1.
Folk music
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Folk music includes both traditional music and the genre that evolved from it during the 20th century folk revival. The term originated in the 19th century, but is applied to music older than that. Some types of music are also called world music. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways, as music transmitted orally, music with unknown composers and it has been contrasted with commercial and classical styles. Starting in the century, a new form of popular folk music evolved from traditional folk music. This process and period is called the revival and reached a zenith in the 1960s. This form of music is called contemporary folk music or folk revival music to distinguish it from earlier folk forms. Smaller, similar revivals have occurred elsewhere in the world at other times and this type of folk music also includes fusion genres such as folk rock, folk metal, electric folk, and others. Even individual songs may be a blend of the two, a consistent definition of traditional folk music is elusive. The terms folk music, folk song, and folk dance are comparatively recent expressions and they are extensions of the term folklore, which was coined in 1846 by the English antiquarian William Thoms to describe the traditions, customs, and superstitions of the uncultured classes. Traditional folk music also includes most indigenous music, however, despite the assembly of an enormous body of work over some two centuries, there is still no certain definition of what folk music is. Some do not even agree that the term Folk Music should be used, Folk music may tend to have certain characteristics but it cannot clearly be differentiated in purely musical terms. One meaning often given is that of old songs, with no known composers, the fashioning and re-fashioning of the music by the community that give it its folk character. Such definitions depend upon processes rather than abstract musical types, one widely used definition is simply Folk music is what the people sing. For Scholes, as well as for Cecil Sharp and Béla Bartók, Folk music was already. seen as the authentic expression of a way of life now past or about to disappear, particularly in a community uninfluenced by art music and by commercial and printed song. In these terms folk music may be seen as part of a schema comprising four types, primitive or tribal, elite or art, folk. Music in this genre is often called traditional music. Although the term is only descriptive, in some cases people use it as the name of a genre
Folk music
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Béla Bartók recording Slovak peasant singers in 1908
Folk music
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Indians always distinguished between classical and folk music, though in the past even classical Indian music used to rely on the unwritten transmission of repertoire.
Folk music
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Armenian traditional musicians
Folk music
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Assyrians playing
zurna and
Davul, the typically used instruments for their folk music.
2.
Mercedes Sosa
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Haydée Mercedes Sosa, sometimes known as La Negra, was an Argentine singer who was popular throughout Latin America and many countries outside the region. She was born on Argentinas Independence Day, with her roots in Argentine folk music, Sosa became one of the preeminent exponents of nueva canción. She gave voice to songs written by many Latin American songwriters and her music made people hail her as the voice of the voiceless ones, and the voice of America. Her career spanned four decades and she was the recipient of several Grammy awards and nominations and she served as an ambassador for UNICEF. Sosa was born on 9 July 1935, in San Miguel de Tucumán, in the northwestern Argentine province of Tucumán, of mestizo, Spanish, French and she recorded her first album, La Voz de la Zafra, in 1959. Sosa and her first husband, Manuel Óscar Matus, with whom she had one son, were key players in the mid-60s nueva canción movement and her second record was Canciones con Fundamento, a collection of Argentine folk songs. In 1967, Sosa toured the United States and Europe with great success, in later years, she performed and recorded extensively, broadening her repertoire to include material from throughout Latin America. In the early 1970s, Sosa released two albums in collaboration with composer Ariel Ramírez and lyricist Félix Luna, Cantata Sudamericana. She also recorded a tribute to Chilean musician Violeta Parra in 1971, including what was to one of Sosas signature songs. She also increased the popularity of songs written by Milton Nascimento of Brazil and Pablo Milanés, after the military junta of Jorge Videla came to power in 1976, the atmosphere in Argentina grew increasingly oppressive. Sosa faced death threats against both her and her family, but refused for years to leave the country. At a concert in La Plata in 1979, Sosa was searched and arrested on stage and their release came about through international intervention. Banned in her own country, she moved to Paris and then to Madrid, a double album of recordings from these performances became an instant best seller. In subsequent years, Sosa continued to both in Argentina and abroad, performing in such venues as the Lincoln Center in New York. In a poor condition of health for much of the 1990s, in 1994, she played the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City. In 2002, she sold out both Carnegie Hall in New York and the Colosseum in Rome in the same year, a supporter of Perón, she favored leftist causes throughout her life. She opposed President Carlos Menem, who was in office from 1989 to 1999, and supported the election of Néstor Kirchner, Sosa was a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Latin America and the Caribbean. Her song Balderrama is featured in the 2008 movie Che, starring Benicio del Toro as the Argentine Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara, Sosa was former Co-Chair of Earth Charter International Commission
Mercedes Sosa
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Mercedes Sosa, photograph by
Annemarie Heinrich.
Mercedes Sosa
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Mercedes Sosa lying in repose, with her family and President
Cristina Fernández de Kirchner viewing.
Mercedes Sosa
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Mercedes Sosa in 2005, with Argentina's then-First Lady (now president),
Cristina Fernández de Kirchner.
3.
Djivan Gasparyan
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Djivan Gasparyan is an Armenian musician and composer. He plays the duduk, a double reed woodwind instrument related to the orchestral oboe, Gasparyan is known as the Master of the duduk. Born in Solak, Armenia to parents from Mush, Gasparyan started to play duduk when he was six, in 1948 he became a soloist of the Armenian Song and Dance Popular Ensemble and the Yerevan Philharmonic Orchestra. He has won four medals at UNESCO worldwide competitions, in 1973 Gasparyan was awarded the honorary title Peoples Artist of Armenia. In 2002, he received the WOMEX Lifetime Achievement Award, a professor at the Yerevan State Musical Conservatory, he has instructed and nurtured many performers to professional levels of performance in duduk. In 1998 he released an album with a unique duduk quartet he formed and he has toured the world several times with a small ensemble playing Armenian folk music. His music has been chosen on the soundtrack of several international films
Djivan Gasparyan
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Djivan Gasparyan in 2009
4.
Udi Hrant
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He was an ethnic Armenian citizen of Turkey who spent most of his life in Turkey and wrote most of his lyrics in Turkish. He went to the United States of America to have his blindness treated, as an oud player, he was a major innovator, introducing left-hand pizzicato, bidirectional picking, double stops, and novel tunings. According to Harold G. Hagopian, he was most respected for his improvisational taksim, born in Adapazari, declared blind four days after his birth, Hrant as a child sang in the choir of an Armenian Apostolic Church. His family fled to Konya in 1915 to escape the Armenian Genocide, there Hrant first studied the oud, with a teacher named Garabed. Somewhere along the way he learned to speak French, and was actually accepted at age 16 to a Paris-based school for the blind. Several attempts failed to restore his eyesight, which prevented him playing in ensembles. He made a modest living playing in cafes, giving music lessons, and selling instruments. In 1928, he fell in love with Ağavini, the sister of one of his students, in the meantime, he had written numerous songs about his desire for an absent love. He slowly, but steadily, gained fame as a musician. Some of his Turkish recordings were released internationally as early as the 1930s, first on RCA Victor, and later on such labels as Balkan, Perfectaphone and Yildiz, and Istanbul. Composer Şeirf Içli introduced him to Kanuni Ismail Şençalar, in whose group he played for a while, in 1950, a wealthy Greek American brought him to America for another attempt at restoring his eyesight. The trip, however, led to a series of concerts in New York City, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, and Fresno, California, playing both Turkish classical music and his own compositions. This tour apparently increased his prestige at home, he began to frequently on Istanbul Radio, first as a soloist. It also recorded in U. S. recording sessions for Smyrnaphon, the former, according to Hagopian, are marred by his being paired. The recording included both Hrants originals and classic songs by Kanuni Artaki, Bimen Şen, and others, during his trips to the U. S. he conducted master classes with young Armenian-American oud players such as Richard Hagopian, and Harry Minassian. Again apparently the same line up backed up singer Boghos Kirechjian on several records and he toured internationally again in 1963, playing in Paris, Beirut, Greece, the United States, and Yerevan, then the capital of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic. He recorded again in the U. S. at this time, for small labels and record producers eager to capitalize on the belly-dance craze. Canary Records of Boston, Massachusetts, released a compilation of tracks in 2016
Udi Hrant
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Udi Hrant with his
oud
5.
Gor Mkhitarian
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Gor Mkhitarian is an Armenian singer and songwriter who started his musical career in Armenia. He immigrated to the United States and now is based in Los Angeles, in Armenia, he started with the rock formation Lav Eli. He developed his career starting in 2001 with a number of albums in various genres including pop, rock. He sings in both English and Armenian, gor was widely known throughout Armenia as the lead guitarist for one of countrys best rock bands, Lav Eli that he established with fellow musician Mher Manukyan in 1996. Force Major was Mkhitarians one-year experimental jam project established in 2000, having been nominated for 14 industry music awards, he makes fresh and compelling music that successfully fuses traditional Armenian music with both rock and folk idioms. In 2003, Mkhitarian moved to Los Angeles where drummer Andranik Harutyunyan, bassist Varoujan Hovakimyan, pianist Art Grigorian, stepping away from his previous acoustic-driven signature, with the new band he features remarkable musicianship and showcases a different approach to his songwriting. Gor Mkhitarian cites Simon & Garfunkel, Sting, and The Dave Matthews Band, to name a few, traces of Armenian folk troubadours Ruben Hakhverdyan and Harout Bezjian as well as Bob Dylan can at times be heard in Mkhitarians solo material
Gor Mkhitarian
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Gor Mkhitarian performing in
Glendale, California
Gor Mkhitarian
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Gor Mkhitarian (middle) in Lav Eli band
6.
Paul Kelly (musician)
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Paul Maurice Kelly AO is an Australian rock music singer-songwriter, guitarist, and harmonica player. He has performed solo, and has led numerous groups, including the Dots, the Coloured Girls, and he has worked with other artists and groups, including associated projects Professor Ratbaggy and Stardust Five. Kellys music style has ranged from bluegrass to studio-oriented dub reggae, but his core output straddles folk, rock and his lyrics capture the vastness of the culture and landscape of Australia by chronicling life about him for over 30 years. David Fricke from Rolling Stone calls Kelly one of the finest songwriters I have ever heard, Kelly has said, Song writing is mysterious to me. I still feel like a total beginner, I dont feel like I have got it nailed yet. After growing up in Adelaide, Kelly travelled around Australia before settling in Melbourne in 1976 and he became involved in the pub rock scene and drug culture, and recorded two albums with Paul Kelly and the Dots. Kelly moved to Sydney by 1985, where he formed Paul Kelly, the band was renamed Paul Kelly and the Messengers, initially only for international releases, to avoid possible racist interpretations. At the end of the 1980s, Kelly returned to Melbourne, Kelly has been married and divorced twice, he has three children and resides in St Kilda, a suburb of Melbourne. Dan Kelly, his nephew, is a singer and guitarist in his own right, Dan performed with Kelly on Ways and Means and Stolen Apples. Both were members of Stardust Five, which released an album in 2006. His biographical film, Paul Kelly, Stories of Me, directed by Ian Darling, was released to cinemas in October 2012, Kellys Top 40 singles include Billy Baxter, Before Too Long, Darling It Hurts, To Her Door, Dumb Things, and Roll on Summer. Top-20 albums include Gossip, Under the Sun, Comedy, Songs from the South. Nothing but a Dream, Kelly has won ten Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards, including his induction into their Hall of Fame in 1997. In 2001 the Australasian Performing Rights Association listed the Top 30 Australian songs of all time, which included Kellys To Her Door, aside from Treaty, Kelly has written or co-written several songs on Indigenous Australian social issues and historical events. He has provided songs for other artists, tailoring them to their particular vocal range. The album Women at the Well from 2002 had 14 female artists record his songs in tribute, Paul Maurice Kelly was born on 13 January 1955 in Adelaide, to John Erwin Kelly, a lawyer, and Josephine, the sixth of eight surviving children. According to Rip It Up magazine, legend has it that Kellys mother gave birth to him in a taxi outside North Adelaides Calvary Hospital and he is the great great grandson of Jeremiah Kelly, who emigrated from Ireland in 1852 and settled in Clare, South Australia. His paternal grandfather, Francis Kelly, established a law firm in 1917, John Kelly died in 1968 at the age of 52, after being diagnosed with Parkinsons disease three years earlier. Paul Kelly was thirteen years old when his father died, Kelly described his father, I have good memories, he was the kind of father that, well, I missed him when he died very much
Paul Kelly (musician)
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Paul Kelly, November 2007
Paul Kelly (musician)
Paul Kelly (musician)
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Paul Kelly & the Coloured Girls,
Long Bay Gaol, Christmas Eve, 1985
Paul Kelly (musician)
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Hotel Esplanade, St Kilda. In May 1995, Kelly recorded tracks for
Live at the Continental and the Esplanade (1996) in the Hotel's Gershwin Room. Photo taken in December 2009.
7.
Eric Bogle
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Eric Bogle AM is a folk singer-songwriter from Scotland. Scottish-born and raised, he emigrated to Australia at aged 25 in 1969, bogles songs have covered a variety of topics, many of them have been covered by other artists. Eric Bogle was born on 23 September 1944 in Peebles, Scotland and his father was a woodcutter who played the bagpipes. Bogle started writing poetry when he was eight years old, after attending school until he was sixteen, Bogle worked in various trades, labourer, clerk and barman. In 1969, Bogle emigrated to Australia and initially lived in the capital, Canberra and he had an interest in politics and by 1980 had moved to Queensland before settling in Adelaide. Bogle taught himself to play guitar and joined a skiffle and rock band and he was the leader of Eric and the Informers in Scotland. His early influences were Lonnie Donegan, Elvis Presley and Ewan MacColl and he turned to folk music prior to emigrating to Australia – his first written songs concerned his parents. One of these, Leaving Nancy, which sang of the day he left home for Australia, being the last time he saw his mother Nancy, was covered, most notably by The Dubliners. When living in Canberra he joined the folk music scene. Several of his most famous songs tell of the futility or loss of war, prominent among these is And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda, written in 1971. The lyrics tell of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps experience fighting in the Battle of Gallipoli and it has also been interpreted as a reaction to the Vietnam War. Another of his songs, No Mans Land, is also World War I-themed. This song is known as The Green Fields of France, a title it was first given by The Fureys. The song refers to the traditional Scottish song Flowers of the Forest being played over the grave of a World War I soldier and he deliberately gave the dead soldier an Irish name as a counter to the anti-Irish sentiment prevalent in Britain during the 1970s. This song has been covered by Alex Beaton, Plethyn, American folk singer Charlie Zahm also has a version on his album Festival Favorites, as does American Folk Singer Robert Marr on his 2011 album Celticism. As if he Knows widens the theme of the wastage of war to describe the sadness of Australian mounted soldiers in Palestine in 1918, notably, the song does not take sides in the conflict, it does not mention whether the title character is a nationalist or loyalist. However, the song has been adopted by Nationalists and is now associated with Irish Republicanism, when Billy Bragg covered the song, he changed the line dreams of freedom unfulfilled to dreams of glory unfulfilled. Bogles songs cover a range of subjects and themes, including comedic songs, satires protest songs
Eric Bogle
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Bogle (left) with
John Munro in Watford during their 2009 farewell tour
8.
Kasey Chambers
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Kasey Chambers is an Australian country singer-songwriter. She is the daughter of singer and musician Bill Chambers, Chambers recorded her solo album The Captain on Norfolk Island over a few weeks in late 1998 with Nash Chambers producing the album and Bill Chambers on guitar. US country musicians Buddy Miller and Julie Miller added guitars and vocals to four tracks, the Captain was released in 1999 in Australia and in 2000 in the US. Chambers won the 1999 ARIA Award for Best Country Album for The Captain, the strong word of mouth would eventually lead to The Captain going double platinum in Australia. The Captain would eventually reach the top 50 of the Billboard country albums in 2001 with Chambers touring the US as support act to Lucinda Williams, subsequently, she supported Emmylou Harris on her Australian tour. Chambers would receive further exposure when The Captain was played on episode 8 of the season of HBOs The Sopranos titled He Is Risen. Chambers second album Barricades & Brickwalls was released in late 2001 debuting at No.4 in the ARIA album charts, the record really took off in early 2002 with lead single Not Pretty Enough going to No.1 on the ARIA singles charts. Chambers became the only Australian country artist to have a No.1 single, subsequent singles Million Tears and If I Were You also made the Australian Top 40 singles charts in 2002. Cold and Bitter Tears, The Songs of Ted Hawkins, released in late 2015 on Austin, Texas-based Eight 30 Records, at the 2002 ARIA Awards, Chambers won Album of the Year, Best Female Artist and Best Country Album. The album also received a positive critical response. She recorded a cover of the Cyndi Lauper song True Colours which became the song of the 2003 Rugby World Cup. It was the 76th best-selling single in Australia that year and won gold accreditation in the Australian ARIA charts, Chambers released her third solo album Wayward Angel in Australia on 31 May 2004. It debuted at No.1 on the Australian charts and went platinum in its first week of release, singles from the album include Hollywood, Pony and Saturated. Following the Boxing Day Tsunami, Chambers appeared at the Wave Aid fundraising concert in Sydney, chamberss next album, Carnival, debuted in the No.1 position on the ARIA album charts in late August 2006. The lead single, Nothing at All also reached the top ten of the singles chart, the event was held simultaneously with a concert at the Sydney Cricket Ground. All the proceeds from the Melbourne Concert went to the Red Cross Victorian Bushfire relief, a unique collaboration of 3 generations - the 16 original songs were crafted together by Kasey, her father Bill, brother Nash and their collective brood of Little Hillbillies. Chambers was born in Mount Gambier, South Australia and she has an older brother, Nash Chambers. She grew up on the Nullarbor Plain and the fishing village of Southend
Kasey Chambers
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Chambers, ARIA Hall of Fame 1 July 2008 Courtesy Mandy Hall
Kasey Chambers
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Chambers and Shane Nicholson ARIA Hall of Fame
9.
The Waifs
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The Waifs are an Australian folk rock band formed in 1992 by sisters Vikki Thorn and Donna Simpson as well as Josh Cunningham. Their tour and recording band includes Ben Franz and David Ross Macdonald, the bands 2003 album Up All Night reached the top five of the Australian Albums Chart, achieving double platinum status and winning four ARIA Awards in October. Two further top five albums were issued, Sun Dirt Water in 2007, the Waifs have three top fifty singles, London Still, Bridal Train and Sun Dirt Water. The band supported Bob Dylan on his 2003 Australian tour and then his 2003 North American tour, the Waifs founded the independent label Jarrah Records in July 2002, co-owned with fellow musician John Butler, and their common manager Phil Stevens, which handles their Australian releases. The Waifs formed in August 1992 in Albany, Western Australia as a rock band. The Simpson sisters, Donna and Vikki, had formed a duo, Colours, in Albany to perform cover versions of Bob Dylan and their father, Jimmy Simpson, was a seasonal salmon fisherman at Cosy Corner beach and had bought Donna her first guitar when she was 15. In February 1992, 20-year-old Donna and her 16-year-old sister, Vikki headed off in a Kombi van to tour the state as Colours, Josh Cunningham, a Moruya farmers son, had started playing guitar in 1987, he was touring Australia playing bass guitar for a band. The Simpsons met 18-year-old Cunningham while Colours were playing twelve-bar blues in Broome, after a ten-minute jam session, Donna invited Cunningham to join Colours, Cunningham later recalled, there was a connection that Donna felt that I felt as well. Its always felt very much like a family to me and I felt instantly welcomed into that right from the very start, the Waifs used the Kombi van from 1992 to 1996 to travel to gigs across Australia. In February 1996, The Waifs relocated to Melbourne, recorded their debut, eponymous album, The Waifs, the band co-produced it with Jen Anderson and Mick Thomas of folk rock band Weddings Parties Anything. Aside from producing, Anderson was a musician for the album. Jason MacNeill of Allmusic described The Waifs as a more than adequate stab at troubadour folk, in some instances, the band is guilty of what can be termed funk folk, a style all too often used with little to no benefit. The group commenced a tour of Australia to support the album. Their second album, Shelter Me, was recorded in Adelaide at Mixmasters Studios and, produced by The Waifs, MacNeill felt it was tructured in a cozy, country-like frame of harmonies and acoustic guitars, most of the album works all too well. A few songs, including the soulful Time to Part, seem a bit askew from the others, once again, the album was supported by a national tour. The band released its album, Sink or Swim, in June 2000. MacNeill states, Abstaining from traditional folk for a rural, quasi-country sound. They had used David Ross Macdonald on drums and percussion – he became part of their touring band, in 2001, The Waifs hired Phil Stevens as band manager – he also manages fellow West Australian musician John Butler and his John Butler Trio
The Waifs
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The Waifs,
Perth, May 2007
The Waifs
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The Waifs at the annual
Falls Festival in late 2007.
10.
Sarah Blasko
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Sarah Blasko is an Australian singer-songwriter, musician and producer. From April 2002 Blasko developed her career after fronting Sydney-based band, Acquiesce. She had performed under her name, Sarah Semmens, and, after leaving Acquiesce. 5, I Awake – which made No, at the ARIA Music Awards of 2007, Blasko won Best Pop Release for her second album. Her third album won the Best Female Artist in 2009 and her album was nominated for the same category in 2013. In October 2010 As Day Follows Night was listed at No.19 in the book,100 Best Australian Albums and it sounded like little else in 2009, or most any other year. Sarah Blasko is the name of Sarah Elizabeth Blaskow who was born on 23 September 1976. Her family had just returned from French-speaking Réunion, where both of her parents were Christian missionaries, Blaskos mother, Ellie, was a nurse and her father, Nikolai David Blaskow, is a teacher. Her father is from a Bulgarian-German background, Blasko has an older sister, Kate. Blasko started singing at church with her tone-deaf mother alongside and she later recalled usic was something I kind of fell into. My sister was always the singer of the family, I wanted to be a vet, I grew up going to church which was often a very musical place. While Blasko was attending school she formed a jazz-blues group with Kate. By the age of 15, Blasko was concerned that she wouldnt make it and she eventually left the church in her final year of school, declaring that its emphasis on material success just didnt fit with her, or her interpretation of the scriptures. However, she has stated that she still believes in God. By the age of 18 she had written her first songs and she had no formal singing lessons until aged 19 and also started playing guitar. At university, Blasko completed a degree in English literature and film, by 1998 tracks were co-written by Blasko and Camilleri, the group recorded an extended play, Aa for Acquiesce, which was released in September 1999. Also that year the group won a New South Wales campus band competition, Dave Cullen replaced Langtree on bass guitar and they released a single, Breathing In, in November 2000. Both EP and single were produced by Hugh Wilson, Acquiesce disbanded by January 2001 and Blasko, as Sorija, teamed-up with acoustic guitarist, Nick Schneider in a short-lived project, also named Sorija
Sarah Blasko
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Sarah Blasko performing,
The Astor Theatre, November 2010
Sarah Blasko
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Blasko singing and on acoustic guitar,
Big Day Out, Melbourne, January 2006
Sarah Blasko
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Blasko performing with her backing band in July 2013. They are Ben Fletcher (ex-
Bluebottle Kiss, The Devoted Few) on guitar and other instruments; David Hunt on piano and
ukulele; Fredrik Rundqvist on drums; and David Symes on bass guitar.
11.
The Seekers
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The Seekers are an Australian folk-influenced pop quartet, originally formed in Melbourne in 1962. They were the first Australian pop music group to achieve major chart and sales success in the United Kingdom, the Seekers have sung it at various closing ceremonies in Australia, including World Expo 88 and the Paralympics. It is still one of the top 50 best-selling singles in the UK, Australian music historian Ian McFarlane described their style as concentrated on a bright, uptempo sound, although they were too pop to be considered strictly folk and too folk to be rock. In 1967, they were named as joint Australians of the Year – the only group thus honoured, in July 1968, Durham left to pursue a solo career and the group disbanded. The band has reformed periodically, and in 1995 they were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame, Ill Never Find Another You was added to the National Film and Sound Archive of Australias Sounds of Australia registry in 2011. Woodleys and Dobe Newtons song I Am Australian, which was recorded by The Seekers, with Ill Never Find Another You and Georgy Girl, the band also achieved success in the United States, but not nearly at the same level as in the rest of the world. The Seekers have sold over 50 million records worldwide, the Seekers were individually honoured as Officers of the Order of Australia in the Queens Birthday Honours of June 2014. The Seekers were formed in 1962 in Melbourne by Athol Guy on double bass, Keith Potger on twelve-string guitar, Guy, Potger and Woodley had all attended Melbourne Boys High School in Victoria. In the late 1950s, Potger led The Trinamics, a rock n roll group, Guy led the Ramblers and, with Woodley, they decided to form a music group. The Escorts had Ken Ray as the singer and in 1962 they became The Seekers. Ray left the group to get married and his place was taken by Judith Durham, an established traditional jazz singer who added a distinctive female lead voice. She had earlier recorded an extended play disc on W&G Records with the Melbourne group, Durham and Guy had met when they both worked in an advertising agency – initially Durham only sang periodically with the Seekers, when not performing at local jazz clubs. She was replaced in Traynors jazz ensemble by Margret RoadKnight, the Seekers performed folk-influenced pop music and soon gathered a strong following in Melbourne. Durhams connections with W&G Records led to the groups later signing a contract with the label. Their debut album, Introducing the Seekers, was released in 1963 and their debut single was the traditional historic Australian bush ballad from 1894, Waltzing Matilda, which appeared in November and reached the Melbourne Top 40 singles chart. And peaked at number 74 on the national chart, the Seekers were offered a twelve-month position as on-board entertainment on the Sitmar Line passenger cruise ship Fairsky in March 1964. In May, they travelled to the U. K. and had intended to return to Australia after staying ten weeks, but upon arrival they were offered work by a London booking agency, the Grade Organisation. They signed there with World Record Club and issued a single, Myra, the group regularly appeared on a British TV show series, Call in on Carroll, hosted by Ronnie Carroll
The Seekers
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This article is about the Australian music group. For other uses, see
Seekers (disambiguation).
The Seekers
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The Seekers in 1965
12.
Siobhan Owen
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Siobhan Owen is a soprano and harpist from Adelaide, Australia. Owen regularly performs at Festivals, concerts and recitals around Australia and she favours classical and Celtic/folk songs, but also sings jazz on occasion. At a young age, Owen was encouraged to join the Adelaide Girls Choir and the St Aloysius College) school choir, Owen began her classical voice training at age nine, with singing teachers Naomi Hede and Norma Knight. She entered her first Eisteddfod around this time winning an Honourable Mention in the nine to thirteen age group and it wasnt long before Owen started winning Eisteddfods, most notably the Classical Voice sections. When she was 12, Owen gave her first major solo performance, in August 2007, aged 13, Owen gave her first solo concert for Recitals Australia. She continues to perform for Recitals Australia every year, in 2008, Owen received media attention when asked to sing at the Adelaide Fringe Festival with French singer/harpist Cécile Corbel after they met on Myspace. Owen was so inspired by Corbels harp playing that she decided to start playing harp and she had harp lessons from renowned Adelaide singer/harpist Emma Horwood, and was soon accompanying herself with harp in Celtic and Folk Festivals, concerts and recitals. Owen commissioned South Australian harp maker and luthier Tim Guster to build her a 36-string Celtic harp with special carving and this harp has travelled with Owen all over Australia. Kansai Celtic Music Festival – Osaka, Japan 2009 – Owen won the Adelaide Eisteddfod Junior Vocal Championship, also in 2009, she was voted the South Australia Folk Awards Most Outstanding Emerging Artist. 2010 – Owen was one of ten finalists in the Australian National Young Folk Awards, on 7 May 2010, Owen was interviewed by BBC Wales for a feature on their website. 2011 – Owen won two Irish Music Awards – Best New Irish Music Artist and Top Harpist,2012 – March, Owen was soprano soloist in Ennio Morricones debut Australian concert in Elder Park for the Adelaide Festival of Arts. 23 June, Owen sang the Welsh National Anthem at the Australia vs Wales Rugby Test Match at Allianz Stadium, also in June, Owen released her fourth studio album Storybook Journey. The album was named BBC Radio Wales Album of the Week in September,2013 – Owen made her UK debut in January, performing concerts in Wales, London and Devon. In March, Owen made her US debut, headlining the Los Angeles St. Davids Day Festival and she presented her own Adelaide Fringe Festival shows Storybook Journey at Ayers House, Adelaide. 2014 - March, Owen was the voice of Yseult in Alan Simons new Celtic/rock opera Tristan & Yseult, the premiere show was at Zenith Nantes, France. Simon chose Owen for the part after finding her on YouTube,2015 - February, Owen was guest lead singer in the Russian premiere of Alan Simons Tristan & Yseult. She appeared in the first 4 performances at Novosibirsk Theatre of Comeday & Music, Novosibirsk,2017 - February, French Magazine Le Figaro Culture ranked Owen as one of the top ambassadors of the six Celtic Nations. Books include Welsh titles The Childrens Voice, A Definitive Collection of Welsh Nursery Rhymes, The Age of Saints, official Siobhan Owen webpage Youtube channel Twitter page Facebook fan page
Siobhan Owen
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Photographer: Ellen Lily
13.
Matthew John Corby
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Matthew John Corby is an Australian singer-songwriter. He achieved his breakthrough with his fourth EP, Into the Flame, which peaked at No.3 on the ARIA Singles Chart. His 2011 single Brother and his 2013 single Resolution both won ARIA Music Awards for Song of the Year and he is the 26th Australian male singer and the 100th Australian act to reach the number one position on the ARIA albums chart with his debut album Telluric. Matthew John Corby was born on 7 November 1990 and raised in Oyster Bay, Corby attended Inaburra School in Bangor, New South Wales. In his teens he became involved in a Christian motivational youth band, Iron & Clay, the band toured nationally in schools, churches and festivals. At age 16, Corby auditioned for the season of Australian Idol. He described participating in the competition as being a big fucking mistake, on 5 June 2009, Corby independently released his debut extended play, Song For. on Scorpio Music. He then relocated to London and was signed with the indie label Communion by the labels owner, Corby has been compared to Nick Drake and Jeff Buckley. On 28 May 2010, Corbys second EP, My False, was issued by Communion, on 20 October, after recording with Ian Grimble and released his third EP, Transition to Colour. From late 2010 to early 2011, Corby played numerous shows in London and in February, he performed at South by Southwest in Austin. He returned to Australia to play Secret Garden shows in fans backyards throughout the country, in July, he supported UK band Elbow on their tour of Splendour sideshows. Corbys track Made of Stone was featured on an episode of Underbelly, Razor in 2011, lighthome was in an episode of Home and Away in 2011, and Song For. in 2012 on the same TV series. Corby recorded a version of INXSs By My Side for the bands album, Original Sin. He featured on a track on Julia Stones debut solo album The Memory Machine and on UK singer-songwriter Passengers track Golden Thread, the EP also featured in The Blacklist starring James Spader. After spending a few months writing, Corby spent September 2011 recording his fourth EP, Into the Flame, the EP showcased a new direction for Corby, including soul-influenced growling vocals along with a bluesy melody, in conjunction with Corbys signature folk style. The title song has described as lyrically raw and endearingly honest. The EP also features a duet with keyboardist Bree Tranter, previously of Australian band The Middle East, the EP provided Corbys first entry on the ARIA Charts, where it reached No.46 on the ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart on 4 December 2011. It subsequently peaked at No.3, upon its release, Corby posted a message on his website and Facebook page, After 12 months of lots of ups and downs, Im so excited to share this EP with you
Matthew John Corby
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St Stephens Church, London, September 2010
14.
Archie Roach
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Archibald William Archie Roach, AM is an Australian musician. Roachs debut solo album Charcoal Lane was released in 1990 and it featured the song Took the Children Away, which was added to the National Film and Sound Archives Sounds of Australia registry in 2013. Also in 2013 he won a Deadly Award for Lifetime Contribution to Healing the Stolen Generations as well as for Album of the Year, along with fellow Deadly winner Pat OShane, he called for an end to the Northern Territory Intervention. In 2015 Roach announced the release of an edition of his classic debut album Charcoal Lane. The release was accompanied by a tour in November and December 2015. Archibald William Roach was born on 8 January 1956, according to Roach, My name is Archie Roach and I represent Natures gifts because my song Took the Children Away won a human rights award. My lyrics draw attention to the hardship and humiliation suffered by many Indigenous Australians, I was born in Mooroopna, Mooroopna is named after an Aboriginal word referring to a bend in the Goulburn River, near Shepparton in central Victoria. In 1956, Archie Roachs family, along with the rest of the areas Indigenous population, were re-housed on Rumbalara mission, Roach and his family subsequently moved to Framlingham, where his mother had been born. After enduring two unpleasant placements in foster care Roach was eventually fostered by the Coxes, a family of Scottish immigrants in Melbourne, the Coxes eldest daughter, Mary, played keyboards and guitar in a local pentecostal church, and taught Roach the basics of both instruments. He was further inspired by his fathers record collection, which included old Scottish ballads and songs by Billie Holiday, the Ink Spots. As a young man, Roach received a letter from an older sister, angry and hurt, he left his foster home carrying only a guitar. Penniless, he travelled to Sydney and Adelaide, and spent time living on the streets, trying to sense of his upbringing. He went through periods of alcoholism and despair, but also began to produce music, during this time Roach met his lifelong partner, and musical soulmate, Ruby Hunter. Later in their marriage, their home became a house for teenage Aborigines living on the streets. In the late 1980s Hunter and Roach formed a band, the Altogethers, with several other Indigenous Australians, there he was overheard by a bandmate of songwriter Paul Kelly, who persuaded Kelly to give Roach an opening slot for some of his concerts. In 1990, with the encouragement of Kelly, Roach recorded his solo album. The song was awarded two ARIA Awards, as well as an international Human Rights Achievement Award, the first time this had been awarded to a songwriter because of a song, the album it came from featured in Rolling Stone magazines Top 100 Albums for 1992. Roach has recorded three albums, and toured around the globe, headlining and opening shows for Joan Armatrading, Bob Dylan, Billy Bragg, Tracy Chapman, Suzanne Vega
Archie Roach
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Archie Roach (right) with
Ruby Hunter at the 2009
Tamworth Country Music Festival
Archie Roach
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Archie Roach performing at WOMADelaide 2011
15.
Jivani (ashik)
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Jivani, born Serob Stepani Levonian, was an Armenian gusan and poet. Jivani was born in Kartsakh, near Akhalkalaki, Javakheti and he became an orphan when he was 8, his uncle looked after him. He learned music composition and performance on kemanche and violin with the support of master Ghara-Ghazar, in 1866 along with gusan Sazain Jivani moved to Tbilisi, where he continued his musical activities. The further development of Jivanis art is connected to Alexandropol and its musical culture and he lived and worked there in 1868-1895. In Alexandropol he headed a circle of fellow gusan-singers, and was awarded by the title of ustabashi. Jivani had concerts all over Transcaucasia, including Batumi, Baku, Kars, in 1895, he returned to Tbilisi. Jivani was an author of more than 800 songs, written in romantic and he had the good knowledge of 19th century Armenian literature, and was influenced by it. He used clear forms of Armenian language, avoided of foreign transliterations and his songs were mainly devoted to the problems of social protest, poverty and lawlessness. In his songs Jivani condemned oppressors, represented the struggle of Armenian people against foreign rule, many of Jivanis songs became popular. The first compilation of Jivanis poems was published in 1885 and his music was performed or used by Kristapor Kara-Murza, Komitas, Aram Khachaturian, and many others, Maxim Gorky and Valery Bryusov were interested in his poetry. He is recognized as the greatest Armenian ashik of the 19th century
Jivani (ashik)
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An Armenian postal stamp featuring Jivani playing a kamani
16.
Sayat-Nova
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Sayat-Nova was an Armenian poet, musician and ashik, who had compositions in a number of languages. His songs are in Armenian, Georgian, Azerbaijani, and Persian, the name Sayat-Nova means King of Songs in Persian. Sayat-Novas mother, Sara, was born in Tiflis, and his father, Karapet, Sayat Nova was skilled in writing poetry, singing, and playing the kamancheh, Chonguri, Tambur. He lost his position at the court when he fell in love with the kings sister Ana. In 1759 he was ordained as a priest in the Armenian Apostolic Church and his wife Marmar died in 1768, leaving behind four children. He served in locations including Tiflis and Haghpat Monastery, in 1795 he was killed in Haghpat Monastery by the invading army of Mohammad Khan Qajar, the Shah of Iran. Khan demanded that Sayat Nova convert from Christianity to Islam, which he refused to do, considering it tantamount to turning Turk, hence he was promptly executed and beheaded. He is buried at the Cathedral of Saint George, Tbilisi, in Armenia, Sayat Nova is considered a great poet who made a considerable contribution to the Armenian poetry and music of his century. Although he lived his life in a deeply religious society, his works are mostly secular. About 220 songs have been attributed to Sayat-Nova, although he may have written thousands more and he wrote his songs in Armenian, Georgian, Persian, however, most of his extant songs are in Azeri Turkish. Sayat Nova had also some poems moving between all four. Sayat Nova Dance Company of Boston is named after him, the 1969 Armenian film Sayat Nova directed by Sergei Parajanov follows the poets path from his childhood wool-dyeing days to his role as a courtier and finally his life as a monk. It was released in the United States under the title The Color of Pomegranates and it is not a biography of Sayat Nova, but a series of tableaux vivants of Armenian costume, embroidery and religious rituals depicting scenes and verses from the poets life. A book on his life and work by Charles Dowsett was published in 1997 titled Sayat-nova, An 18th-century Troubadour, a Biographical and Literary Study. There is a street and a school named after him in Yerevan, Armenia, an Armenian-American dance ensemble in the United States. A brand of Armenian Cognac is named after him
Sayat-Nova
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Soviet stamp from 1962 devoted to Sayat-Nova's 250 anniversary.
Sayat-Nova
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The tomb of Sayat Nova at the
Cathedral of Saint George in
Old Tbilisi
Sayat-Nova
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Monument of Sayat Nova in
Yerevan
17.
Pir Sultan Abdal
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Pir Sultan Abdal was a Turkish Alevi poet, whose direct and clear language as well as the richness of his imagination and the beauty of his verses led him to become loved among the Turkish people. Pir Sultan Abdal reflected the social, cultural and religious life of the people, he was a humanist and he was also rebellious against authoritarian rule which led him into problems with the Ottoman establishment. Pir Sultan Abdals ethnic origin is Turkish, his poetry was in the Turkish language and he originated from Sivas, although Some researchers believe Pir Sultan wasnt just the one in Sivas, who has rebelled against the state and hanged for his religious convictions by Hızır Paşas orders. Most of the information about him and his era we find in his verses, Pir Sultan Abdal, was an Alevi, his early work is dedicated to lyrical and pastoral themes and to the gnostic approach he had adopted. He criticized some Ottoman governors, Hizir Pasha in particular who ruled the region and his verses and calls for the rights and freedoms of the peasant folk soon attracted a lot of support among the masses who supported these ideals. As a result he was hanged by Hizir Pasha, but the tradition of his poetry and his struggle have remained alive till this day. His poetry was sung accompanied by the baglama, or saz, today in modern Turkey the Baglama is one of the most loved instruments of the people and is extremely popular and widely used. Many poets acquired his name to keep Pir Sultans voice alive, according to literary historians, there were at least six other poets bearing the same name. Pir Sultan followed the style of folk literature. The outstanding characteristic of his poems, the use of language, keen. He also had a influence on the poets of modern Turkey in the republican era and is today a beloved figure
Pir Sultan Abdal
Pir Sultan Abdal
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Pir Sultan Abdal
Pir Sultan Abdal
18.
Cartola
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Angenor de Oliveira, known as Cartola, was a Brazilian singer, composer and poet considered to be a major figure in the development of samba. Cartola composed, alone or with partners, more than 500 songs, the first of eight children of Sebastião Joaquim de Oliveira and Aída Gomes de Oliveira, Angenor was born at Rua Ferreira Viana,74, in the Catete district of Rio de Janeiro. His name given at birth was actually Agenor, and it was not until the age of 55 that he learned that due to an error in transcription the name on his certificate was Angenor. When he was eight his family moved to the Laranjeiras neighborhood in Rio, due to financial difficulties, the large family moved to Mangueira hill in 1919, where a small favela was beginning to appear, when he was eleven. At age 15, after the death of his mother, he left school to pursue a bohemian lifestyle, in Mangueira, Cartola soon befriended pt, Carlos Cachaça and other sambistas, getting started in the world of malandragem and samba. In 1928, they founded the Arengueiros Carnival Bloco, which would turn into GRES Estação Primeira de Mangueira. Cartola became popular in the 1930s, with many sambas recorded at that time, as much that later, it makes participation special in the first LP of Cartola. He got his nickname because he used a bowler hat while working as a worker so the cement would not dirty his hair. Later, in the 1940s, Cartola disappeared from the scene, Cartola was found, in a very popular tale, by journalist Sérgio Porto in 1956, working as a car-washer. Porto took charge of starting to promote Cartolas return, inviting him to radio shows, Cartola invited people such as Nélson Cavaquinho, Pixinguinha, Nara Leão, Paulinho da Viola, and Zé Ketti to sing the low-value music, as sambistas ironically referred to their work. With support from singers Elizeth Cardoso, Clara Nunes, Paulinho da Viola and he released his first record only at the age of 66, in 1974, and even living in financial difficulties, composed and sang until his death at age 72. Cartola was biographed in the book Divino Cartola — Uma Vida em Verde e Rosa and it was written by Denilson Monteiro and released in January 2013. Cartola composed melodies, harmonies, and lyrics and his lyrics are notable for their very correct use of Portuguese, especially considering his lack of formal higher education. His poetry binds in an effective manner elegance and emotion, while keeping a low level of complexity. With regard to tempo, Cartolas music had a tendency towards calmer, slower sambas in contrast to the faster, brisker sambas de terreiro seen in samba schools. Some say his sambas had a tendency towards samba-canção, the cavaquinhos in his records had a certain choro mood which was less percussive than usual, with the exception of his last records where Alceu Maia was the cavaquinist. As a musician, Cartola made use of modulations, some of which were not common in samba at that time. Some of his tunes are Quem me vê Sorrindo and Sim, Aconteceu and Amor Proibido, Inverno do Meu Tempo
Cartola
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Cartola
19.
Susan Aglukark
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Susan Aglukark, OC, is an Inuk musician whose blend of Inuit folk music traditions with country and pop songwriting has made her a major recording star in Canada. Her most successful single is O Siem, which reached No.1 on the Canadian country, overall, she has released seven studio albums and has won three Juno Awards. Aglukark was born in Churchill, Manitoba and raised in Arviat, while working with the Inuit Tapirisat, she began to perform as a singer, and quickly became a popular performer in Inuit communities. She soon attracted the attention of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, who included her in a compilation of Arctic performers, in 1992, she released an independent album, Arctic Rose. The following year, she signed to a record label. This Child, released in 1995, became her breakthrough album, the first single from that album, O Siem, went to number one on the Canadian adult contemporary and country charts that year, making Aglukark the first Inuk performer to have a Top 40 hit. Hina Na Ho and Breakin Down became hit singles as well, the album was eventually certified triple platinum in Canada. In 2000, Aglukark released Unsung Heroes, which spawned another pop hit with One Turn Deserves Another and this album also included Turn of the Century, a song about the creation of Nunavut. In 2004, she released Big Feeling and she sometimes deals with painful subjects in her songs. Kathy is about her niece who committed suicide, and Still Running is about the trauma of sexual abuse, Aglukark has also recorded a version of Amazing Grace in Inuktitut. Her song Never Be the Same was featured on Dawsons Creek in Episode No, 3–14, as well as her song One Turn Deserves Another in Episode No. Aglukarks second holiday album, Dreaming of Home, was released on 5 November 2013 and she currently resides in Oakville, Ontario. In 2004, Aglukark was awarded an honorary DFA from the University of Lethbridge and she was named an officer of the Order of Canada in 2005, and in the same year received an honorary LL. D. degree from the University of Alberta. In the summer of 2006, she performed nightly in the grandstand show at the Calgary Stampede
Susan Aglukark
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Susan Aglukark at
Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, June 2007
20.
The Band
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The Band was a Canadian roots rock group, originally consisting of four Canadians—Rick Danko, Garth Hudson, Richard Manuel, and Robbie Robertson —and one American, Levon Helm. The members of the Band first came together as they joined the rockabilly singer Ronnie Hawkinss backing group, in 1964, they separated from Hawkins, after which they toured and released a few singles as Levon and the Hawks and the Canadian Squires. The next year, Bob Dylan hired them for his U. S. tour in 1965, because they were always the band to various frontmen, Helm said the name The Band worked well when the group came into its own. The group began performing as the Band in 1968 and went on to ten studio albums. Dylan continued to collaborate with the Band over the course of their career, the original configuration of the Band ended its touring career in 1976 with an elaborate live ballroom performance featuring numerous musical celebrities. This performance was immortalized in Martin Scorseses 1978 documentary The Last Waltz, the Band recommenced touring in 1983 without guitarist Robertson, who had found success with a solo career and as a Hollywood music producer. Following a 1986 show, Manuel committed suicide, Danko died of heart failure in 1999, after which the group broke up for good. Helm was diagnosed with cancer in 1998 and was unable to sing for several years. He continued to perform and released several albums until he died in 2012. The group was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1989, in 2004 Rolling Stone ranked them No.50 on its list of the 100 greatest artists of all time, and in 2008 they received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2004, The Weight was ranked 41st on Rolling Stones list of the 500 greatest songs of all time, in 2014, the Band was inducted into Canadas Walk of Fame. While most of the Hawks were eager to join Hawkinss group and he had earned a college degree, planned on a career as a music teacher, and was interested in playing rock music only as a hobby. The Hawks were in awe of his wild, full-bore organ sound, Hudson finally relented, as long as the Hawks each paid him $10 per week to be their instructor, all music theory questions were directed to Hudson. While pocketing a little cash, Hudson was also able to mollify his familys fears that his education had gone to waste. The piano–organ combination was uncommon in rock music, and for all his aggressive playing, there is a view that jazz is evil because it comes from evil people, but actually the greatest priests on 52nd Street, and on the streets of New York City were the musicians. They were doing the greatest healing work, and they knew how to punch through music which would cure and make people feel good. With Hawkins, they recorded a few singles in this period, Hawkins regularly convened all-night rehearsals following long club shows, with the result that the young musicians quickly developed great technical prowess on their instruments. In late 1963, the split from Hawkins over personal differences
The Band
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"Big Pink" in 2006
The Band
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The Band in 1969. Left to right:
Manuel,
Hudson,
Helm,
Robertson and
Danko.
The Band
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L to R:Danko, Helm and Manuel on tour in Hamburg, Germany in 1971
The Band
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Bob Dylan and The Band touring in Chicago in 1974. Left to right: Danko, Robertson, Dylan and Helm.
21.
Bruce Cockburn
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Bruce Douglas Cockburn OC is a Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist. His song styles range from folk to jazz-influenced rock and his lyrics cover a range of topics that reveal a passion for human rights, environmental issues, politics. Cockburn has written more than 300 songs on thirty albums over a career spanning 40 years, twenty Cockburn records have received a Canadian gold or platinum certification as of 2013, and he has sold nearly one million albums in Canada alone. In 2014, Cockburn released his memoirs, Rumours of Glory, no book-length biography of Cockburn has been written, but numerous critics have offered interpretations of Cockburns songwriting phases, political views, and relationship with Christianity. Cockburn was born in 1945 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada and he has stated in interviews that his first guitar was one he found around 1959 in his grandmothers attic, which he adorned with golden stars and used to play along to radio hits. Cockburn attended Nepean High School, where his 1964 yearbook photo states his desire to become a musician, nepeans music teacher at the time, Ronald E. J. Milne, said in 1988 that although Cockburn didnt take music, Cockburn attended Berklee School of Music in Boston for three semesters between 1964 and 1966. In that year he joined an Ottawa band called The Children, in the spring of 1967 he joined the final lineup of The Esquires. He moved to Toronto that summer to form The Flying Circus with former Bobby Kris & The Imperials members Marty Fisher and Gordon MacBain and ex-Tripp member Neil Lillie. The group recorded material in late 1967 before changing its name to Olivus in the spring of 1968. Olivus opened for The Jimi Hendrix Experience and Cream in April 1968, Cockburn left 3s a Crowd in the spring of 1969 to pursue a solo career. Cockburns first solo appearance was at the Mariposa Folk Festival in 1967, in 1970 he released his self-titled, solo album. Cockburns guitar work and songwriting won him an enthusiastic following and his early work featured rural and nautical imagery and Biblical metaphors. Raised as an agnostic, early in his career he became a Christian, many of his albums from the 1970s refer to Christianity, which in turn informs his concerns for human rights and environmentalism. His references to Christianity include the Grail imagery of 20th-century Christian poet Charles Williams, in 1970 Cockburn became partners with Bernie Finkelstein in the music publishing firm Golden Mountain Music. While Cockburn had been popular in Canada for years, he did not have a big impact in the United States until 1979, Cockburns label, True North Records, also signed a distribution deal with Recordi Records in Italy. Cockburn was married from 1969 to 1980 to Kitty Macaulay and has a daughter, Jenny, through the 1980s Cockburns songwriting became increasingly urban, global and political as he became more involved with progressive causes. His political concerns were first hinted at on the albums, Humans, Inner City Front and they became more evident in 1984, with his second US radio hit, If I Had a Rocket Launcher from the Stealing Fire album
Bruce Cockburn
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Cockburn performing in Birmingham, Alabama, in 2007
22.
Leonard Cohen
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Leonard Norman Cohen CC GOQ was a Canadian singer, songwriter, musician, poet, novelist, and painter. His work mostly explored religion, politics, isolation, sexuality, Cohen was inducted into both the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame as well as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He was a Companion of the Order of Canada, the nations highest civilian honor, in 2011, Cohen received one of the Prince of Asturias Awards for literature and the ninth Glenn Gould Prize. Cohen pursued a career as a poet and novelist during the 1950s and early 1960s, and did not launch a music career until 1967, at the age of 33. His first album, Songs of Leonard Cohen, was followed by three albums of folk music, Songs from a Room, Songs of Love and Hate. His 1977 record Death of a Ladies Man was co-written and produced by Phil Spector, in 1979, Cohen returned with the more traditional Recent Songs, which blended his acoustic style with jazz and Oriental and Mediterranean influences. Hallelujah was first released on Cohens studio album Various Positions in 1984, Im Your Man in 1988 marked Cohens turn to synthesized productions and remains his most popular album. In 1992, Cohen released its follow-up, The Future, which had dark lyrics, Cohen returned to music in 2001 with the release of Ten New Songs, which was a major hit in Canada and Europe. His eleventh album, Dear Heather, followed in 2004, Cohen was born on September 21,1934 in Westmount, Quebec, an English-speaking area of Montreal, into a middle-class Canadian Jewish family. His mother, Marsha Klonitsky, was the daughter of a Talmudic writer, Rabbi Solomon Klonitsky-Kline and his paternal grandfather, whose family had moved from Poland to Canada, was Lyon Cohen, the founding president of the Canadian Jewish Congress. His father, Nathan Cohen, owned a clothing store. The family observed Orthodox Judaism, and belonged to Congregation Shaar Hashomayim, on the topic of being a Kohen, Cohen told Richard Goldstein in 1967, I had a very Messianic childhood. I was told I was a descendant of Aaron, the high priest and he became especially interested in the poetry of Federico García Lorca. During all of that period, Cohen taught himself to play the acoustic guitar, after a young Spanish guitar player taught him a few chords and some flamenco, Cohen switched to a classical guitar. He has attributed his love of music to his mother, who, he said, had such a voice, Cohen frequented Saint Laurent Boulevard for fun. According to journalist David Sax, Cohen and one of his cousins would go to the Main Deli to watch the gangsters, pimps, in that period and that place, Cohen wrote the lyrics to some of his most famous songs. Cohen published his first poems in March 1954 in the magazine CIV/n, the issue also included poems by Cohens poet–professors, Irving Layton and Louis Dudek. Cohen graduated from McGill the following year with a B. A. degree and his literary influences during this time included William Butler Yeats, Irving Layton, Walt Whitman, Federico García Lorca, and Henry Miller
Leonard Cohen
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Cohen in 2008
Leonard Cohen
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Cohen in 1988.
Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
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2008 concert tour
23.
Crash Vegas
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Crash Vegas was a Canadian folk rock band which formed in 1988, and achieved moderate success in the early 1990s. The band was formed by Michelle McAdorey and Greg Keelor of Blue Rodeo in 1988 and they had met in the late 1970s, and McAdorey had later appeared in the music video for Blue Rodeos song Try. The two could not agree on a name for the band, originally selecting Giant Tambourine, McAdorey stated that they eventually settled on Crash Vegas by bouncing words around, a name she liked for its abrasive vividness. Jocelyne Lanois joined the band as bassist, and shortly after Ambrose Pottie joined as drummer and it was one of the early acts to emerge from the vibrant Queen Street West music scene that developed in downtown Toronto beginning in the mid 1980s. According to Cripps, the desire for greater autonomy eventually led to firing Keelor. In July 1990, the band released its debut album Red Earth, Music critic Michael Fischer stated that the band was similar to the Cowboy Junkies without the allusive angst, and a Knight-Ridder review stated Crash Vegas to be an awake version of Cowboy Junkies. The latter also described the sound as a combination of country music, pop music. The band went on tours of Canada and the United States. The band performed at Edgefest on Canada Day in 1990 and it had several notable hits on Canadian radio, and seemed poised for success. Lanois left the band on acrimonious terms later that year, and Risque Disque went bankrupt, Crash Vegas signed a new deal with London/Polygram in 1992. Darren Watson replaced Lanois for the second album, Stone. Recorded in Los Angeles, the album was more energetic than Red Earth, the song September Morning was a tribute song to Gram Parsons, a country rock pioneer who died in September 1973 as a result of complications from recreational drug use. A review by Brooks and Wilson in The Spokesman-Review stated that album owed little to fad or fashion, with compelling lyrics. A review in the Toledo Blade again compared Crash Vegas to Cowboy Junkies, in which reviewer Doug Iverson stated the band to be juiced up Cowboy Junkies as it would languish in quiet, the band performed at Edgefest on Canada Day in 1993. It also participated in the Another Roadside Attraction tour organized by The Tragically Hip, in 1995, Watson and Pottie exited the band partway through the recording of their third album, Aurora. The band, now down to Cripps and McAdorey, completed the album with session musicians John Borra, gavin Brown and Eric Chenaux took over the bass and drum slots on the subsequent tour. The compact disc release sold tens of thousands of copies in Canada, in 1996, the band broke up. McAdorey pursued a career, and Cripps went on to join Junkhouse and was later a backing musician for Kathleen Edwards
Crash Vegas
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Michelle McAdorey (centre) and Colin Cripps (right)
24.
Luke Doucet
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Luke Doucet is a Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist. He has written and performed as a solo artist and as a member of the rock band Veal. In 2006 and 2011, Doucet was nominated for Juno Awards in the Adult Alternative Album of the Year category for his albums, Broken and he lost to Neil Young both years. Doucet has received plenty of critical acclaim, the Toronto Star referred to him as the best young guitarist in the country, born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, but raised in Manitoba, Doucet planned to become a lawyer before deciding to focus on guitar. When Doucet was six years old, he travelled the Cabot Trail in Cape Breton, when he was just 11 years old, Doucet travelled solo from Winnipeg to Nova Scotia. And at 13, he took a Greyhound bus from Winnipeg to Vancouver, Doucet got his first guitar later that same year, and played in a blues band with his dad when he was 15. Since his parents divorced when he was young, playing in the band was an opportunity for Doucet to bond with his father, after playing in bands throughout high school, Doucet moved to Vancouver at 19 and joined Sarah McLachlans band. Luke Doucet was the front man for Vancouver rock band Veal, along with Doucet, Veal consisted of bassist Nik Kozub and drummer Chang. Howard Redekopp and Barry Mirochnick had also played bass in the band, Veal released three albums, Hot Loser in 1996, Tilt OWhirl in 1999 and The Embattled Hearts in 2003. In 2001 Doucet released his first album, Aloha, Manitoba, the album consists of songs written for Veal that his band-mates felt were too soft. A departure from his work with Veal, Aloha, Manitoba has a mellower, bazil Donovan, Barry Mirochnick, Lloyd Peterson, Christine Fellows, Sky Onosson and Gilles Fournier performed on the record. Aloha, Manitoba was the first official release for Toronto record label, Six Shooter Records, Doucet is still with the label, and has released all of his solo albums with Six Shooter. In 2004 Doucet released Outlaws, Live and Unreleased, a collection of live songs. Most of the album was recorded in February,2004 at the Rivoli in Toronto, in 2005 Doucet released his sophomore studio album, Broken. A break-up album, Broken focused on the heartbreak of a failed relationship, Broken was nominated in 2006 for a Juno Award in the Adult Alternative Album of the Year category. The Fokestar EP was released as a digital-only EP in 2006 and it contains five songs, two of which are early versions of songs that would be re-recorded for Doucets next album, Bloods Too Rich. In 2007 Doucet moved to Nashville where he wrote Bloods Too Rich, despite being excited about living in such a musical city, Doucet was homesick and longed to be back in Canada. Six Shooter released Bloods Too Rich on January 8,2008 in Canada, while Doucets earlier albums are simply billed as ‘by Luke Doucet, Bloods Too Rich is credited to both Luke Doucet and The White Falcon
Luke Doucet
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Doucet performing in 2015.
Luke Doucet
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Doucet performing at the 2007 NXNE festival
25.
Fred Eaglesmith
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Frederick John Elgersma, known by the stage name Fred Eaglesmith, is a Canadian alternative country singer-songwriter. He is known for writing songs about vehicles, rural life, down-and-out characters, lost love and his songwriting uses techniques of short story writing, including unreliable narrators, surprise endings, and plot twists. In 2016, Eaglesmith tours extensively with his band, Eaglesmith, one of nine children, was raised by a farming family near Guelph in rural Southern Ontario. He began playing the guitar at age 12, as a teenager Eaglesmith hopped a freight train to Western Canada and began writing songs and performing. Eaglesmith founded a band known as the Smokin Losers and he later formed a group called known as both the Flying Squirrels and the Flathead Noodlers, switching the name to represent different styles of music. The Flathead Noodlers play bluegrass, while the Flying Squirrels play more folk and his first self-titled album was released in 1980. Eaglesmith appeared in a 2001 television movie, The Gift, a typical Fred Eaglesmith show includes his music set between several lengthy between-song comic monologues by Eaglesmith. Topics in the past have included stories about crossing the U. S. –Canada border, Newfoundlanders and his fans are known as Fredheads, a nod to deadheads, who followed the Grateful Dead. He is known to extensively throughout Canada and the U. S. When Eaglesmith appears in solo performances, he himself as Fred J. Eaglesmith. In addition to his own albums, he collaborated with the late Willie P. Bennett, a former member of Eaglesmiths band. In 2010, Eaglesmith was featured on the Late Show with David Letterman as the musical guest and he performed Careless from the album Cha Cha Cha. Since 2012, performances have been billed as the Fred Eaglesmith Travelling Steam Show and include opening songs performed by Bill Poss, the Ginn Sisters, Eaglesmiths songs have been included in the musical play, Dear Johnny Deere. The play was performed at the Charlottetown Festival in 2013
Fred Eaglesmith
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Fred Eaglesmith at the Roots of Heaven festival at
Patronaat in Haarlem, Netherlands (2006)
26.
Kathleen Edwards
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Kathleen Edwards is a Canadian singer-songwriter and musician. Her 2003 debut album, Failer, contained the singles Six OClock News and her next two albums – Back to Me and Asking for Flowers – both made the Billboard 200 list and reached the top 10 of Billboards Top Heatseekers chart. In 2012, Edwards fourth studio album, Voyageur, became Edwards first album to crack the top 100 and top 40 in the U. S. peaking at #39 on the U. S. Billboard 200 and #2 in Canada. Edwards, the daughter of a diplomat, spent portions of her youth in Korea and her father is Leonard Edwards, former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. At age 5, Edwards began classical studies that continued for the next 12 years. As a teenager she lived overseas, where she spent much of her listening to her brothers records of Neil Young. Her brother also bought her first record, a Tom Petty album, after high school she decided not to attend post-secondary education, instead opting to play local clubs to pay the bills. Her musical sound has been compared to Suzanne Vega meets Neil Young, Edwards stepped back from the music scene in 2014, launching a coffee house in Stittsville called Quitters along with Rick Tremblay. She insists that she is not leaving music but just taking a break, in 1999, Edwards recorded a six-song EP entitled Building 55 and pressed 500 copies. By the fall of 2000, she was on tour across Canada managing her own gigs, in 2001, she wrote seven of the ten songs for her 2003 debut release Failer. Edwards played at SXSW in 2002 and was signed to Rounder Records, Failer was released in Canada in the fall of 2002 on MapleMusic Recordings. In January 2003 Failer was released by Rounder Records in the US, the New York Times praised Edwards as a writer whose songs can pare situations down to a few dozen words while they push country-rock towards its primal impulses of thump and twang. She made her network debut on Late Show with David Letterman. In 2005, Edwards released Back to Me, which garnered considerable critical acclaim. The track Summerlong was also featured on the soundtrack of the movie Elizabethtown starring Orlando Bloom, in 2008, Edwards released her third studio album, Asking for Flowers. It was described by the San Francisco Bay Guardian as her finest album to date, in contrast with 2005s Back to Me, on which Edwards relied on her working band, Asking for Flowers predominantly features session musicians. In fall 2010, Edwards began working on her studio album in Wisconsin. Voyageur was released in January 2012 and it includes the single Change the Sheets, and was co-produced by Justin Vernon of Bon Iver
Kathleen Edwards
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Kathleen Edwards at Wakefield, Quebec's Black Sheep Inn, September 1, 2011
Kathleen Edwards
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Edwards performing at the 2007 NXNE festival
27.
Stephen Fearing
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Stephen Fearing is a Canadian folk singer-songwriter. In addition to his career, Fearing was one of the founding members of Blackie. He is also a member of the duo Fearing & White, stephen Fearing was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, and raised in Dublin, Ireland. He returned to Canada in 1981 via Minneapolis, Minnesota, soon after his return, he released a cassette-only, self-titled album in 1986. He was then signed to the Canadian label Aural Tradition, in 1988 he released Out to Sea, which was produced by Steve Darke and Fearing in Vancouver. The album was followed by Blue Line, in 1991, which was produced in London by Clive Gregson, soon after, Fearing was signed to True North Records. It was also at this time that he working with manager Bernie Finkelstein. True North re-released Fearings first two efforts Out to Sea and Blue Line and his first official release for the label was The Assassins Apprentice, in 1994. Produced by Los Lobos Steve Berlin, the album features contributions from Sarah McLachlan. It was nominated for Best Roots & Traditional Album at the 1995 Juno Awards, in 1996, Fearing joined forces with Colin Linden and Tom Wilson to form Blackie and the Rodeo Kings. Fearing returned to his career with 1998s Industrial Lullaby. The album features two co-writes with Blackie and the Rodeo Kings bandmate Tom Wilson and it also includes a collaboration with Willie P. Bennett on the track Coryanna. The album went on to earn a Best Roots & Traditional Album nomination at the 1998 Juno Awards, in 2000, Fearing released So Many Miles. In 2001 Fearing performed on the stage at the Peterborough Folk Festival. For his next album, Thats How I Walk, Fearing enlisted the help of Colin Linden as a co-producer, the sessions for the album took place in Toronto and Nashville and featured the backing band of Gary Craig, John Dymond, Ben Riley, and Roberto Occhipinti. Richard Bell, Ian Thornley, Leonard Podolak, and Shawn Colvin also made guest appearances, the album was mastered by John Whynot. Its cover photo was shot by Margaret Malandruccolo and features art direction from Michael Wrycraft, considered one of Fearings definitive works, it was nominated for Best Roots and Traditional Album at the 2003 Juno Awards. His next album, Yellowjacket, saw him taking on the role of producer for the first time on his own, Scott Merritt engineered and mixed the session
Stephen Fearing
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Stephen Fearing
28.
Ferron
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Ferron, born Deborah Foisy on 1 June 1952, is a Canadian-born singer-songwriter and poet. Born in Toronto and raised around Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, she learned to play guitar at age 11, Ferron attended Total Ed, an alternative high school in Vancouver, B. C. graduating in 1973. Of her earliest musical memories, she wrote, my mothers French Canadian family played music, I heard guitars and banjo and accordion and scrub board and my grandfather clogging. I put it together. music meant fun, meant love, I started writing songs when I was 10, never saved them after some kids at school found them and teased me about it. I wrote songs and remembered them and when I forgot them I felt they were not important anymore, the next time I saved a song I was 18. It was with that first saved song that she made her debut in 1975, playing the song Who Loses at a benefit for the Womens Press Gang. In 1971, Foisy changed her name to Ferron when one of her friends had a dream in which she was called Ferron, while still based in Vancouver, Ferron established her own record label, Lucy Records, and released her self-titled debut album in 1977. The album was recorded in a studio on two-track equipment, and, as she stated. Nonetheless, all one thousand copies printed sold quickly, 1980s Testimony was her first professionally produced album, originally distributed through Holly Nears Redwood Records label. Testimony brought her much interest in the United States, particularly in the music community. Her 1984 album Shadows on a Dime received a rating of four stars from Rolling Stone magazine, which called Ferron a culture hero, Shadows earned a place on renowned music critic Robert Christgaus Deans List for 1984. Awarded a Canada Arts Council grant in 1985 to further develop her musicianship, during this time, she earned some of her living as a carpenters assistant, bartender, and day care worker, before reinvesting in her music career. Ferron returned to the studio and the road in 1990 with Phantom Center released by Chameleon Records, the album featured backing vocals by a then relatively unknown Tori Amos, and consequently is highly sought after by collectors. Later, in September 1995, Phantom Center would be re-released on EarthBeat, Records with a new mix of the song Stand Up featuring vocals by Indigo Girls. Between 1992 and 1994, Ferron released three albums on her own Cherrywood Station label, the twelve song Driver was first licensed by EarthBeat. Records in 1994, and was acclaimed by critics as a masterwork. Following this success, Ferron signed to Warner Bros. enabling her to create Still Riot in the studio with producer db Benedictson for release in the fall of 1996. During her brief tenure with Warner they released Driver as a re-issue, Phantom Center as a re-mixed album, and Still Riot as Ferrons ninth full album project
Ferron
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Ferron, 2005
29.
Jeremy Fisher
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Jeremy Fisher is a Canadian singer-songwriter. Fisher is based in Ottawa, Ontario, and was based on Vancouver Island. Montreal, Quebec, and in Seattle, Washington, U. S. A, fishers work is heavily influenced by folk and blues music, and his songs feature accompaniment by acoustic guitar, slide guitar and harmonica. Fisher was a member of the Hamilton All-Star Jazz Band at Westdale Secondary School, attended Camp Gesher in 1999, in 1999, The Obvious put out a self-titled CD. To support his 2001 independent debut album, Back Porch Spirituals, Fisher spent six months touring from Seattle, across Canada to Halifax, Fisher has also performed as a sidewalk busker. Let It Shine, his first album on a label, was released on October 12,2004. High School, the single from the album, won wide airplay on Canadian commercial radio. In February and March 2005, Fisher toured Canada with Sarah Slean, in 2006, Jeremy toured with Xavier Rudd and opened for Rex Goudie on Rexs Outports Tour 2006. Jeremy Fisher dueted with Canadian industrial music supergroup Jakalope on the track Unsaid from their Born 4 album and his third album, entitled Goodbye Blue Monday, with fellow Canadian Hawksley Workman, was released on March 27,2007 by his new record label, Aquarius Records. The single Cigarette was serviced to radio in Canada after a surprise add at Toronto radio station 104.5 CHUM-FM in early 2007, a home-made video for the song has been viewed over two million times on YouTube. On August 20,2007, Fisher made his U. S. television debut on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, the following night, he again appeared on the Late Late Show but this time with Craig Northey and Pat Steward of Odds. Goodbye Blue Monday was released in the United States on August 28,2007 through Wind-up Records, in April and May 2008, Fisher opened for The Proclaimers on their North American tour. He also opened for several of Great Big Seas Ontario shows in September 2009 and his album Flood was released on October 26,2010, followed in 2012 by Mint Juleps. In June 2012, he launched a Catch and Release series with singer-songwriter Jim Bryson, the first song in the series, The Age of Asparagus, was released on June 7,2012. His 2014 album, The Lemon Squeeze, features a duet with Serena Ryder
Jeremy Fisher
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Jeremy Fisher - 2009
30.
David Francey
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David Francey is a Canadian folk singer-songwriter. He is the recipient of three Juno Awards and three Canadian Folk Music awards, Francey was born in Ayrshire, Scotland. He immigrated to Canada with his family at age 12 and he has no formal training in music. Francey worked as a yard worker and a carpenter for 20 years. At age 45, he began a career in music, finding success on the folk festival circuit. Other musical themes include admiration of the beauty of the Canadian landscape and traditional folk themes of love. In 2004, David Francey won first prize of the Folk Category of the 9th Annual USA Songwriting Competition, accompanied by fellow Canadian guitarist Shane Simpson until October 2006, Francey toured various locations across Canada, the United States, England, Scotland, and Australia. In October 2006, Francey toured with New Hampshire-based singer-songwriter Craig Werth, co-producer of Franceys 2007 release, noted Canadian guitarist Mark Westberg met Francey in 1999 at Bishops University and accompanied him occasionally on tour until 2011, when he joined Francey as his primary guitarist. His 2009 album Seaway is a collaboration with Mike Ford, former member of Moxy Früvous and it is a collection of songs inspired by their voyage on M. S. In 2010, David Francey won the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, in 2011 he released an album, Late Edition. In 2016, Francey won two Canadian Folk Music Awards, solo artist and contemporary album of the year, for his album Empty Train, Francey currently lives in Elphin, Ontario with his wife Beth Girdler
David Francey
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David Francey
31.
Great Big Sea
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The band played its first official gig on March 11,1993, opening for the Irish Descendants at Memorial University of Newfoundland in St. Johns, Newfoundland. The founding band members included Alan Doyle, Séan McCann, Darrell Power, the bands only other appearance as NRA was later that winter at the university Grad House. The band then dropped the fiddler, accordion player and the name, the band found its new name as original bassist Jeff Scott rented an apartment on Rankin Street, St. Johns, where the members first met and discussed the formation of the band. As a four-piece, the band first appeared as Rankin Street at a pub in downtown St. Johns called The Rose and Thistle, playing for $100. For the first gig the band played through Sean McCanns stereo system, susan Hickey left the band months later to attend school in Halifax and was replaced by Darrell Power. The band gained popularity playing such local pubs as Bridgets. In 1991 Jeff Scott was replaced by Jackie St. Croix on bass, the band released one recording on cassette titled Rankin Street. According to Doyle, Rankin Street owned a PA system and he owned a van and they toured nearly constantly for the bands first several years, sometimes traveling as many as 300 days a year. Power retired from Great Big Sea in 2003 to spend time with his family. Supporting members of the band include Canadian freelance drummer Kris MacFarlane, the band won the Entertainer of the Year award at the East Coast Music Awards for every year between 1996 and 2000. In 2001, they decided not to submit their name for nomination in order to other bands to compete. They have also been nominated for several Juno Awards, including Group of the Year in 1998,2005,2009, and 2011. In the 2000 Canadian Federal Election, controversy occurred when Stockwell Day, the band noted that this was a copyright violation and ordered that Day cease using the song for campaigning purposes. Great Big Seas first concert DVD and videos collection, the Great Big DVD, saw release in Canada, in late 2005, the band released its long-awaited traditional album, The Hard and the Easy, on which they recorded their favourite Newfoundland party songs. The title of the album comes from a line of the song Tickle Cove Pond, also in late 2005, Great Big Sea released its first podcast, with clips of the band bantering back and forth in the studio mixed with various songs by them and other artists. They have since released several podcasts, on February 9,2006, the bands tour bus tipped on its side into a ditch on the Trans-Canada Highway about 80 kilometres east of Vancouver near Surrey. The bus went on its side right beside the commercial weigh scales, as traffic backed up as far as Chilliwack, British Columbia, RCMP started to re-route traffic through the weigh scales. Their driver suffered minor injuries, but everyone in the band was unhurt
Great Big Sea
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Great Big Sea in 2009
32.
Great Lake Swimmers
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Great Lake Swimmers is a Canadian band built around the melodic folk rock songs of singer-songwriter Tony Dekker. Originally from Wainfleet, Ontario, the band is based in Toronto. Past members included Julie Fader on backing vocals, Sandro Perri on guitar, the bands style has been compared to Red House Painters, Nick Drake, Iron & Wine and Neil Young, as well as Will Oldham and Sufjan Stevens. Dekker has said his influences include Gram Parsons and Hank Williams, the band released two albums, Great Lake Swimmers in 2003 and Bodies and Minds in 2005, on the independent label before signing to the larger Nettwerk in 2007. The band released its third album, Ongiara, on March 27,2007 in Canada. Although signing to Nettwerk early in 2007, Great Lake Swimmers continue to be managed by, in September 2007, released a limited edition vinyl version of Ongiara. It was available in Australia through native indie label Speak N Spell and their fourth album, Lost Channels, was released on March 31,2009. It was shortlisted for the 2009 Polaris Music Prize, and was nominated for a Juno Award, in the category of Roots & Traditional Album of the Year – Group, in 2009 Great Lake Swimmers took part in an interactive documentary series called City Sonic. The series, which featured 20 Toronto artists, had Tony Dekker talk about his daily commute along Toronto’s subway system. The bands fifth album, New Wild Everywhere, was released on April 3,2012. The band also composed a soundtrack for photographer Ian Coristines One in a Thousand. Dekker released an album, Prayer of the Woods, in October 2013. The album includes eight songs as well as covers of Gordon Lightfoots Carefree Highway. The sixth studio album by the band, A Forest of Arms, was released on April 21,2015. Song for the Angels, Gonna Make It Thru This Year, in 2008, Dekker appeared on Jenny Omnichords album Charlotte or Otis, Duets for Children, Their Parents and Other People Too, performing a duet vocal on the song Do You Know Karate. In 2009 the band released a limited double 7 vinyl split single with the Dutch band Audiotransparent and this release includes a cover of the Elvis Presley classic Dont Be Cruel and the original song Send Me a Letter. Dekker and Arnesen also appear on the Audiotransparent song You Are a Movie, the song Moving Pictures Silent Films was featured in the August 8,2011 episode of Warehouse 13, entitled 3.2.1. Great Lake Swimmers official website Great Lake Swimmers on Records
Great Lake Swimmers
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Performing at the
Burlington Sound of Music festival
Great Lake Swimmers
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Playing at the Tsunami Club in Köln.
Great Lake Swimmers
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Great Lake Swimmers on stage at the Peterborough Folk Festival in 2014
33.
Sarah Harmer
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Sarah Harmer is a Canadian singer, songwriter and activist. Born and raised in Burlington, Ontario, Harmer gained her first exposure to the lifestyle as a teenager. At the age of 17, Harmer was invited to join a Toronto band, for three years, she performed with The Saddletramps while pursing her studies in philosophy and womens studies at Queens University. After leaving The Saddletramps, Harmer put together a band of her own with several Kingston, Ontario musicians, the band released its first independent cassette in 1994. Soon afterward, they signed to a label, and the cassette was re-released in 1995 as Eepee. Also in 1998, Harmer recorded a set of pop standards as a Christmas gift for her father, after hearing it, her friends and family convinced her to release it as an album, and in 1999 she released it independently as Songs for Clem. Harmer began working on album, and in 2000, she released You Were Here. In 2001 she toured around Canada and the US in support of the album, a poppier, more laid-back effort than her work with Weeping Tile, You Were Here was a commercial success, and led to the hit singles Basement Apartment and Dont Get Your Back Up. The album also appeared on many critics lists, including TIME magazine. It was eventually certified platinum for sales of 100,000 copies in Canada, Almost half of the album consisted of songs she had previously recorded with Weeping Tile or The Saddletramps. In 2002, her song Silver Road was featured as the track of the soundtrack of the film Men With Brooms. In 2004, she released All of Our Names, the album included the singles Almost, which made the top 20 on Canadian pop charts, and Pendulums. Her fourth album, Im a Mountain, was released in Canada on in November 2005 and it was nominated for the 2006 Polaris Music Prize, a jury-selected $20,000 cash prize for the Canadian album of the year. In February 2007, Harmer received three Juno Award nominations, Im a Mountain was nominated for Best Adult Alternative Album and her DVD Escarpment Blues was up for Best Music DVD. Harmer herself was nominated for Songwriter of the Year for her work on I Am Aglow, Oleander. In 2010, Harmer released an album, Oh Little Fire. The album signaled a shift toward a more rock-based sound, in 2011, Harmer participated in the National Parks Project, visiting British Columbias Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site with Bry Webb, Jim Guthrie and filmmaker Scott Smith. She was also commissioned by CBC Radio 2 to write an original song for the network
Sarah Harmer
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Sarah Harmer at the 2010 Vancouver International Folk Music Festival
34.
Wade Hemsworth
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Albert Wade Hemsworth was a Canadian folk singer and songwriter. Hemsworth was born and grew up in Brantford, Ontario, Canada and learned to play guitar and he subsequently studied painting at the Ontario College of Art, graduating in 1939, and then spent World War II serving in the Royal Canadian Air Force. He was stationed for a time in Newfoundland, and it was there that he first discovered traditional music. After the war, he worked as a surveyor in the areas of Northern Ontario, Quebec and Labrador. He subsequently moved to Montreal in 1952, where he worked as a draftsman for the Canadian National Railway and he recorded his first album, Folk Songs of the Canadian North Woods, in 1956. That album included original compositions by Hemsworth and traditional songs he had learned in his various jobs. In the early 1960s, most of Hemsworths songs were being sung by the Mountain City Four, the bands rendition of The Log Drivers Waltz, with the McGarrigles on vocals, became famous as the soundtrack of an animated short film by the National Film Board in 1979. Hemsworth himself also performed with the group, although he was not a regular member. The McGarrigles continued to perform Hemsworths songs after branching out as a duo, including a cover of Foolish You on their 1975 album Kate and Anna McGarrigle. Hemsworth retired from the CNR in 1977 and moved to Morin Heights, Quebec, in 1990, he published a songbook, The Songs of Wade Hemsworth, which led to an appearance at the Winnipeg Folk Festival that was filmed for a CBC Television documentary. In 1995, at the age of 79, Hemsworth finally recorded his album, The Songs of Wade Hemsworth. Annes Hospital for Veterans in Montreal in 2002, following a lengthy illness and his great-nephew, also named Wade Hemsworth, is a journalist and columnist at The Hamilton Spectator
Wade Hemsworth
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Wade Hemsworth
35.
The Hidden Cameras
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The Hidden Cameras are a Canadian indie pop band. Fronted by singer-songwriter Joel Gibb, the band consists of a roster of musicians who play what Gibb once described as gay church folk music. Their live performances have been elaborate, high-energy shows, featuring go-go dancers in balaclavas, a choir, the bands first album, Ecce Homo, was released independently in 2001 on EvilEvil. It was after this first release that Gibb assembled a band and their 2003 album, The Smell of Our Own was released through the popular Rough Trade imprint in the UK, and on the independent label EvilEvil in Canada. In 2004, they released their album, Mississauga Goddam, on Rough Trade. Their EP, The Arms of His Ill, was released by California label Absolutely Kosher Records in the same year, in November 2005, the band collaborated with Toronto Dance Theatre on the show In the Boneyard at the Harbourfront Centre, Toronto, Ontario. Dancers joined the band throughout the show, playing instruments, three of the songs from Mississauga Goddam, namely We Oh We, I Believe in the Good of Life, and Builds the Bone, are featured in the Canadian motion picture Whole New Thing. We Oh We is also featured on the soundtrack of the German film Sommersturm, awoo, their 2006 recording was released on Rough Trade in Europe, EvilEvil in Canada and, in the U. S. on the Arts & Crafts label. The Hidden Cameras song Boys of Melody is featured on the soundtrack of the John Cameron Mitchell film Shortbus, also that year, they performed in a Take-Away Show video session shot by Vincent Moon. Their fifth album, Origin, Orphan, was mastered in May 2009, the music video for In the NA, a song from this album, was screened at the 19th Annual Inside Out Film and Video Festival. The album was released on 22 September 2009, five songs from the Origin, Orphan album were redone by electronic pop band from Barcelona Hidrogenesse and released under the name of Hidrogenesse versus The Hidden Cameras in May 2010. Also a video for He Falls to Me was done by Darío Peña, in 2011, they recorded a cover of Mecca Normals Throw Silver for the compilation album Have Not Been the Same - Vol.1, Too Cool to Live, Too Smart to Die. In 2013, the band appeared on two albums from the Arts & Crafts record label. The bands new album Age was released in January 2014, the lead single Gay Goth Scene was released in July,2013. Gibb once again assembles a band of musical accomplices and takes them on an adventure in revisionist history, forming a chorus of voices over a score of dulcet tones and twanging rock. The album makes new offers to the Canadiana genre with infectious melodies and wild hymns, overarched by Gibbs’ trademark, honeyed vocals and his talents as a songwriter and composer remain undimmed, his on point lyrics oozing with hopefulness, joy and sorrow. “Log Driver’s Waltz” is a cover of one of the most successful, the bands material has been released on a variety of labels, including Rough Trade in the United Kingdom, Arts & Crafts in the U. S. and Outside Music in Canada. B
The Hidden Cameras
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The Hidden Cameras at Indietracks 2014.
36.
Veda Hille
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Veda Hille is a Canadian singer-songwriter. Veda Hille was born in 1968 in Vancouver, British Columbia and she started playing piano when she was six at her own insistence. Her family moved around a lot, from the city to the country, Veda ran around in the woods and the streets, practiced piano, read books and used her Junior Scientist Microscope. Then came pop music, and a few years of jazz, there was the ill-fated year as an inept lounge musician. She attended art school studying sculpture, film, and performance art, Veda began writing music in 1990. She put out a cassette, Songs About People and Buildings. People liked it and she started playing around town and she slowly started the business of touring Canada, and also began a long relationship with the Canadian modern dance scene. In 1994 she released her first CD, Path of a Body, by the time she started working with her current band she was regularly touring Canada, the US, and Germany. Veda plays piano and tenor guitar, dabbles in banjo, accordion, and protocols, and has an affair going on with a nord electro keyboard. Veda is also a member of the bands, Duplex. and she scored Bonnie Sherr Klein’s NFB film Shameless, The ART of Disability, as well as producing records for other musicians. The PuSh International Performing Arts Festival in Vancouver commissioned part of the writing of Vedas album, This Riot Life and she is married to Justin Kellam, drummer of the now defunct bands P, ano and No Kids. Since 1997 Veda has been working with Martin Walton, Ford Pier, Peggy Lee and she has recently added Patsy Klein to the mix. These people have toured and recorded together in formations, playing hundreds of shows. In 1999 she joined forces with Oh Susanna and Kinnie Starr for the Scrappy Bitches Tour, Field Study has a specially designed formal show for small theatres and art spaces. In 2000 Veda commissioned Vancouver video artist Shawn Chappelle to make a 50-minute video that accompanies the music from Field Study. The video, constructed from footage shot in the landscapes of Canada, is projected on a large screen behind Veda as she plays the music on a grand piano. Veda performs solo on guitar, piano, and assorted keyboards. She plays a survey of her own work as well as a few covers, Songs about people and buildings, independent cassette, out of print
Veda Hille
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Hille on the 'Bedlam!' music video shoot, 2006.
37.
Reid Jamieson
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Reid Jamieson is a Canadian singer songwriter. He is a member of the CBCs The Vinyl Cafe. Jamieson has released nine albums and records. 2004s The Unavoidable Truth was produced by Josh Finlayson and features guest appearances from Sarah Harmer, Mia Sheard, Peter Elkas, John Southworth and Bob Egan. In 2006, Jamieson became a member of the CBCs The Vinyl Cafe Orchestra and has toured and recorded with them, in October 2009, Jamieson released a stripped down version of 6 songs on an EP titled Courting Juniper produced by Byron Kent Wong. In September 2010, Jamieson released a 14 track all-original album titled Staring Contest, the album features Samantha Parton, Anne Lindsay on violin, and fellow Vinyl Cafe band-mate John Sheard on piano. The final version of Staring Contest was released in May 2011 with 11 tracks, in 2012, in preparation for a Vinyl Cafe Christmas tour, Reid released a collection of winter-themed songs titled Songs For A Winters Night. Reid recorded and performed the song Take Heart on the Cowboy Junkies present The Kennedy Suite and he performed the song live with Margo Timmins at the release at The Winter Garden Theatre in Toronto in November 2013. In the fall of 2014 Reid released his first record with his wife Carolyn Victoria Mill titled Junipers Kitchen. In 2015 Reid released The Presley Sessions Revisited, a follow up to his 50s era tribute including songs made popular by Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, The Platters, in 2016 Reid released a tribute to Leonard Cohen titled Dear Leonard, The Cohen Collection. & covers plus an original, the track, open letter to the man himself. com CBC Vinyl Cafe site
Reid Jamieson
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Reid Jamieson 2009
38.
Gordon Lightfoot
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He has been referred to as Canadas greatest songwriter and internationally as a folk-rock legend. He experienced chart success in Canada with his own recordings, beginning in 1962 with the No.3 hit Im the One. Lightfoots recordings then made an impact on the music charts as well in the 1970s. Sundown a #1 hit, Carefree Highway which followed reaching #10, Rainy Day People at #25, some of Lightfoots albums have achieved gold and multi-platinum status internationally. Bob Dylan, also a Lightfoot fan, called him one of his favorite songwriters and, in an often-quoted tribute, Lightfoot was a featured musical performer at the opening ceremonies of the 1988 Winter Olympic Games in Calgary, Alberta. He received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree in 1979 and the Companion of the Order of Canada—Canadas highest civilian honour—in 2003, in November 1997, Lightfoot was awarded the Governor Generals Performing Arts Award, Canadas highest honour in the performing arts. On February 6,2012, Lightfoot was presented with the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal by the Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario, in June that year he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. On June 6,2015, Lightfoot received a doctorate of music in his hometown of Orillia from Lakehead University. Lightfoot was born in Orillia, Ontario, to Jessica and Gordon Lightfoot and his mother recognized Lightfoots musical talent early on and schooled him into a successful child performer. His first public performance was Too Ra Loo Ra Loo Ral in grade four, as a youth, he sang, under the direction of choirmaster Ray Williams, in the choir of Orillias St. Pauls United Church. According to Lightfoot, Williams taught him how to sing with emotion, Lightfoot was a boy soprano, he appeared periodically on local radio in the Orillia area, performed in local operettas and oratorios, and gained exposure through various Kiwanis music festivals. He was twelve when he made his first appearance at Massey Hall in Toronto, as a teenager, Lightfoot learned piano and taught himself to play drums and percussion. He held concerts in Muskoka, an area north of Orillia. In high school, at Orillia District Collegiate & Vocational Institute, Lightfoot performed extensively and he was influenced during this time by 19th-century master American songwriter Stephen Foster. His athletic and scholarly aptitude earned him entrance bursaries at McGill Universitys Schulich School of Music, Lightfoot moved to California in 1958, where he studied jazz composition and orchestration for two years at Hollywoods Westlake College of Music, which had many Canadian students. To support himself there, he sang on demonstration records and wrote, arranged. He was influenced by the music of Pete Seeger, Bob Gibson, Ian and Sylvia Tyson. He rented a place in Los Angeles for a time, but was missing Toronto and he has lived in Canada since then, though he has done much work in the United States, all under an H-1B visa
Gordon Lightfoot
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Lightfoot performing at
Interlochen, Michigan in 2009
Gordon Lightfoot
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Lightfoot, right, at a music industry function in Toronto in 1965
Gordon Lightfoot
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Performing in Toronto, 2008, playing his
twelve-string guitar
Gordon Lightfoot
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Lightfoot's star on
Canada's Walk of Fame
39.
Old Man Luedecke
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Old Man Luedecke is the recording name of two-time Juno Award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter and banjo player Chris Luedecke of Chester, Nova Scotia. His 2008 album, Proof of Love, won a 2009 Juno Award for traditional folk album of the year, in 2011, Luedecke won the same award for My Hands are on Fire and Other Love Songs. In 2012 Tender is the Night was released and picked up a Juno nomination as well as Folk Album of the Year from Music Nova Scotia, Luedecke has also toured as a member of The Pan-Canadian New Folk Ensemble with Kim Barlow and Christine Fellows. Mole in the Ground Hinterland Proof of Love My Hands Are on Fire and Other Love Songs Tender Is the Night I Never Sang Before I Met You Domestic Eccentric Old Man Luedecke
Old Man Luedecke
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Luedecke performing at the 2011
Hillside Festival
40.
Ashley MacIsaac
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Ashley Dwayne MacIsaac is a Canadian fiddler, singer and songwriter from Cape Breton Island. He has received three Juno Awards, winning for Best New Solo Artist and Best Roots & Traditional Album – Solo at the Juno Awards of 1996 and his 1995 album Hi™ How Are You Today. Was a double-platinum selling Canadian record, MacIsaac published an autobiography, Fiddling with Disaster in 2003. MacIsaac was born in Creignish, Nova Scotia and his sister Lisa is also a fiddler, who has her own alternative country band, Madison Violet. She also appears on his album Helters Celtic, which was recorded at Metalworks Studios in Mississauga and his cousins Alexis MacIsaac, Wendy MacIsaac and Natalie MacMaster are also touring fiddlers. He is also a distant cousin of The White Stripes guitarist, the two met and MacIsaac opened for The White Stripes concert in Glace Bay in 2007. In 2007, MacIsaac married Andrew Stokes, according to MacIsaac, spoken during his February 25,2017, concert at Koerner Hall in Toronto, they are now divorced. MacIsaacs album Hi™ How Are You Today, featuring the hit single Sleepy Maggie, with vocals in Scottish Gaelic by Mary Jane Lamond was released in 1995. The album was a double-platinum selling Canadian record and it earned MacIsaac a 1996 Juno in the category Best Roots & Traditional Album – Solo. He officially came out in 1996 after Frank, a Canadian gossip magazine, the Advocate did not print any of the material, but Macleans dropped him from its year-end honours list. In 1996, MacIsaac toured the United States as an act for The Chieftains. In 1998 MacIsaac fought successfully to be independent of his record label and he subsequently signed with the independent label Loggerhead Records for his 1999 album Helters Celtic. During the promotional tour for album, he indicated to the press that he had battled an addiction to crack cocaine from 1997 to 1999. In 1999, a journalist for The New Yorker noted MacIsaacs rock-star bravado, MacIsaac got into a media spat with his label Loggerhead after the label sent out a press release distancing itself from his actions. In 2003, MacIsaac was alleged to have made a racist statement on stage, in 2005, MacIsaac signed on with Linus Entertainment, forming a rock band with himself on lead vocals and guitar. In 2010, MacIsaac wrote a charity single, Dreams, to benefit Kwame Nkrumah-Acheampong, the single, credited to The Parallel Band, was released to iTunes on February 19,2010. MacIsaac also performed in the ceremonies for the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver. In 2016, MacIsaac co-hosted, with Heather Rankin, the East Coast Music Awards, MacIsaac has declared an interest in politics and has stated, in a letter to the National Post, that he is studying constitutional law so as to pursue an entry into Canadian federal politics
Ashley MacIsaac
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MacIsaac performing at the
Burlington Sound of Music festival in 2010. Neil MacIntosh also pictured on drums.
Ashley MacIsaac
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MacIsaac playing at a 2011 Liberal Campaign Rally with
Michael Ignatieff.
41.
Natalie MacMaster
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Natalie MacMaster, CM is an award-winning fiddler from the rural community of Troy in Inverness County, Nova Scotia, Canada who plays Cape Breton fiddle music. MacMaster has toured with the Chieftains, Faith Hill, Carlos Santana and Alison Krauss and she has appeared at the Celtic Colours festival in Cape Breton, Celtic Connections in Scotland, and MerleFest in the United States. MacMaster is the daughter of Alex and Minnie MacMaster and the sister of Kevin and she is the niece of the late renowned Cape Breton fiddler Buddy MacMaster and the cousin of two other fiddlers, Ashley MacIsaac and Andrea Beaton. She is also related to Jack White. In 2002, she married fiddler Donnell Leahy of the Leahy family band, Leahy and MacMaster have six children, and have performed and recorded together as a duo. MacMaster began playing the fiddle at the age of nine, and made her debut the same year at a square dance in Glencoe Mills. When she was sixteen she released her first album, Four on the Floor, and her first album was self-produced, while her second was co-produced by John Morris Rankin and Tom OKeefe. Both albums were released only on cassette, but Rounder Records omitted a few tracks. In recent years she has expanded her repertoire, mixing her Cape Breton roots with music from Scotland and Ireland. In 2004, MacMaster appeared on Sharon, Lois & Brams 25th Anniversary Concert special titled 25 Years of Skinnamarink that aired on CBC on January 1,2004 at 7 and she performed two songs with the trio, C-H-I-C-K-E-N and Grandpas Farm. MacMaster was also awarded a doctorate from Niagara University in New York in 2006. In 2006, she was made a member of the Order of Canada
Natalie MacMaster
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MacMaster performing in Centralville, Massachusetts, 2007
Natalie MacMaster
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MacMaster performs at Edmonds Center for the Arts, North of Seattle, WA Oct 23, 2010
42.
Rita MacNeil
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Rita MacNeil, CM, ONS was a Canadian country and folk singer from the community of Big Pond on Nova Scotias Cape Breton Island. Her biggest hit, Flying On Your Own, was a crossover Top 40 hit in 1987 and was covered by Anne Murray the following year, in the United Kingdom, MacNeils song Working Man was a No.11 hit in 1990. In 1990, she was the country artist in Canada, outselling even Garth Brooks. She was also the female singer ever to have three separate albums chart in the same year in Australia. MacNeil was born in Big Pond to Catherine and Neil J. MacNeil and she was born with a facial disfigurement from a cleft lip and palate. MacNeil was the fifth of eight siblings, she had three brothers and four sisters and her father owned a local store and was a carpenter, and her mother worked in the family store. As a young girl, MacNeil was molested by her great-uncle who lived down the road from the family home. For many years she kept this to herself, only revealing it for the first time in her autobiography, recalling years of sexual abuse and noting that he had done everything short of raping her. She noted that the sexual abuse eventually ended, unsure whether it was because someone had found out about it or that her family moved away from Big Pond and she called it a point in her life that profoundly affected her because it was a traumatic passage out of innocence. In the mid-1950s MacNeils parents sold their store and began a big move that would take them to Sydney, MacNeils father worked as a carpenter, her mother worked at Eatons, and her sister Mary worked at a local grocery store. Alcoholism, already a part of her parents life, became worse in Toronto. By the summer of 1960 MacNeil was itching to get away to the city to start making a name for herself and she had just finished Grade 11 when she took a summer job in Toronto, along with her friend Carolyn Tobin, working for CNR. Upon returning to Sydney in the fall, MacNeil knew she wanted nothing more than to begin her singing career, like her mother, MacNeil worked for Eatons, in the Customer Account Services Department By 1964 she had begun taking voice lessons. She had also met a man she described as Sicilian, with jet black hair, brown eyes and she began dating this man although he had told her his parents wanted him to marry a Sicilian woman. She became pregnant in 1965, frightened and unsure of the future, she returned to her parents, on April 15,1966, MacNeil gave birth to her daughter Laura. She also started struggling with her weight, which fluctuated from 119 to 183 pounds and that summer MacNeil decided to continue working toward her singing goals as she made a life for her daughter. Leaving Laura with her parents, she returned to Toronto and her Eatons job and that fall she met David Langham. By spring 1967 she had married Langham in a ceremony that included the brides sister, the grooms brother
Rita MacNeil
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Rita MacNeil at the National Arts Centre, Ottawa, December 12, 2009
43.
Loreena McKennitt
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Loreena Isabel Irene McKennitt, CM OM is a Canadian musician, composer, harpist, accordionist and pianist who writes, records and performs world music with Celtic and Middle Eastern themes. McKennitt is known for her refined and clear dramatic soprano vocals and she has sold more than 14 million records worldwide. McKennitt was born in Morden, Manitoba, of Irish and Scottish descent to parents Jack, in 1981, she moved to Stratford, Ontario, where she still resides. When she was young McKennitt wanted to become a veterinarian, she would state that music chose her rather than she it. All of her work is released under her own label, Quinlan Road, in 1990, McKennitt provided the music for the National Film Board of Canada documentary The Burning Times, a feminist revisionist account of the Early Modern European witchcraft trials. The main theme song would later be rerecorded by her and her band on her album The Visit under the title Tango to Evora, in 1993, she toured Europe supporting Mike Oldfield. In 1995, her version of the traditional Irish song Bonny Portmore was featured in the Highlander series, McKennitts single The Mummers Dance received airplay in North American markets during the spring of 1997, and was used as the theme song for the short-lived TV series Legacy. It also saw use in the trailer for a wide-release 1998 Drew Barrymore film Ever After. Her music appeared in the movies The Santa Clause, Soldier, Jade, Holy Man, The Mists of Avalon and Tinkerbell, and in the television series Roar, Due South, and Full Circle. In July 1998, McKennitts fiancé Ronald Rees, his brother Richard and she was deeply affected by the event and subsequently founded the Cook-Rees Memorial Fund for Water Search and Safety in the same year. At the time of the incident, she was working on an album of two performances called Live in Paris and Toronto. The proceeds from album were donated to the newly created memorial fund. Before McKennitt composes any music, she engages in research on a specific subject which then forms the general concept of the album. Before creating Elemental and Parallel Dreams, she travelled to Ireland for inspiration from the history, folklore, geography. The album The Mask and Mirror was preceded by research in Spain where she engaged in studying Galicia, the result was an album that included elements of Celtic and Arabic music. According to the notes, her album An Ancient Muse was inspired by travels among and reading about the various cultures along the Silk Road. John of the Cross, Dantes Inferno, William Blakes Lullaby, Yeats The Stolen Child, The English Ladye and the Knight by Sir Walter Scott and The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes. In 2005, McKennitt was involved in a court case in England when her former friend and employee, Niema Ash
Loreena McKennitt
–
McKennitt in 2012
44.
Murray McLauchlan
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Murray Edward McLauchlan, CM is a Canadian singer, songwriter, guitarist, pianist, and harmonica player. He is best known for his Canadian hits Farmers Song and Down by the Henry Moore, McLaughlin was born in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland, he immigrated to Canada with his family when he was five years old. He grew up in suburban Toronto, at 17, he began playing at coffeehouses in Torontos Yorkville area and later attended Central Tech as an art student before deciding to become a full-time musician. In the 1960s McLaughlin moved to New York City, but had success in promoting his musical career there. In 1970, McLaughlin returned to Toronto and signed with True North Records, he released an album, in 1974 McLaughlin embarked on a long tour in the United States. He released later released Do You Dream of Being Somebody, in 1980, McLaughlin released the album Into a Mystery, with backing vocals by Carol Pope. In 1987, McLauchlan appeared on the television show, Sharon. He appeared in Season 4 of The Elephant Show on the Urban Cowboy episode, McLauchlan hosted the highly rated CBC Radio program Swinging On a Star from 1989 to 1994. McLauchlan has held a pilot license with Instrument flight rating and endorsements for multi-engine aircraft. During a performance in the 1980s, McLauchlan commented to audiences, half-jokingly, of giving this music thing a little time before giving it up. In the late 1990s, McLauchlan was flying commercial airplanes as a pilot in Northern Canada. In 1986 he starred in a special called Floating over Canada. This special was broadcast on U. S. public television on PBS, in 1998, Penguin released his autobiography The Ballad of Murray McLauchlan, Getting Out of Here Alive. In 2004 McLauchlan helped form a group known as Lunch At Allens featuring McLauchlan, Marc Jordan, Cindy Church, formed as a result of meeting in Toronto for lunch at Allens restaurant after McLauchlans heart bypass surgery. Three CDs have been released as a result of collaboration, Lunch at Allens, Catch the Moon. During the summer of 2016, he was performing with singers Marc Jordan, Cindy Church and Ian Thomas in the group Lunch At Allens, in a number of towns and small cities in Ontario, Canada. McLauchlan has won 10 Juno Awards throughout the 1970s and 1980s, in 1993, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada. In 2001, McLauchlan was the recipient of the National Achievement Award at the annual SOCAN Awards held in Toronto, McLauchlan chosen to be inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in September 2016
Murray McLauchlan
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Murray McLauchlan performing at Winterlude 2009 in Ottawa, Ontario Canada.
45.
Joni Mitchell
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Roberta Joan Joni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian singer-songwriter and painter. Drawing from folk, pop, rock and jazz, Mitchells songs often reflect social and environmental ideals as well as her feelings about romance, confusion, disillusionment, Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in Saskatchewan and western Canada before busking in the streets and shoddy nightclubs of Toronto. In 1965, she moved to the United States and began touring, some of her original songs were covered by folk singers, allowing her to sign with Reprise Records and record her debut album in 1968. Settling in Southern California, Mitchell, with songs like Big Yellow Taxi and Woodstock, helped define an era. Her 1971 recording Blue was rated the 30th best album made in Rolling Stones list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Mitchell switched labels and began moving toward jazz rhythms by way of lush pop textures on 1974s Court and Spark, her best-selling LP, featuring the radio hits Help Me, around 1975 her vocal range began to shift from mezzo-soprano to more of a wide-ranging contralto. She turned again toward pop, embraced electronic music, and engaged in political protest and she is the sole producer credited on most of her albums, including all her work in the 1970s. A blunt critic of the industry, she quit touring and released her 17th. With roots in art, Mitchell designed her own album covers. She describes herself as a painter derailed by circumstance, Mitchell was born Roberta Joan Anderson on November 7,1943, in Fort Macleod, Alberta, Canada, the daughter of Myrtle Marguerite and William Andrew Anderson. Her mothers ancestors were Scottish and Irish, her father was from a Norwegian family and her father was a Royal Canadian Air Force flight lieutenant who instructed new pilots at RCAF Station Fort Macleod, where the Allied forces were gathering to learn to fly during World War II. During those years, she moved with her parents to various bases in western Canada, after the war, her father began working as a grocer, and his work took the family to Saskatchewan, to the towns of Maidstone and North Battleford. She later sang about her upbringing in Song for Sharon. In Maidstone they lived beside the track, where Mitchell waved at the only train that passed through each day. Many of the residents were First Nations people. Mitchell seemed athletic rather than academic, but still responded to her mothers love of literature and her fathers love of music, at age nine, Mitchell contracted polio in an epidemic, and was hospitalised for weeks. No longer athletic, she turned her thoughts to her creative talent, by nine, she was a smoker, she denies claims that smoking has affected her voice. At 11, she moved with her family to the city of Saskatoon and she responded badly to formal education, preferring a freethinking outlook, and was drawn to art, a pursuit often regarded as peripheral at the time
Joni Mitchell
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Mitchell performing in 1983
Joni Mitchell
–
Joni Mitchell's star on
Canada's Walk of Fame
46.
Faith Nolan
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Faith Nolan is a Canadian social activist folk and jazz singer-songwriter and guitarist of mixed African, Mikmaq and Irish heritage. As stated on her website, her music is her work, a politics firmly rooted in her being working class. Part of her activist work has been documenting the social, political and cultural history of Africville and she currently resides in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Faith Nolan
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Photo by Frank Saptel
47.
The Paperboys
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The Paperboys are a Canadian folk music band from Vancouver that formed in 1991. The Paperboys blend Celtic folk with bluegrass, Mexican, Eastern European, African, zydeco, soul and their first studio album, Late As Usual, was released in 1995, with their most recent release being their seventh album, 2014s At Peace With Ones Ghosts. Their album Postcards won a West Coast Music Award in 2000, after the death of original drummer Paul Lawton, The Paperboys helped to finance a scholarship in his name. The band has appeared in and scored award-winning international films. They are noted for their version of Bob Dylans All Along the Watchtower, regularly featured on Canadian national television, The Paperboys have said in the past, We get paid for the travel time but play for free. Tom Landa was born in Mexico to a Canadian mother of Irish ancestry and a Mexican father, initially, Landa discovered Celtic music via the Canadian band Spirit of the West, whose flautist and co-vocalist was Geoffrey Kelly. Kelly would later produce half of The Paperboys first studio album Late as Usual with Colin Nairne and eventually end up joining the band full-time. The original Late As Usual band members included Moritz Behm on fiddle, Neil Burnett on vocals, penny whistle & celtic harp, Glenn Kruger on drums & vocals, and Cam Salay on banjo and bass. In 1995, the band was joined by Shona Le Mottée on fiddle. Le Mottée left The Paperboys in 1997, after recording the award-winning Molinos, in the late 1990s, they were joined for a time by keyboardist Doug Schmidt. The Paperboys released an album called January in 1993 as their first album. Although critically unknown, the album has never released on CD. The Paperboys released their first CD studio album, Late as Usual, in 1994, on their self-established label Stompy Discs, with a production and management company. Late as Usual went on to garner a Juno Award nomination for Roots and they followed that album with 1997s Molinos, which also was nominated for the Roots and Traditional category at the Juno Awards, this time winning. Additionally, Molinos took away the Best Roots Recording category in the West Coast Music Award of the same year, one review referred to Molinos as bluegrass-tinged pop-rock with an undercurrent of Celtic wildness. In 2000, The Paperboys released Postcards, their studio album, which also was nominated in the same category, for their third straight nomination. In 2000, they won another West Coast Music Award for the Best Roots Recording category for Postcards and they followed next with Tenure in 2002, the double album Dilapidated Beauty in 2003, and The Road to Ellenside in 2006. After a performance in the area, a fan invited the band to spend the night in her mansion for dinner, Landa told her that the home would be an amazing place to record a record, to which the fan replied, Why not
The Paperboys
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The Paperboys performing at
The Triple Door in
Seattle, Washington, 2007
48.
Passenger (singer)
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Michael David Rosenberg, better known by his stage name Passenger, is an English singer-songwriter and musician. Previously the main vocalist and songwriter of Passenger, Rosenberg opted to keep the name for his solo work after the band dissolved in 2009. His most successful single, Let Her Go, has topped the charts in many countries, in 2014, the song was nominated for the Brit Award for British Single of the Year, and he received the British Academys Ivor Novello Award for Most Performed Work. Rosenberg was born on 17 May 1984 in Brighton & Hove, East Sussex, England to an English mother, Rosenberg learned classical guitar at a young age, and around 14–15 started to write songs. He worked as a chef and spent his time on writing music. He did not apply himself at school in Brighton, spending his time on music, Rosenberg left school at the age of 16 to pursue a career in the music industry and spent the next few years as a busker in England and Australia. He is a fan of English football club Arsenal F. C, in May 2015, Rosenberg appeared at Arsenals A Night to Inspire event and played a version of the 49 Undefeated fan chant. Rosenberg’s father introduced him to ex-Faithless member Jamie Catto in 2001, on the night, Rosenberg met his future writing partner Andrew Phillips and established contact with the IE Music label. Back in Brighton, Phillips and Rosenberg pooled their musical influences, during 2003 they formed the Mike Rosenberg Band, engaging Marcus O’Dair, Alon Cohen and Richard Brinklow through connections within the Brighton music scene. Rosenberg did his first performance when he was 16 and he founded Passenger with Andrew Phillips in 2003 in Brighton and Hove. The name of the band was stylised as /Passenger, the five-person bands debut and only album, Wicked Mans Rest, was released in 2007, on Chalkmark. Rosenberg wrote the majority of the tracks, with the exception of Four Horses. The band broke up in 2009, after the break-up of Passenger, Rosenberg kept the stage-name Passenger and took to busking for a solo music career. This earned him a big following in Australia and he was selling out 500-seater venues across Australia and his debut solo album, Wide Eyes Blind Love, was released in 2009. He also played shows in the United Kingdom during this time, including a support slot for Turin Brakes tenth anniversary show at Theatre Royal. During the summer and autumn of 2012, Rosenberg toured the UK, opening for Jools Holland and good friend Ed Sheeran and he also joined Australian acts the John Butler Trio, and Josh Pyke with a co-headlined UK tour. He also opened for Ed Sheerans 2012 North American tour and also in Paris, all The Little Lights was released in summer of 2012 in North America on Nettwerk Records. On 26 March, Passenger announced details of his studio album
Passenger (singer)
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Rosenberg performing in
Southampton, Hampshire, England in January 2013
Passenger (singer)
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Passenger (September 2013)
49.
Garnet Rogers
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Garnet Rogers is a Canadian folk musician, singer, songwriter and composer. He was born in Hamilton, Ontario in May,1955 but has roots in Nova Scotia and he began his professional career working with his brother, folk musician Stan Rogers, and arranging Stans music. Despite and ever since Stan Rogers death on 2 June 1983, Rogers instruments include the guitar, mandolin, violin, and flute. In live performances, he sits beside a guitar rack that includes three vintage Gibson acoustic guitars, a National guitar, a Fender Stratocaster, and sometimes a Hammertone Octave 12. His songs include The Outside Track, All That Is, Sleeping Buffalo, Night Drive, Under The Summer Moonlight, Summer Lightning, Small Victory and they range from slices of life to mild social commentary and humour. His humour is seen in his on-stage banter between songs, which is mostly unrecorded, except for a couple of interludes on his brothers posthumous album. In addition, Garnet has covered other artists work, including Roy Forbes Woh Me. His list of collaborators include Doug McArthur and Doug Long, Garnet lives on a farm in Brantford, Ontario, where his wife Gail raises champion thoroughbreds. They also own a house in Nova Scotia, Garnet has written a memoir of his travels with his brother Stan Rogers. Stan died in a fire aboard an Air Canada Flight in 1983, the book is called Night Drive, Travels With My Brother, published 2016 and is currently available at Garnets shows and on his website www. garnetrogers. com. They started out professionally in the timeframe, played many of the same venues in their early days. Gordon Lightfoot Roy Orbison Garnet Rogers official webpage
Garnet Rogers
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Garnet Rogers
50.
Buffy Sainte-Marie
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Buffy Sainte-Marie, OC is a Native Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, composer, visual artist, educator, pacifist, and social activist. Throughout her career in all of areas, her work has focused on issues of indigenous peoples of the Americas. Her singing and writing also includes subjects of love, war, religion. In 1997 she founded the Cradleboard Teaching Project, an educational curriculum devoted to better understanding Native Americans and she has won recognition and many awards and honours for both her music and her work in education and social activism. Buffy Sainte-Marie was born in 1941 on the Piapot Plains Cree First Nation Reserve in the QuAppelle Valley, Saskatchewan and she was later adopted, growing up in Massachusetts, with parents Albert and Winifred Sainte-Marie. She attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, earning degrees in teaching and Oriental philosophy and she went on to earn a Ph. D in Fine Art from the University of Massachusetts. In 1968 she married surfing teacher Dewain Bugbee of Hawaii, they divorced in 1971 and she married Sheldon Wolfchild from Minnesota in 1975, they have a son, Dakota Cody Starblanket Wolfchild. That union also ended in divorce and she married her co-writer for Up Where We Belong, Jack Nitzsche, on March 19,1982. He died from an attack on August 25,2000. As of 2007, she lives in Hawaii, in 1992, she appeared in the musical event prelude to the Baháí World Congress, a double concert Live Unity, The Sound of the World in 1992 with video broadcast and documentary. In the video documentary of the event Sainte-Marie is seen on the Dini Petty Show explaining the Baháí teaching of progressive revelation and she also appears in the 1985 video Mona With The Children by Douglas John Cameron. However, while she supports a universal sense of religion, she does not subscribe to any particular religion. I gave a lot of support to Baháí people in the 80s and 90s … Baháí people, … I have a huge religious faith or spiritual faith but I feel as though religion … is the first thing that racketeers exploit. … But that doesnt turn me against religion … Sainte-Marie played piano and guitar, self-taught, in her childhood, in college some of her songs, Ananias, the Indian lament, Now That the Buffalos Gone and Mayoo Sto Hoon were already in her repertoire. Also in 1963, she witnessed wounded soldiers returning from Vietnam at a time when the U. S and she was subsequently named Billboard Magazines Best New Artist. Some of her songs such as Now That The Buffalos Gone, in 1967, she released Fire and Fleet and Candlelight, which contained her interpretation of the traditional Yorkshire dialect song Lyke Wake Dirge. Sainte-Maries other well-known songs include Mister Cant You See, Hes an Indian Cowboy in the Rodeo, in the late 1960s, she used a Buchla synthesizer to record the album Illuminations, which did not receive much notice. It was the first totally quadraphonic electronic vocal album ever, in late 1975, Sainte Marie received a phone call from Sesame Street producer Dulcy Singer to appear on the show for a one-shot guest appearance
Buffy Sainte-Marie
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Sainte-Marie in 1970
Buffy Sainte-Marie
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Sainte-Marie performing in the Netherlands in the Grand Gala du Disque Populaire 1968
Buffy Sainte-Marie
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Buffy Sainte-Marie playing the Peterborough Summer Festival of Lights on June 24, 2009.
Buffy Sainte-Marie
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Sainte-Marie performing at The Iron Horse in Northampton, Massachusetts, on June 15, 2013
