Dennis Lee is a Canadian poet, writer, teacher, editor, and critic from Toronto, Ontario. Lee attended the Univeristy of Toronto and is a recipient of a Governor General Award, Officer of the Order of Canada. He is also Torontos first Poet Laureate. "Dennis was the lyricist for Jim Henson's terrific TV series, "Fraggle Rock".
“National Touring Artists Greg Greenway, Joe Jencks, and Pat Wictor have made their mark as veteran touring singer-songwriters, but Brother Sun is no songwriter's round. The trio's harmonies, as much as their lyrics, tell what they are about: warm as a campfire, stirring as a gospel church, rousing as a call to arms. Fusing folk, Americana, blues, pop, jazz, rock, and a cappella singing, Brother Sun is an explosion of musical diversity and harmony, in the finest of male singing traditions.” https://brothersun.com/about/f/
“Mary Chapin Carpenter is an American country and folk music singer-songwriter. [...] Carpenter has won five Grammy Awards out of eighteen nominations, including four consecutive wins in the category of Best Female Country Vocal Performance between 1992 and 1995. She has charted 27 times on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, with her 1994 single "Shut Up and Kiss Me" representing her only number-one single there. Her musical style takes influence from contemporary country and folk, with many of her songs including feminist themes. While largely composed of songs she wrote herself or with longtime producer John Jennings, her discography includes covers of Gene Vincent, Lucinda Williams, and Dire Straits among others.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Chapin_Carpenter
"The John Henrys have developed a reputation for tight musicianship, original arrangements and well crafted song writing. Band members Rey Sabatin (lead vocals / guitarist), Steve Tatone (keyboards), Doug Gouthro (guitar), Darryl Quinlan (bass) and Geoff Ward (drums) all contribute to the songwriting and production, and a deep appreciation for vintage instruments and analog recording that is heard through their music. [...] The John Henrys first hit the Canadian music scene with the release of their self-titled debut album released locally in their hometown of Ottawa in 2004. With the support from the local college radio station CKCU the album went to #1 and was featured extensively on CBC radio, including a performance on the national show Definitely Not The Opera. Over the next few years The John Henrys expanded their fan base touring with The Sadies, Cuff the Duke, the Golden Dogs, Elliot Brood and FembBots. [...] The John Henrys take their name from the John Henry of popular folklore, who has been immortalized in dozens of traditional folk songs. As the story goes, John Henry was a giant who labored laying railway tracks and digging tunnels. He challenged the first steam powered drilling machine to a race to determine what was stronger – man or machine. His superhuman effort won him the race, after which he immediately died of exhaustion." http://www.sonicbids.com/band/thejohnhenrys/
"The Arrogant Worms are a Canadian musical comedy trio that parodies many musical genres. They are well known for their humorous on-stage banter in addition to their music. Members are Trevor Strong (vocals), Mike McCormick (guitar, vocals) and Chris Patterson (bass, vocals)." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Arrogant_Worms
“Dala is a Canadian acoustic-folk two-piece musical group, made up by Sheila Carabine and Amanda Walther, both of Scarborough, Ontario.”
"Ronnie Douglas is an Ojibway from the Chippewas of Rama First Nation, (located near the City of Orillia) and has been performing in clubs and on festival stages throughout Southern Ontario since the early 1990’s. A roots vocalist/guitarist in the blues tradition, he cites Howlin’ Wolf as a primary influence. Since forming the group in the mid nineties, notable festival performances include the Great Canadian Blues Festival, the Mariposa Folk Festival, the Southside Shuffle, and the Orillia Spring Blues Festival, in addition to appearances on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN)." https://culturedays.ca/en/events/e4de90a4-3934-42f5-a2ec-6dd750f9f6ad
“Ten Strings and a Goat Skin was a Canadian folk music group from Rustico, Prince Edward Island, who performed traditional Celtic and Acadian folk music, in English and French. The band's members were Rowen Gallant (vocals, fiddle, tenor banjo, and viola), Jesse Périard (guitar, vocals, and pump organ), and Caleb Gallant (bodhran, foot percussion, snare, cajon, vocals, clawhammer banjo).” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Strings_and_a_Goat_Skin
"Whitehorse is a Canadian folk rock band, composed of husband-and-wife duo Luke Doucet and Melissa McClelland. Based in Hamilton, Ontario, Doucet and McClelland were both established singer-songwriters before opting to put their solo careers on hold to work together as Whitehorse." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitehorse_(band)
“Joe Jencks is an 25-year veteran of the international folk circuit, an award-winning songwriter, and celebrated vocalist based in Chicago. Merging conservatory training with his Irish roots and working-class upbringing, Joe delivers engaged musical narratives filled with heart, soul, groove and grit. Having penned several #1 Folksongs including the ever-relevant Lady of The Harbor, Jencks is also co-founder of the harmony trio, Brother Sun. From Festivals like Falcon Ridge, Kerrville, Mariposa, and Old Songs, to venues like Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall, Jencks has enthralled diverse audiences with his approachable style. Joe is noted for his unique merging of musical beauty, social consciousness, and spiritual exploration. Blending well-crafted instrumentals and vivid songwriting, Jencks serves it all up with a lyric baritone voice that has the edgy richness of a good sea-salt caramel.” https://www.joejencks.com/bio
"In 1978, Ian Bell, Kate Murphy, and Anne Lederman joined up to form Muddy York, to play the traditional songs and dance music of Canada, especially Ontario. The group's name, Muddy York, refers to an old epithet for Toronto. They played in venues from church basements to barn dances to festivals, in Ontario and the western provinces. In 1982 Kate Murphy left the group but Bell and Lederman continued. They became well known and played at Expo 86 in Vancouver, BC." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Bell_(musician)
"The Dixie Flyers were a Canadian bluegrass band based in London, Ontario, Canada. The band first came together in 1974, and became one of Canada's best known bluegrass bands. Original members of the band were guitarist Bert Baumbach, mandolinist Ken Palmer, harmonica player Willie P. Bennett, bassist Brian Abbey and Dennis LePage on the banjo.[3] Although lead vocalists Baumbach and Palmer have been continuous members, over the years the band has seen a number of changes in the lineup." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dixie_Flyers
"Over the past three years, the indie-folk trio Good Old War has captivated audiences with their acoustic driven, sing-along-inspiring live performances." (2012 MFF programme booklet)
“Born in 1971 and raised in Bowling Green, Ohio, Sugar Brown was born as Ken Chester Kawashima to a Japanese father and Korean mother who both immigrated to the United States in the mid-1960s. Now a permanent resident of Toronto, Canada, Sugar Brown is a modern blues musician, singer and songwriter. His brand of dark, sweet, and inconsolable blues has caught the attention of the Canadian music scene, winning the Toronto Blues Society Talent Search and quickly receiving invitations to play at the Kitchener Blues Festival and the prestigious Mariposa Folk Festival. Sugar Brown’s blues originated while studying as a college student at the University of Chicago. By day, he studied history, political economy, and philosophy; by night he learned to play the blues from Chicago’s famed West Side blues raconteur and singer, Taildragger, as well as from blues legends such as Dave Myers and Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, the late drummer of Muddy Waters’ band. Sugar Brown’s blues were shaped by playing the small clubs and venues along the West Side of Chicago, where the sounds and memories of past blues greats like Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Little Walter, Jimmy Reed, and Magic Sam were still very much alive. Taildragger’s band, The La-Z Boys, played this style of blues every week at the 5105 Club and every weekend in the summer months at the now-defunct Delta Fish Market, originally a gas station that was renovated in into a fish market (with fish transported fresh from the Mississippi delta). There, in the parking lot, Sugar Brown played harmonica on a large, red-painted stage behind Taildragger and before delighted, dancing audiences of the West Side of Chicago. From the 1970s until the late 1990s, the Delta Fish Market hosted performances by the likes of Sunnyland Slim, Eddie Taylor, Taildragger, and even Lightnin’ Hopkins. For Sugar Brown, playing at the Fish Market was better than heaven on earth and it changed him and his thinking forever. Taildragger is responsible for giving Ken the stage name Sugar Brown in 1992, saying to him, “You ain’t black…..and you sure ain’t white….You’re Sugar Brown.” After a tragic incident between Taildragger and fellow west side guitarist, Boston Blackie, which landed Taildragger in prison for some years, Sugar Brown left Chicago to pursue a Ph.D. in modern Japanese history under the supervision of intellectual historian, Professor Harry D. Harootunian. He moved for several years to Tokyo to study Japanese language and history, but couldn’t stop playing and singing the blues. He studied during the day and played blues at night as a regular performer in one of Tokyo’s best known blues bars, Bright Brown. Since completing his Ph.D. in history from New York University in 2002, Sugar Brown has been living and working in Toronto. By day, he studies and teaches at school, now as Associate Professor of East Asian Studies at the University of Toronto. In Canada, Sugar Brown began recording his original blues songs in 2011, when he recorded Sugar Brown’s Sad Day in Montreal with his friend and fellow harmonica player and blues singer, Bharath Rajakumar. This album was followed by Poor Lazarus in 2015 and then It’s a Blues World in 2018. He is presently working on his fourth studio album, Toronto Bound.” https://www.sugarbrownmusic.com/bio
“Elliott BROOD is a Canadian three-piece, alternative country band formed in 2002 in Toronto, consisting of Mark Sasso on lead vocals, guitar, banjo, ukulele, harmonica, and kazoo, Casey Laforet on guitar, lead vocals, backing vocals, bass pedals, keys, and ukulele, and Stephen Pitkin on percussion, sampler, and backing vocals. The band's style has been categorized as "death country", "frontier rock", or "revival music".” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elliott_Brood
"Skydiggers are a Canadian roots rock band from Toronto formed by Andy Maize and Josh Finlayson." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skydiggers
“After his undergraduate studies, Trevor continued to graduate school at Appalachian State for a master’s degree in Appalachian Studies. Trevor’s interests in history and music continued combining as he wrote his thesis on Otto Wood, a famed bandit from Wilkes County whose story has been recorded in history through several songs and stories. “Herb Key was a big help when I was researching Otto Wood,” Trevor says. “We both have files full of information about Otto.” In addition to Herb Key and the Elkville String Band members, Trevor also developed a close relationship with Lonnie Ward, a Watauga County native and bearer of traditional music from the area. Trevor accompanied Lonnie on many musical outings and performances and considers him an important mentor. On fiddle, Trevor cites West Virginia’s celebrated traditional musician Jimmy Costa as a major influence. Trevor has a rich and diverse repertoire of traditional tunes and songs from American roots genres. He also released a recording of original songs in 2016. [...] Trevor works in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection in Belk Library at Appalachian State University. He is available for performances with Elkville String Band, as a solo artist, and with other string band configurations.” https://www.blueridgeheritage.com/artist/trevor-mckenzie/
“The Wooden Sky are a Canadian indie folk band based in Toronto, Ontario. The band originated after lead singer Gavin Gardiner, of Morden, Manitoba, wrote songs for a school project while attending Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University). He formed the band with bassist Andrew Wyatt and drummer Chris Cocca, who has left the band. They originally formed as Friday Morning's Regret, releasing the song "The Wooden Sky" on the Friends in Bellwoods compilation album, but opted to change the band's name to The Wooden Sky before releasing their debut album.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wooden_Sky
“A kick-in-the-pants all girl rootsy trio. Delicious three part harmonies, washboard, fiddle guitar and uke accompany sassy songwriting and killer charm.” Featuring Lisa Olafson, Suzy Wilde, and Alison Porter. https://www.dirty-dishes.ca/
“The Downchild Blues Band is a Canadian blues band, described by one reviewer as "the premier blues band in Canada". The band is still commonly known as the Downchild Blues Band, though the actual band name was shortened to "Downchild" in the early 1980s.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downchild_Blues_Band
"Frederick Ralph Cornelius Penner CM OM (born November 6, 1946) is a Canadian children's music performer who gives appearances throughout North America. His television series, Fred Penner's Place, aired on CBC in Canada from 1985 to 1997 and was seen in the United States on the cable channel Nickelodeon from 1989 to 1992. Penner has received a Juno Award for Children's Album of the Year four times." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Penner
“James Gordon is a Canadian singer-songwriter, known as a founding member of Tamarack. He has also released more than 20 solo albums. [...] He wrote the weekly song for the CBC Radio program Basic Black. He is proficient on a variety of instruments including guitar, piano, banjo and mandola. [...] He is a co-founder of Guelph's annual Hillside Festival and was its first creative director, from 1985 to 1988. He also founded (and was the artistic director of) the Canadian Songwriters' Festival, and was a board member of the Ontario Council of Folk Festivals. Gordon is active in arts-, civics-, and environment-related causes in the Guelph region, for which he was given the Guelph Mayor's Award in 2008.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Gordon_(Canadian_musician)
“Zeus is a Toronto-based Canadian indie rock band signed to the Arts & Crafts record label. Its members include Rob Drake, Carlin Nicholson, Mike O'Brien, and Neil Quin. The band have released three albums and one EP since 2009. They have also served as the backing band for Canadian musician Jason Collett.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeus_(band)
“Blue Rodeo is a Canadian country rock band formed in 1984 in Toronto, Ontario.” Members include(d): Jim Cuddy, Bazil Donovan, Greg Keelor, Glenn Milchem, Mike Boguski, Colin Cripps, Jimmy Bowskill, Cleave Anderson, Bob Wiseman, Mark French, Kim Deschamps, James Gray, Bob Packwood, and Bob Egan. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Rodeo
"Jenn Grant (born August 20, 1980) is a Canadian folk pop singer-songwriter based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. […] Grant's song "Dreamer", from Orchestra for the Moon, is featured as the theme song on CBC's Heartland. Her song "Make it Home Tonight" was played at the end of episode 12 of Flashpoint, "Haunting the Barn". Her album Compostela has been nominated for two Juno Awards." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jenn_Grant
"Conjunto Chappottín, also known as Chappottín y sus Estrellas, is a Cuban son conjunto from Havana. It was founded in 1950 by trumpeter Félix Chappottín, pianist Lilí Martínez, singer Miguelito Cuní and other members of Arsenio Rodríguez's conjunto, which was partially disbanded after his departure to the USA. Currently, the group is directed by Jesús Ángel Chappottín Coto, the grandson of Félix Chappottín. Curent members: Jesús Ángel Chappottín Coto: trumpet, musical director, Miguel Arcángel Conill Hernández (Miguelito Cuní Jr.): singer and percussion, Ángel Remigio Laborí Hernández: piano, Francisco Vasallo Labrada: tumba, Eduardo Antonio Canas Oliva: percussion, Manuel Guará Colás: trumpet, Gregorio Martínez Pedroso: trumpet, Roberto Ortega Oviedo: trumpet, José Lussón Bueno: singer, Eduardo Font Paniagua: singer, Eduardo Sandoval Nobregas: singer." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conjunto_Chappott%C3%ADn
“Abigail Lapell is a Canadian folk singer-songwriter, who won the Canadian Folk Music Award for Contemporary Album of the Year at the 13th Canadian Folk Music Awards in 2017 for her album Hide Nor Hair] and again for English Songwriter of the Year at the 15th Canadian Folk Music Awards in 2020 for her album Getaway. Based in Toronto, Ontario, Lapell released her debut album Great Survivor in 2011. In 2016, she won the Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award for her song "Jordan".” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abigail_Lapell
"Great Lake Swimmers is a Canadian folk rock band from Wainfleet, Ontario, and currently based in Toronto. The current touring line-up includes Tony Dekker on lead vocals, acoustic guitar and harmonica, Erik Arnesen on banjo, electric guitar and harmonium, Joshua Van Tassel on drums, Bret Higgins on upright bass and Miranda Mulholland on violin and backing vocals. Past members included Julie Fader on backing vocals, Sandro Perri on guitar, and Greg Millson and Colin Huebert on drums. The band's style has been compared to Red House Painters, Nick Drake, Iron & Wine and Neil Young, as well as Will Oldham (Bonnie "Prince" Billy) and Sufjan Stevens. Dekker has cited influences including Gram Parsons and Hank Williams." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Lake_Swimmers
“Sultans of String are an instrumental music group based in Toronto, Ontario, combining elements of Spanish flamenco, Arabic folk, Cuban rhythms, and French Manouche Gypsy-jazz. The group's leader is producer and Canadian musician Chris McKhool.” Members include Kevin Laliberté, Eddie Paton, Drew Birston, and Chendy Leon. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sultans_of_String
"Barenaked Ladies is a Canadian rock band formed in 1988 in the Toronto suburb of Scarborough, Ontario. The band developed a following in Canada, with their self-titled 1991 cassette becoming the first independent release to be certified gold in Canada. They reached mainstream success in Canada when their debut with Reprise Records, Gordon, featuring the singles "If I Had $1000000" and "Brian Wilson", was released in 1992. The band's popularity subsequently spread into the US, beginning with versions of "Brian Wilson" and "The Old Apartment" off their 1996 live album Rock Spectacle, followed by their fourth studio album Stunt, their breakout success in 1998. The album featured their highest-charting hit, "One Week", as well as "It's All Been Done" and "Call and Answer". Their fifth album, Maroon, featuring the lead single "Pinch Me", also charted highly. In the 2010s the band became well-known for creating the theme song for the sitcom The Big Bang Theory. Initially a duo of Ed Robertson and Steven Page, the band quickly grew to a quintet adding brothers Jim and Andy Creeggan and Tyler Stewart by 1990. Andy Creeggan left the band in 1995 and was replaced by Kevin Hearn. Page left in 2009, reducing the group to a quartet. The band's style has evolved throughout their career, and their music, which began as exclusively acoustic, quickly grew to encompass a mixture of pop, rock, hip hop, rap, etc. The band's live performances feature comedic banter and free-style rapping between songs. They have won multiple Juno Awards and have been nominated for two Grammy Awards. The group has sold over 15 million albums and singles and were inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in March 2018." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barenaked_Ladies
"The Proclaimers are a Scottish rock duo formed in 1983 by twin brothers Craig and Charlie Reid who were born on 5 March 1962. They came to attention with their 1987 single "Letter from America", which reached No. 3 in the United Kingdom, and the 1988 single "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)", which topped charts in Australia, Iceland and New Zealand. The Proclaimers have sold over 5 million albums worldwide. First active from 1983 as an acoustic duo, the Proclaimers moved toward band-oriented rock in later works. The Proclaimers' style draws from a diversity of influences, including country, folk, and punk rock. Their playing range has included roots rock, alternative rock and folk rock, and their music is typified by their Scottish accents. The Proclaimers often tour internationally, and have released 11 studio albums since 1987, the most recent being 2018's Angry Cyclist, as well as three compilation albums and a DVD." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Proclaimers
"Guy Davis (born May 12, 1952) is an American blues guitarist, banjo player, and actor, Grammy award nominee in 2017 for the best traditional blues album of the year, won by the Rolling Stones." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Davis_(musician)
"Red Wanting Blue (also known as RWB) is a rock and roll band led by Scott Terry that formed in Athens, Ohio in 1996. In 1999, the band relocated its headquarters to Columbus, Ohio, the city Red Wanting Blue now calls home. RWB has been touring for nearly two decades playing around 200 live shows a year. Members: Scott Terry (vocals, ukulele, tenor guitar), Mark McCullough (bass, Chapman Stick, vocals), Greg Rahm (guitar, keyboard, vocals), Dean Anshutz (drums, percussion), Eric Hall (guitar, lap steel guitar, mandolin, vocals)."https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Wanting_Blue
“Colin Kendall Linden is a Canadian guitarist, songwriter and record producer. Linden plays acoustic and electric guitar, specializing in slide guitar, country blues, and ragtime fingerpicking. [...] He is a member of Blackie and the Rodeo Kings with Stephen Fearing and Tom Wilson. He has worked with Bruce Cockburn, Lucinda Williams, T-Bone Burnett, Kevin Gordon, Colin James, Emmylou Harris, Leon Redbone, Rita Chiarelli, Chris Thomas King, The Band, Keb' Mo', Charles Esten and Bob Dylan.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Linden
“Quartette is a Canadian country-folk group consisting of Cindy Church, Caitlin Hanford, Gwen Swick and Sylvia Tyson. Each of the four members also record as solo artists in addition to their work as a group.” Colleen Peterson was a past member. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quartette_(band)
“Alejandra Ribera is a Canadian pop and jazz singer-songwriter, who performs material in English, French and Spanish. Of mixed Argentine and Scottish descent, Ribera was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, and has been professionally based in Montreal, Quebec. She released her debut album, Navigator/Navigateher, in 2009, and followed up with La Boca in 2014. NPR's Alt.Latino referred to La Boca and her voice as Alt.Latino's favorite of 2014. In 2014, Ribera's song "I Want" won the SOCAN Songwriting Prize, an annual competition that honours the best song written and released by 'emerging' songwriters over the past year, as voted by the public.“ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alejandra_Ribera
"Madison Violet is a Juno-nominated Canadian music duo composed of singer-songwriters Brenley MacEachern and Lisa MacIsaac. The group has been notable for various folk and pop award nominations and wins." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madison_Violet
“The Deep Dark Woods are a Canadian folk band from Saskatoon. [...] First established in 2005, the band consisted of singer and guitarist Ryan Boldt, bass guitarist Chris Mason, guitarist Burke Barlow and drummer Lucas Goetz. Pianist and organist Geoff Hilhorst joined the group in 2009 after the release of their breakout album Winter Hours. Founding member Burke Barlow played guitar until 2012 when he left the group and was replaced by Clayton Linthicum. Founding Member Lucas Goetz left the group in late 2014, after which the band went on hiatus. In 2017 Chris Mason officially left the group.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Deep_Dark_Woods
“[The Winnipeg-based roots quartet Oh My Darling has] prairie roots mixed with Appalachian old time, bluegrass, country, funk and Franco-folk, makes their style a melting pot of musical languages. Infused with dynamic vocals, brilliant claw-hammer banjo, inspired fiddling, and grooving bass, their music will get your hips swinging, toes tapping, and put your heart right into their hands.” http://www.ohmydarling.ca/bio
"Buffy Sainte-Marie, CC (born Beverly Sainte-Marie, c. February 20, 1941) is an Indigenous Canadian-American singer-songwriter, musician, Oscar-winning composer, visual artist, educator, pacifist, and social activist. Throughout her career in all of these areas, her work has focused on issues facing Indigenous peoples of the Americas. Her singing and writing repertoire also includes subjects of love, war, religion, and mysticism. She has won recognition, awards and honours for her music as well as her work in education and social activism. [...] In 1997, she founded the Cradleboard Teaching Project, an educational curriculum devoted to better understanding Native Americans." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffy_Sainte-Marie
Yukon Blonde is a Canadian indie rock musical group from Kelowna, British Columbia.
“Roly Platt has enjoyed a long and rewarding career as both a live and studio harmonica player in the Canadian scene for the past 45 years. He has had the pleasure of touring and recording with many greats in the business, including: Ronnie Hawkins, Matt Minglewood, David Clayton-Thomas, Dutch Mason, Susan Aglukark, Suzie Vinnick and Rick Fines. Getting his start practicing to his older brother’s Blues and Bluegrass records, Roly’s early years on the road quickly introduced him to a wide variety of music including Country-Swing, Country Rock, R&B & Traditional Jazz. This experience of having to incorporate harmonica into some of these non-traditional roles helped form his melodic approach to playing and define his unique style. As Roly puts it, “None of the songs these bands would play had any harp in the original versions, so I had to quickly figure out something that “worked” and sounded pretty good, or I’d be out of work. That was the best musical schooling anyone could have asked for.” Roly’s distinctive sound, versatility, and intuitive sense of “what works”, has elevated him to “first-call” studio harmonica player in the Canadian recording scene. Roly had been recorded on over 1,700 individual album cuts, movie scores and national jingles and is now working on sessions for clients from around the globe via his home studio.” https://rolyplatt.com/roly-platt-bio-harmonica
Del Barber is a Canadian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Barber composes traditional folk music, alternative music, and folk music. Barber has won two Western Canadian music awards and has been nominated for many awards during the course of his career so far.
“Dave Penny has been beating around the great city of St. John's, sometimes with an accordion and other times not. He's allowed out through the overpass to other parts of Newfoundland and off to the Mainland when he's lucky enough to land a reason to do so. One of the proud members of From Stage to Stage, he has written several comedy songs such as Johnny Chrome and A Townie Courted a Bayman's Daughter, and enjoys poking fun at the more trivial events in life, such as a shortage of mustard pickles and people going around licking shopping cart handles during a pandemic (actually, that's serious!). He has performed in many Newfoundland and Labrador towns and festivals, the Meriposa Folk Festival in Ontario, and parts of New England.” https://www.davepenny.ca/about
“Molly Rose Tuttle is an American vocalist, songwriter, banjo player and guitarist, recording artist and teacher in the bluegrass tradition, noted for her flatpicking, clawhammer, and crosspicking guitar prowess. She has cited Laurie Lewis, Kathy Kallick, Alison Krauss and Hazel Dickens as role models. In 2017, Tuttle was the first woman to win the International Bluegrass Music Association's Guitar Player of the Year award. In 2018 she won the award again, along with being named the Americana Music Association's Instrumentalist of the Year. Tuttle won the Best Bluegrass Album and received a nomination for the all-genre Best New Artist award at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molly_Tuttle
"Steve Poltz (born February 19, 1960) is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is a founding member of the indie-rock band The Rugburns and collaborated on several songs with singer Jewel, including the 1996 single "You Were Meant for Me", which reached number 2 in the US. As a solo artist, he often performs acoustic-only "good old-fashioned sing-along" shows." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Poltz
Terry Fallis is a Canadian writer and public relations consultant. Fallis is a two-time recipent of the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour.
Canadian singer-songwriter born in Hamilton, Ontario. In April 2009 she won a Niagra Music Award for "Songwriter of the Year" as well as the 2009 Canadian Folk Music Award for "Young Performer of the Year."
"Jay Aymar is a Canadian singer-songwriter born and raised in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. As an acoustic guitar player and singer, he is known for his storytelling through music. His songs cover themes central to everyday life, love and the human condition." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_Aymar
“[Kim Wempe] won an East Coast Music Award in 2010 for Rising Star of the Year, and received three award nominations in 2011. Touring consistently in Canada, Wempe has performed alongside Canadian favourites Joel Plaskett, Royal Wood, Jill Barber, David Myles, Rose Cousins, Jenn Grant, Matt Andersen, and more. She has showcased at JUNO Fest, the Vancouver Olympics, Canadian Music Week and festivals across the East Coast. Undaunted by industry expectations and challenges, Wempe has taken a big, bold leap into a whole new sound for her third album, ‘Coalition’, coming out this September. Born in a small Saskatchewan farming town, Wempe moved to Alberta at the age of 15. In the 8 years Wempe lived in Alberta, she started performing, continued writing songs, and attended the Red Deer College Music Diploma Program. In 2007, Wempe hesitantly packed her bags for her move to Nova Scotia to attend St. Francis Xavier University and continue her music education with a Vocal Jazz Degree. She had been hoping to get into Humber College in Toronto, but to her surprise, Wempe found her musical home in Nova Scotia and dove full force into the east coast music scene. Off the strength of her 2009 East Coast Music Award and Music Nova Scotia award-winning debut album “Where I Need To Be,” Wempe caught the attention of Joel Plaskett, Old Man Luedecke, and Geoff Hilhorst of Deep Dark Woods – all of whom appear on her subsequent release “Painting With Tides.” With producer Charles Austin at the helm, it was released in 2010 on Ground Swell Music and Warner Canada, and was nominated for an East Coast Music Award and two Music Nova Scotia Awards.” https://www.rdpsd.ab.ca/huntinghills/page/8092/kim-wempe
"Shane Cook is a Canadian violinist.[1] He is a long-time member of the celtic fusion ensemble Bowfire,[2] and is a past Canadian Grand Master fiddler and U.S. National Fiddle Champion. His musical career has taken him to tour across Canada, the United States, Mexico, Germany, England, China and Taiwan." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shane_Cook
“Angie Nussey has released 6 award-winning original albums, acted as an advocate for mental health, and is an active supporter of Citizen’s Climate Lobby, Voices for Women, and the YWCA. Her self-produced newest CD is aptly called “I have no idea what I’m doing.” The album represents her life and musical style: poetic, curious, and sometimes hilarious.” https://angienussey.com/press-material-music
"James Hill is a classically trained Canadian musician who has focused on the ukulele, both as his primary instrument and as a method of music instruction for school children." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Hill_(Canadian_musician)
"Rob Lutes is a Canadian folk and blues musician, who has performed both as a solo artist and with the band Sussex." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Lutes
“Jon Brooks is a Canadian musician and singer-songwriter best known as a solo performer but more recently as leader of Jon Brooks & The Outskirts of Approval.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Brooks
“Michael John Ford is a Canadian singer-songwriter, and a former member of Toronto band Moxy Früvous. [...] Ford and fellow Moxy Früvous member Murray Foster also perform as The Cocksure Lads, a faux-1960s British Invasion-style band.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Ford_(musician)
David Myles is a Canadian singer-songwriter, composing jazzy, bluesy folk music. Myles is from Fredricton, New Brunswick and attended Mount Allison University. He is a East Coast Music award winner and nominee.
“Rosanne Millicent "Rose" Cousins is a Canadian folk-pop singer-songwriter. Born and raised in Prince Edward Island, she is currently based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. [...] Cousins won a Canadian Folk Music Award for Contemporary Singer of the Year in 2012, and her 2012 CD We Have Made a Spark won the 2013 Juno Award as best Solo Roots & Traditional Album of the Year. Cousins' 2017 album Natural Conclusion was nominated for a 2018 Grammy Award. Cousins won a second JUNO award in 2021 for Contemporary Roots Album of the Year with her release 'Bravado'.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose_Cousins
“Catherine MacLellan is a Canadian folk singer-songwriter, based in Prince Edward Island. The daughter of Canadian songwriter Gene MacLellan,[1] MacLellan was born in Burlington, Ontario but raised in Summerside, Prince Edward Island. Before beginning her solo recording career, she sang with The New Drifts, a four-piece band featuring Island musicians James Phillips (guitar, mandolin), Stéphane Bouchard (bass) and Dave Gould (drums & percussion).” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_MacLellan
"Tony Dekker is a Canadian singer and songwriter. Most noted as leader of the indie folk band Great Lake Swimmers, he has also released two solo albums." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Dekker
“Adam Cohen (born September 18, 1972) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. As a recording artist, he has released four major label albums, three in English and one in French. His album We Go Home was released on September 15, 2014. Currently residing in Los Angeles, he is also part of the pop-rock band Low Millions from California. He is the son of singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen, and also the ambassador of the Cohen family to art exhibits of Leonard Cohen Art, attending and doing press and media for openings around the world for his father's paintings and drawings. “
“George Leach is a Canadian musician and actor, best known for his work as a lead singer and songwriter. Leach is a Stl'atl'imx from Lillooet, British Columbia. As an actor, Leach has appeared on This is Wonderland, North of 60, PSI Factor and Nikita. He also appeared in the six-part miniseries Into The West as Loved by the Buffalo. He released his first album Just Where I'm At in 2000. He subsequently performed at the National Aboriginal Achievement Awards, now the Indspire Awards. He won the Juno Award for Aboriginal Album of the Year in 2014 for his album Surrender.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Leach_(musician)
“Annabelle Chvostek is a Canadian singer-songwriter, composer and producer whose musical achievements range from folk to jazz to indie pop. Her latest album String of Pearls is a cross-cultural collaboration between Canadian and Uruguayan musicians that pushes the boundaries between the worlds of Folk and Swing, evoking the grittiness of 1930s tango, Berlin cabaret and Hot Club Jazz.” https://annabellechvostek.bandcamp.com/
Reid Jamieson is a Canadian indie-folk singer-songwriter from Vancouver, British Columbia. He first debuted his musical talents in the band "Alvy" before becoming a solo act. Jamieson currently performs with his wife Carolyn Victoria Mill. http://reidjamieson.com/about/
“Eve Goldberg (born 1967) is a folk musician, singer and songwriter based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Musically, she draws from a number of different traditions and influences such as blues, country, bluegrass, jazz, swing, and contemporary and traditional folk music.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eve_Goldberg
David Celia is a Canadian "open alternative, roots-pop, and folk singer-songwriter and guitarist." He is also a producer, working with artists such as "More Please!" and his brother Mike Celia. He has amassed a following across canada and europe and tours often. http://www.davidcelia.com/about/
“Njacko Backo is a musician, poet, writer, composer, performer, and choreographer from Cameroon. [...] He spent most of his childhood in a village called Bazou in western Cameroon where he was introduced to music. [...] He studied drumming (toum and kak), kalimba (also called the thumb piano, however, he plays with his fingers), percussion (various instruments), and an African harp called zaa koua. [...] He has worked with African artists, including the late Boubacar Diabaté, Oumar Diayé, and dancer Zab Maboungo. He formed his band Njacko Backo and Kalimba Kalimba in 1990 and has independently released a total of 11 full-length albums to date. Njacko has performed at the Montreal Jazz Festival, the Louisiana Folk Festival (Lafayette, LA) and the Houston International Jazz Festival (Houston, TX), among countless other events. He has also composed music for films including To Walk with Lions, Born Free, and Spirit in the Tree. In addition to music, Njacko also teaches extensively in the Greater Toronto Area through an organization called Mariposa in the Schools.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Njacko_Backo
Jim Bryson is a Canadian traditional folk singer-songwriter and record producer.
Yvan Vollé is a "musician, animator, song-writer, and poet". Vollé plays the guitar, ukulele, harmonica, and piano. Mariposa Festival Program, 2011, p. 55
"Marky Weinstock is a popular children's entertainer, award winning songwriter, physician, and respected educator. He continues to perform across the continent and overseas, picking up new instruments and stories to share along the way. His unforgettable concerts and parades have become festival favourites, filled with singing, dancing, group participation and lots of laughter." http://www.markyweinstock.com/about.html
"William Joel MacDonald Plaskett (born April 18, 1975) is a Canadian rock musician and songwriter based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He was a member of Halifax alternative rock band Thrush Hermit in the 1990s. Plaskett performs in a number of genres, from blues and folk to hard rock, country, and pop. Plaskett's songwriting frequently contains allusions to his home city, Halifax. With his band The Emergency, he has toured throughout North America and Europe with The Tragically Hip, Sloan, Bill Plaskett (his father), and Kathleen Edwards." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joel_Plaskett
Michael Jerome Browne is an American-born Canadian singer-songwriter of American Roots music. Browne plays the banjo, fiddle, mandolin, guitar, and harmonica. He makes jazz, blues, country,and folk.music. He has won Solo Artist of the Year (2008) at the Canadian Folk Music Awards, and three-time Juno nominee. http://www.michaeljeromebrowne.com/bio
Danny Michel is a Canadian singer-songwriter and record producer from Waterloo, Ontario.
Originally from Belfast, North Ireland, her music career began with a traditional celtic band before she left to perform solo.
Aengus Finn, born 31 January 1972, is a Canadian folk musician.
"George Gao is a Chinese-born erhu player and composer. […] In 1989, he was invited to North Korea to host the World Youth Festival and the Arts diploma. In 1991, he was admitted into The Royal Conservatory of Music and began studying piano and vocals. [...] Two years later, he became the first erhu instructor at the school, established the first erhu syllabus, and organized the first large erhu concert in Canada. [...] He tours the world frequently, performing in entertainment centers such as the United States, Canada, France, Japan, and China.Gao has performed with multiple orchestras as a soloist, including the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, National Arts Centre Orchestra, Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Georgian Bay Symphony and I Musici de Montréal Chamber Orchestra. His most notable work is on the soundtrack of the television series Earth: Final Conflict. He has also performed with the Canada-based violin group Bowfire." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Gao_(erhu)
"Michael Pickett is a multiple award-winning Canadian blues and roots singer, guitarist and harmonica player." Pickett was a part of the disbanded groups "Whiskey Howl", "Wooden Teeth", and the "Michael Pickett Band". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Pickett
Born in rural Ontario. A contemporary Canadian folk music artist with Celtic influences. Performes alongside bandmates: Andrew Collins, Shane Cook, Tony McManus, Joseph Phillips and Ivan Rosenberg. She is a multiple CFMA nominee for "Traditional Singer of the Year" and "Vocal Group of the Year", as well as Folk Music Ontario's "Songs from the Heart" grand prize winner for "One More Day." https://allisonlupton.com/band/
“Canadian roots music vet Rick Fines has had a long and storied career as one of the country’s hardest working musicians. He has toured across Canada countless times solo, as a duo or with a full band and has recorded over 14 albums and has been a guest on many others. Steeped in roots music, Rick Fines crafts a unique blend of warm-hearted blues, juke joint folk, and dockside soul that both embraces and defies the genres that influence him. As a veteran of the North American blues and folk circuits, he engages audiences with captivating songs, diverse guitar styling and his signature vocal growl. Rick’s career has seen him working in stellar collaboration and as a successful solo act. First gaining attention as part of the legendary Jackson Delta, he’s since released six solo albums, another with his own Rick Fines trio, and a critically acclaimed disc with fellow troubadour, Suzie Vinnick.” https://www.kemptvillelivemusicfestival.com/live-at-the-library/rick-fines
"Eileen McGann is an Irish-Canadian folk singer, songwriter and traditional Celtic musician. Her album, Beyond The Storm, was Juno Award-nominated in 2002. She has released seven solo CDs and has established an almost 30-year career touring across North America and Great Britain." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eileen_McGann_(musician)
"Jason Fowler is a highly respected Toronto singer/songwriter, session guitarist and producer.Jason is acknowledged as one of Canada’s most gifted guitarists, he also holds a degree in Classical Guitar Performance from McGill University.He has released six independent CDs under his own name and has played on over one-hundred albums." Additioinally, Fowler has composed music for film and television. http://jasonfowler.ca/bio
"Coco Love Alcorn is a Canadian pop and jazz singer. The daughter of jazz singer John Alcorn, she released her debut album in 1995. She toured as an opening act for Burton Cummings, Chantal Kreviazuk, Jesse Cook, and Ani DiFranco and performed on some Lilith Fair dates. She is a backing vocalist for 54-40, and her music has appeared on the television programs The Dead Zone and The L Word. ... She won the Canadian Folk Music Award for Contemporary Singer of the Year at the 16th Canadian Folk Music Awards in 2021, for her album Rebirth." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coco_Love_Alcorn
“Alan Thomas Doyle CM ONL (born May 17, 1969) is a Canadian musician and actor, best known as the lead singer of the Canadian folk rock band Great Big Sea.”
“Chris McKhool is a Canadian violinist, producer, guitarist, composer, and singer-songwriter. He has received numerous awards for his work, including four JUNO Award nominations and four Canadian Folk Music Awards for his various recordings.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_McKhool
"Susan Charters is a storyteller, musician, retired editor and teacher from Orilla, Ontario. Susan leads storytelling workshops for adults and children. Susan is a co-founder of SO… (Storytelling Orillia) and its storytelling circle." http://www.storytellers-conteurs.ca/en/storytellers-directory/Susan-Charters.html
“Trinidad born author and storyteller Rita Cox has received the Order of Canada for her active role in promoting storytelling, multicultural education and literacy. Rita opens the enchanting world of books to her listeners by weaving together the oral and written word, providing the tools for lifelong love of reading and telling.” https://mariposaintheschools.ca/mits-artists/rita-cox/
“Artist, Musician, Singer/Songwriter from the Haisla Nation in Kitamaat BC, is currently based in Toronto. Arthur plays slide on a DoBro, while hitting a stomp, plays harmonica and sings his own songs along with some obscure covers. Besides performing solo, Renwick performs with Sean Pinchin as a duo called LOS DoBROS, and with D'Arcy Good in a duo called COWBOY CRASHING. Renwick's influences include Tom Waits, Bob Dylan and Lucinda Williams. Arthur has performed at various Festivals (Mariposa Folk Festival, Eaglewood Folk Festival, Come Together Festival) as well as performed shows in France and Brazil.” https://soundcloud.com/arthur-renwick
Cindy Church is a Canadian country singer-songwriter. She is a part of the Canadian country-folk group "Quartette", as well as the Canadian group "Lunch at Allen's". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quartette_(band)
"Suzie Vinnick is a Canadian roots and blues singer-songwriter. She performs as a solo artist and contributes to variety of band projects, including The Marigolds (with Gwen Swick and Caitlin Hanford), Vinnick Sheppard Harte (with Kim Sheppard and Elana Harte), Betty and the Bobs and as a duo with Rick Fines. Originally from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Vinnick is currently based in Toronto, Ontario. Her music has appeared in commercials for Tim Hortons, Interac, Ontario Foodland, Tetley's Tea and Shoppers Drug Mart, as well as the soundtracks for MVP: The Secret Lives of Hockey Wives, ReGenesis and the film A Touch of Grey." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzie_Vinnick
“Widely known as the lead singer and a founding member of multi-platinum country-roots group Prairie Oyster, Russell deCarle has spent the last decade as a solo artist, releasing three critically-acclaimed recordings.” https://stalbert.ca/events/calendar/arden-theatre/russell-decarle/
"Ian Bell is a Canadian folk musician, composer, and singer-songwriter who has been active in the Canadian folk music scene since the 1970s. With Anne Lederman, he was part of the seminal Canadian folk group Muddy York. Bell has performed at the Edmonton Folk Music Festival and the Mariposa Folk Festival, among others. He has contributed to the development and preservation of Canadian folk music for more than twenty-five years." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Bell_(musician)
“A member of Quartette since 1997, Winnipeg-born Gwen Swick is an accomplished singer/songwriter, guitarist and bassist who lives in Elora, Ontario. Her solo releases include “Gwen Swick” (1993), “A Pebble of Mercy” (1995), and “Love and Gold” (2002). [...] Gwen is a member of the Marigolds, along with Suzie Vinnick and Caitlin Hanford. As well, she writes and arranges vocal music for choirs. Gwen’s music has been featured on several film soundtracks, including “Never Talk to Strangers (1995), and Terrance Odette’s award-winning Canadian features, “Heater” (1999), and “Sleeping Dogs” (2006).” https://www.quartette.com/swick.html
Magoo is singer-songwriter, host, and guitar teacher."He has hosted the legendary Blue Skies Music Festival in Clarendon Ontario for since 1978 and MC’d hundreds of events over the past four decades." http://magooman.com/about-magoo/
“George Hewison is a Canadian folk singer, trade unionist and former politician. He was formerly a long-time member of the Communist Party of Canada and served as the party's general secretary from 1988 to 1992. [...] He has continued to link music with labour and social activism and is the founder and lead singer of the "Rank n File Band", created by the Canadian Auto Workers union. He has produced five albums over a fifty years span, and has written scores of songs for, and performed at, conventions of virtually every major labour organization in the country. Hewison has toured extensively and most recently performed at the Illawarra Folk Festival in Australia and the Mariposa Folk Festival and Miners Memorial weekend in Canada as well at Joe Hill's birthplace in Gavle in Sweden.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Hewison
“A singer, songwriter, guitarist, craftsman, poet and performer, he's on a lifelong musical odyssey. He opened for The Mamas & The Papas in 1967, had a hit with I'm Easy in 1976 and had the most played Canadian single of the year with Baby I'm A Lot Like You in 1984 on his own Oasis Records. He has acted in movies and on TV and entertained in countless coffee houses, concert halls and music festivals across Canada, the United States and Europe. The sweet style of this "worker in song" is reminiscent of Jim Croce and Harry Chapin. His stage presence is captivating and everyone who hears him becomes a new fan instantly.” Bands include The Coachmen and Entertainment Nightly. He retired in 2020. https://ronnigrinimusic.com/about/
"Douglas John Cameron is a Canadian musician and composer best known for writing and performing a protest song entitled "Mona with the Children" about a Persian Baháʼí girl aged 16, Mona Mahmudnizhad, who, in 1983, together with nine other Baháʼí women, was sentenced to death and hanged in Shiraz, Iran, because of her membership in the Baháʼí Faith. Cameron recreated Mahmudnizhad's story in a music video, Mona with the Children, which made the pop charts in Canada (#14 for the week of October 19, 1985). Partly to distinguish himself from new age composer Doug Cameron the name John was added." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doug_Cameron_(musician)