael Jordan of Scottish fiddling.” This duo have been playing together for 16 years and thrilling audiences internationally with their virtuosic playing, their near-telepathic understanding, and the joyful spontaneity and sheer physical presence of their music.
It’s true: opposites attract. James grew up playing folk, jazz and blues on his ukulele while Anne was exclusively a classical cellist. But the pair’s differences quickly became their biggest asset. James Hill & Anne Janelle (both born and raised in Canada), were selected to record a track for a compilation album called Classical Ukulele for release in Japan in 2008 and quickly realized they had an undeniable musical chemistry. They released a duo album “True Love Don’t Weep” shortly after and the project garnered a Canadian Folk Music Award for Best Traditional Album of the Year in 2009. Together, James and Anne craft a sound that is intricate, enchanting and engaging.