Canadian folk music – AcousticMusicScene.com

William Prince and David Francey Win JUNO Awards

Michael Kornfeld — Sat, 30 Mar 2024 15:04:46 +0000

William Prince’s Stand in the Joy was named Contemporary Roots Album of the Year and David Francey’s The Breath Between won Traditional Roots Album of the Year during the 53rd annual JUNO Awards ceremonies on March 23, 2024 at the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Members of the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) selected award recipients in these and other categories.

A Winnipeg, Manitoba-based country-folk singer-songwriter from Peguis First Nation, William Prince previously received a Juno Award for Contemporary Roots Album of the Year in 2017 for his debut release, Earthly Days, which was also a finalist for Indigenous Music Album of the Year. His album Reliever was among the nominees for Contemporary Roots Album of the Year in the Juno Awards of 2021, while he won awards for Contemporary Album of the Year and English Songwriter of the Year during that year’s Canadian Folk Music Awards. Prince was also among the nominees for Songwriter of the Year, a coveted award that went to Aysanabee, an indigenous artist who, along with previous Juno Award winner Allison Russell, also paid tribute to the late notable artists Gordon Lightfoot and Robbie Robertson during the awards ceremonies.

Here’s a link for the official video for “When You Miss Someone,” one of the songs on William Prince’s Stand in the Joy album:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxVzg0F4fcU

Also In the running for Contemporary Roots Album of the Year were The Returner (Allison Russell), We Will Never Be The Same ((Good Lovelies), Beyond the Reservoir (Julian Taylor), and A Light in the Attic (Logan Staats).

David Francey is an expressive and revered Scotland-born and southern Ontario-based singer-songwriter and storyteller. Besides his Juno for The Breath Between, Francey is the recipient of three previous Juno Awards for Roots and Traditional Album – Solo: Right of Passage (2008), Skating Rink (2004), and Far End of Summer (2002). He’s also won several Canaian Folk Music Awards, while Penguin Eggs magazine named Skating Rink and Far End of Summer as Album of the Year in 2003 and 2002, respectively. . Francey, who launched his career as a folksinger-songwriter at age 45 – after working as a carpenter and in rail yards for 20 years, is also the winner of the International Acoustic Music Awards (2010), and a recipient of the prestigious SOCAN Folk Music Award and the grand prize in the folk category for the John Lennon Songwriting Awards. Francey has also had his songs covered by such notable artists as Tracy Grammer, James Keelaghan, the Del McCoury Band, and The Rankin Family.

Here’s a link to enjoy a live performance by David Francey of the title track of his album, The Breath Between, a poignant, introspective reminder of the passage of time:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LM6Sa-A8r8

Traditional Roots Album of the Year nominees also included Paint Horse (Benjamin Dakota Rogers), Roses (Jackson Hollow), Second Hand (James Keelaghan), and Resilience (Morgan Toney).

A complete list of JUNO Awards winners can be found, along with additional information, online at junoawards.ca.

FAI Folk Radio Charts – May 2023

Michael Kornfeld — Sat, 10 Jun 2023 13:41:38 +0000

Gordon Lightfoot, the iconic Canadian folksinger-songwriter who died on May 1, was the top artist and had four of the five most-played songs on folk radio during May 2023, while fellow Canadian Michael Jerome Browne, a noted acoustic blues and roots artist, had the month’s top album (Gettin’ Together). So say charts compiled by Folk Alliance International based on radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in folk-based music on the radio.

The May 2023 top albums, songs and artists charts are based on 12,640 airplays reported on 421 playlists submitted by 112 different folk DJs. The number of reported spins is shown below in parentheses.

Folk Alliance International (folk.org) is a nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen, and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation and promotion.

Top Albums of May 2023

1. Gettin’ Together by Michael Jerome Browne (75)
2. Gord’s Gold by Gordon Lightfoot (69)
3. Skylark by Open Road (65)
4. O Sun O Moon by Bruce Cockburn (62)
5. Traveling Wildfire by Dom Flemons (60)
6. Between Hello and Goodbye by Greg Greenway (55)
7. Only This Far by The Rough and Tumble (53)
8. Constellations by Meredith Moon (50)
8. Stand in the Joy by William Prince (50)
10. Songbook by Gordon Lightfoot (48)
11. How to Shine by Jaime Michaels (47)
12. Mighty Poplar by Mighty Poplar (46)
13. Circumstance by Alice Howe (43)
13. Forgottonia by Chris Vallillo (43)
15. Tony Rice Sings Gordon Lightfoot by Tony Rice (42)
16. Bluegrass Vacation by Robbie Fulks (41)
16. Into the Night by Robinson and Rohe (41)
18. The Little In-Between by Tim Grimm (40)
18. Great Blue North by Special Consensus (40)
20. Nuevo South Train by Larry and Joe (39)
21. On Banjo by Alison Brown (38)
21. Headland by Kalos (38)
21. Beautiful: A Tribute to Gordon Lightfoot by Various Artists (38)
24. Among Other Things by Bella White (37)
24. Angels in the Wreckage by Low Lily (37)
24. Maybe Modern by Grace Morrison (37)
27. Grass Roots by Leftover Salmon (36)
28. California by The Refugees (35)
29. God Fearing Heathen by Dan Tyminski (33)
30. Celebrants by Nickel Creek (32)
31. The Enchanted World by The Rifters (31)
31. The Chicago Sessions by Rodney Crowell (31)
33. Keep Your Courage by Natalie Merchant (29)
33. Workin’ on a World by Iris Dement (29)
35. Nine Apples of Gold by Karan Casey (28)
35. The Mother of Trouble by Vance Gilbert (28)
35. Taking Flight by Amelia Hogan (28)
38. Get Behind the Wheel by Eilen Jewell (27)
38. Crossing the Causeway by Mary Beth Carty (27)
40. Canvas by Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy (25)
41. Other Voices, Other Rooms by Nanci Griffith (24)
41. I Only See the Moon by The Milk Carton Kids (24)
43. Rona by Queen Esther (23)
44. Lightfoot by Gordon Lightfoot (22)
45. When My Momma Sang to Me: Songs of Murphy Hicks Henry by Various
Artists (21)
45. If You Could Read My Mind by Gordon Lightfoot (21)
47. The Sea Beside Us by Beth Desombre (20)
47. Now by Graham Nash (20)
49. All the Love by Brittany Jean (19)
49. The Way I Feel by Gordon Lightfoot (19)
49. Pieces of Treasure by Rickie Lee Jones (19)

Top Songs of May 2023

[Here’s a link to listen to “Canadian Railroad Trilogy” by Gordon Lightfoot, the month’s most-played song on folk radio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXzauTuRG78.]

1. “Canadian Railroad Trilogy” by Gordon Lightfoot (33)
2. “If You Could Read My Mind” by Gordon Lightfoot (23)
3. “Where I’m Coming From” by Robinson and Rohe (21)
4. “Early Morning Rain” by Gordon Lightfoot (20)
5. “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” by Gordon Lightfoot (19)
6. “Ten Degrees and Getting Colder” by Nanci Griffith (17)
6. “Coffee Blues” by Michael Jerome Browne (17)
8. “My Mother’s House” by Cosy Sheridan (16)
8. “Jamaica Farewell” by Harry Belafonte (16)
10. “Looking for Yes” by Joe Crookston (15)
11. “Slow Moving Train” by Meredith Moon (14)
12. “Monday Morning Blues” by Michael Jerome Browne (13)
12. “Alberta Bound” by Special Consensus (13)
14. “Sundown” by Gordon Lightfoot (12)
14. “Cut ‘Em Down” by Erik Balkey (12)
14. “God of War” by The Rough and Tumble (12)
14. “No Hiding Place” by Open Road (12)
14. “Brakeman’s Daughter” by Kalos (12)
19. “Everybody Loves You” by Open Road (11)
19. “Big Money Blues” by Dom Flemons (11)
19. “Early Morning Rain” by Ian and Sylvia (11)
19. “That’s Where the Hope Comes” by Greg Greenway (11)
19. “Broken Things” by Grace Morrison (11)
19. “Julia Ward Howe (A Mother’s Day for Peace)” by Tom Chapin (11)
19. “Wildflowers” by Open Road (11)

Top Artists of May 2023

[Here’s a link to an article about Gordon Lightfoot, the month’s most-played artist. that was posted on AcousticMusicScene.com on May 2, the day after he died:
https://acousticmusicscene.com/2023/05/02/gordon-lightfoot-canadas-folk-poet-laureate-1938-2023/.]

The late Gordon Lightfoot was the most-played artist on folk radio in May 2023; Gord’s Gold was the #2 album; and four of his classic songs were among the top five.

1. Gordon Lightfoot (352)
2. Harry Belafonte (96)
3. Willie Nelson (93)
4. Bob Dylan (92)
5. Bruce Cockburn (76)
6. Michael Jerome Browne (75)
7. Open Road (65)
8. Pete Seeger (64)
9. Dom Flemons (62)
10. Greg Greenway (56)
11. The Rough and Tumble (55)
12. Meredith Moon (52)
13. Tony Rice (51)
14. William Prince (50)
15. Jaime Michaels (49)
16. Alice Howe (46)
16. Mighty Poplar (46)
18. Chris Vallillo (45)
19. Iris Dement (42)
20. Robinson and Rohe (41)
20. Special Consensus (41)
20. Robbie Fulks (41)
20. Tim Grimm (41)
24. Low Lily (40)
25. Alison Brown (39)
25. Dan Tyminski (39)
25. Larry and Joe (39)
28. Bella White (38)
28. Grace Morrison (38)
28. Kalos (38)
28. The Refugees (38)
28. Leftover Salmon (38)
33. Tom Chapin (37)
33. Nanci Griffith (37)
35. Rodney Crowell (32)
35. The Rifters (32)
35. Nickel Creek (32)
38. Karan Casey (31)
39. Natalie Merchant (30)
40. Judy Collins (29)
40. Vance Gilbert (29)
40. Amelia Hogan (29)

Gordon Lightfoot, Canada’s Folk-Poet Laureate, 1938-2023

Michael Kornfeld — Wed, 03 May 2023 01:49:12 +0000

Gordon Lightfoot, an iconic Canadian folksinger-songwriter known for his evocative, poetic and stirring songs, died of natural causes in a Toronto hospital on May 1, 2023 at age 84.

Born in Orillia, Ontario on November 17, 1938, Lightfoot reportedly began singing on a local radio station at age five and sang in his church choir as a child, He penned his first song (“The Hula Hoop Song”) in 1955, while still in high school. After graduation, he moved to Los Angeles, California to further his education before returning to Canada in 1959. Inspired, at least in part, by the songs of Bob Dylan (who similarly admired him), Lightfoot became part of and was among the best-known and most widely acclaimed singer-songwriters to emerge from Toronto’s burgeoning folk music scene of the 1960s that was centered around the folk clubs of the city’s Yorkville neighborhood. His first album, entitled Lightfoot!, was released in 1966. The following year, he performed the first of what was to become an annual tradition of concerts at Toronto’s famed Massey Hall and did so continuously until the mid-1980s when it became a once every 18 months or so affair before resuming them annually in 2005.

Released in 1974, Gordon Lightfoot’s album Sundown topped the Billboard charts, as did its title track.

After signing with Warner Brothers Records in the United States, Lightfoot made his international breakthrough in the early 1970s. His 1971 hit single “If You Could Read My Mind,” a ballad about the dissolution of a marriage, has become a much-covered folk standard. During the early-mid-1970s, he followed that up with such songs as “Carefree Highway,” “Pussy Willows, Cat-Tails,” “Rainy Day People,” and “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.” His 1974 album Sundown and its title track both topped the Billboard charts.

A prolific songwriter and a beloved chronicler of Canadian culture and history, Lightfoot’s own personal experiences and Canada’s national identity figured prominently in his songs. His 1976 hit “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” one of his most well-known and oft-covered ballads, poignantly tells the story of the last hours of 29 crew members aboard a freighter that sank in a storm on Lake Superior the previous November in one of the most famous Great Lakes shipwrecks. “Canadian Railroad Trilogy,” another of his well-loved songs, paid tribute to those who constructed Canada’s national railroad.

A globetrotting artist, Lightfoot toured throughout the U.S. and Europe, as well as his native Canada. During the 1980s, he beat alcoholism. However, he was to face other serious health challenges – including suffering from Bell’s pPalsy, a disease of the peripheral nervous system. In September 2002, Lightfoot also suffered severe stomach and abdominal pains while preparing to take the stage for a concert in his beloved hometown. He was airlifted to hospital, where doctors determined that he had ruptured an artery that required multiple surgeries. He was in a coma for six weeks and spent nearly three months in the hospital.

With his indefatigable spirit, Lightfoot released a new album, Harmony, in 2004 and made his comeback live performance at Ontario’s famed Mariposa Festival that summer.

Image from Lightfoot.ca, where more information on the iconic singer-songwriter, including a complete discography, can be found.

A Canadian musical treasure, Lightfoot was the recipient of 17 Juno Awards (including one for Lifetime Achievement in 1986), was the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from Folk Alliance International in 2021, and was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, among others. He received a number of other accolades during his lifetime – including several honorary degrees, a postage stamp, a Governor General’s Performing Arts Award, and the high honor of being invested as a Companion of the Order of Canada. But what likely meant more to him was that so many other songwriters whom he admired covered his songs and sang his praises.

Lightfoot’s songs have been covered by such other musical luminaries as Johnny Cash, Judy Collins, Bob Dylan, Richie Havens, Ian and Sylvia (who were part of the 1960s Toronto folk scene with him), Sarah MacLachlan, Anne Murray, and Peter, Paul & Mary (who had hits with “Early Morning Rain” and “For Lovin’ Me”). In the liner notes for his own 1985 box set, Biograph, Bob Dylan wrote: “ Gordon Lightfoot, every time I hear a song of his, it’s like I wish it would last forever.” Lightfoot released his last studio album, Solo, in 2020.

Despite his serious health challenges and a distinctive, warm tenor voice that had grown thinner over the years, Lightfoot was a road warrior who loved to tour and perform live. Indeed, he continued to do so until several weeks before his death. On April 11, he cancelled his remaining tour dates for the year, citing health reasons.

Hailing Lightfoot as “one of our greatest singer-songwriters,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he “captured our country’s spirit in his music – and in doing so, he helped shape Canada’s soundscape.”

Winners Named in 2023 Canadian Folk Music Awards

Michael Kornfeld — Tue, 11 Apr 2023 17:10:22 +0000

Winners of this year’s Canadian Folk Music Awards were recognized at a bilingual, celebratory and music-filled event hosted by Benoit Bourque and Chelsey June (of the duo Twin Flames) during the CFMA 2023 Awards Weekend, March 31-April 2, in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Alberta-based singer-songwriter John Wort Hannam picked up two awards (Contemporary Album of the Year and Solo Artist of the Year for his album Long Haul). So too did Allison de Groot & Tatiana Hargreaves (Traditional Album of the Year and Instrumental Group of the Year for Hurricane Clarice) and Toronto-based, genre bending global roots music instrumental group Sultans of String (Global Roots Album of the Year for Sanctuary and Producers of the Year – Chris McKhool and John “Beetle” Bailey). A number of other artists received awards as well.

John Wort Hannan, who previously received a Canadian Folk Music Award for Contemporary Folk Album of the Year, is an acclaimed folk and roots artist who has also been a winner in the prestigious Kerrville New Folk Competition, a three-time grand-prize winner in the Calgary Folk Festival Songwriting Competition (2004, 2007, 2009), the Gold (top) winner in the Folk/Acoustic Category in the 34th Annual Mid-Atlantic Song Contest (2018), and a CBC Galaxie Rising Star Award recipient. The troubadour, whose songs often focus on life in Western Canada and the human experience as seen through the eyes of working people has performed throughout North America and beyond – including during the 2012 Olympic Summer Games in London, UK. Long Haul is Wort Hannam’s eighth studio album.

Here’s a link to the official video for the title track of John Wort Hannam’s album, Long Haul:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zj9cpSFdIJs.

Allison de Groot & Tatiana Hargreaves are a banjo and fiddle duo and are leading players in today’s young generation of roots musicians. Although they have been performing together for several years, de Groot is also known for her intricate clawhammer banjo work with Bruce Molsky, while Hargreaves has accompanied Laurie Lewis and David Rawlings with her powerhouse fiddling and teaches bluegrass fiddle at UNC-Chapel Hill. Hurricane Clarice is the duo’s second album. Blending old and new, its musical repertoire comes from field recordings, old hymns and LPs, as well as modern literary sources and their own original compositions.

Here’s a link to view a video of Allison DeGroot & Tatiana Hargreaves performing tunes from Hurricane Clarice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QzPI7Q5h04.

Sultans of String’s wide-ranging musical palette features elements of Spanish flamenco, Celtic reels, Django-inspired jazz, Arabic, Cuban, and South Asian rhythms, and more. Like Wort Hannam, Sultans of String also was honored for its eighth album during the Canadian Folk Music Awards. Released in November 2021, Sanctuary is the second installment in the band’s Refugee Project, which violinist and bandleader Chris McKhool says is “centered around the positive contributions of refugees and new immigrants to Canada” and tells the story of how to communicate with others through the global language of music. McKhool received a 2021 CFMA as Producer of the Year for its predecessor, Refugee. According to McKhool, Sanctuary’s 11 songs speak to the challenges facing the world’s displaced people – their stories, their songs, their persistence, and their humanity.

Here’s a link to view the official trailer for a film about The Refugee Project that screened during the Canadian Folk Music Awards weekend: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvVe90RJwb4.

The Canadian Folk Music Awards were established in 2005 to bring greater exposure to the breadth and depth of Canadian folk music, celebrating and promoting it in all its forms. This year’s 104 nominees spanned the country from Leader, Saskatchewan to Papineauville, Quebec, and from Salt Spring Island, British Columbia to Fredericton, New Brunswick. They were chosen for each category via two-stage jury process. More than 100 jurors, located across Canada and representing all of its official provinces, territories and languages determine the recipients in each category.

A complete list of winners in the 2023 Canadian Folk Music Awards nominees follows, while
more information may be found online at folkawards.ca.

Children’s Album of the Year / Album jeunesse de l’année
Folk For Little Folk Volume 1 (Gordie Crazylegs MacKeeman)

Contemporary Album of the Year / Album contemporain de l’année
Long Haul (John Wort Hannam)

Contemporary Singer of the Year / Chanteur contemporain de l’année
Kyle McKearney (Down-Home)

English Songwriter(s) / Auteur compositeur(s) anglophone
Abigail Lapell (Stolen Time)

Ensemble of the Year / Groupe de l’année
The Slocan Ramblers (Up the Hill and Through the Fog)

French Songwriter(s) of the Year / Auteur-compositeur(s) francophone de l’année
Geneviève Roberge-Bouchard & Alain Barbeau (J’attends encore)

Global Roots Album of the Year / Album traditions du monde de l’année
Sanctuary (Sultans of String)

Indigenous Songwriter(s) of the Year / Auteur compositeur(s) autochtone de l’année
Amanda Rheaume (The Spaces In Between)

Instrumental Group of the Year / Groupe instrumental de l’année
Allison de Groot & Tatiana Hargreaves (Hurricane Clarice)

Instrumental Solo Artist of the Year / Instrumentiste solo de l’année
Waymzy (Inchoate)

New/Emerging Artist(s) of the Year / Artiste(s) de la relève de l’année
RedFox (Stranger Love)

Oliver Schroer Pushing the Boundaries Award / Prix Innovation musicale Oliver Schroer
Transcestral (Oktoécho)

Producer(s) of the Year / Réalisateur(s) de l’année
Chris McKhool & John ‘Beetle’ Bailey (Sanctuary – Sultans of String)

Single of the Year / Monoplage de l’année
“Sing Me A Song” (William Prince and Serena Ryder)

Solo Artist of the Year / Artiste solo de l’année
John Wort Hannam (Long Haul)

Traditional Album of the Year/ Album traditionnel de l’année
Hurricane Clarice (Allison de Groot & Tatiana Hargreaves)

Traditional Singer of the Year / Chanteur traditionnel de l’année
Lizzy Hoyt (The Parting Glass)

Vocal Group of the Year / Groupe vocal de l’année
The McDades (The Empress)

Young Performer(s) of the Year / Jeune artiste(s) de l’année
Fiddelium (Fiddelium)

Winners Named in Canadian Folk Music Awards

Michael Kornfeld — Sun, 03 Apr 2022 05:30:39 +0000

With three awards each, Allison Russell and Cedric Dind-Lavoie were the big winners in the 2022 Canadian Folk Music Awards that were presented March 31-April 2 in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island and streamed online. They were among the more than 100 nominees from throughout Canada who vied for awards in 19 categories.

Russell was named English Songwriter of the Year and New/Emerging Artist of the Year in recognition of her debut solo album, Outside Child, which was chosen as Contemporary Album of the Year. A soulful Nashville-based, Montreal-born Scottish Grenadian Canadian singer-songwriter, poet, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and activist, she is also a co-founder of Our Native Daughters and Birds of Chicago and was part of Po’ Girl.

Wrought with emotion, Outside Child features 11 original songs “about resilience and survival, transcendence and the redemptive power of art, community, connection, and chosen family,” says Russell, who faced abuse and trauma during her youth that music has helped her to overcome. She showcased her talents and also served as the weekend closing curator at the 63rd annual Newport Folk Festival.

Here’s a link to view Russell’s short 2021 highlights video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QzDTi2GWjI and one to view the official video for her song “Nightflyer,” the first single off Outside Child.

Dind-Lavoie is a Quebecois multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer. As its name suggests, his album Archives is an anthology of archival recordings – in this case field recordings of French-Canadian traditional songs of the 1940s and 1950s, which he accompanies and embellishes with an array of acoustic instruments and sound effects. Recorded last April, Archives also received the 2021 aux prix GAMIQ for Traditional Album of the Year and du prix Aldor creation 2021 du Festival Trad de Montreal.

With Archives, Dind-Lavoie sought to “highlight [and pay tribute to] the quality of these performers, as well as the work of the folklorists who, in a time when there was almost nothing archived, went out into the field to collect these songs, which had to represent a colossal amount of work. In a Facebook post, he referred to his wins as “pretty surreal” and noted that the Oliver Schroer Award recognizing musical innovation especially warms his heart. “What a great idea of a category and a great tribute to this great musician, wrote Dind-Lavoie who, himself, expressed thanks to Corne de brume, Louis Morneau and Marie Pierre Lecault “and to all those shadow singers/musicians who find themselves unknowingly on this album and have to wonder what’s going on from the stars: Benoit Benoit, Joseph Larade, Alphonse Morneau, the Brideau family, Jeanne Savoie, Madeleine Lemieux, Azade Benoit, Eddy Arsenault, Edouard Sanschagran, Henry Poitras.”

Here’s a video link to see Dind-Lavoie accompany a 1957 archival recording of singer Joseph Larade on piano.

The Canadian Folk Music Awards were established in 2005 to bring greater exposure to the breadth and depth of Canadian folk music, celebrating and promoting it in all its forms. More than 100 jurors, located across Canada and representing all of its official provinces, territories and languages determine the recipients in each category. While the awards were presented virtually in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Canada’s leading folk music event – including awards concerts and nominee showcases – adopted a hybrid model this year featuring both live and pre-recorded performances that were presented both to an audience at The Guild, a 160-seat venue in Charlottetown, PEI, and via livestream. Chelsey June of the husband-and-wife duo Twin Flames and Benoit Bourque co-hosted the event. While some honorees accepted their awards in-person, others did so via video.

A complete list of 2022 Canadian Folk Music Awards winners follows, while more information may be found online at folkawards.ca.

Children’s Album of the Year / Album jeunesse de l’année

• Heart Parade by/par Splash ‘N Boots (Ontario)

Contemporary Album of the Year / Album contemporain de l’année

• Outside Child by/par Allison Russell (Quebec)

Contemporary Singer of the Year / Chanteur contemporain de l’année

• Rob Lutes for/pour Come Around (Quebec)

English Songwriter(s) / Auteur compositeur(s) Anglophone

• Allison Russell for/pour Outside Child (Quebec)

Ensemble of the Year / Groupe de l’année

• Elliott Brood for/pour Keeper (Ontario)

French Songwriter(s) of the Year / Auteur-compositeur(s) francophone de l’année

• Reney Ray for/pour À l’ouest du réel (Quebec)

Global Roots Album of the year/ Album traditions du monde de l’année
(Note: This replaces the World Album of the Year.)

• Wutiko by/par Elage Diouf (Quebec)

Indigenous Songwriter(s) of the Year / Auteur compositeur(s) autochtone de l’année

• Chelsey June & Jaaji for/pour Omen (Quebec)

Instrumental Group of the Year / Groupe instrumental de l’année

• Frank Evans & Ben Plotnick for/pour Madison Archives (Ontario)

Instrumental Solo artist of the Year / Instrumentiste solo de l’année

• Cédric Dind-Lavoie for/pour Archives (Quebec)

New/Emerging Artist(s) of the Year / Artiste(s) de la relève de l’année

• Allison Russell for/pour Outside Child (Quebec)

Oliver Schroer Pushing the Boundaries Award / Prix Innovation musicale Oliver Schroer

• Cédric Dind-Lavoie for/pour Archives (Quebec)

Producer(s) of the Year / Réalisateur(s) de l’année

• Cédric Dind-Lavoie, Corne de brume for/pour Archives (Quebec)

Single of the Year / Monoplage de l’année

• “Gospel First Nation” by/par William Prince (Manitoba)

Solo Artist of the Year / Artiste solo de l’année

• Alicia Toner for/pour Joan (Prince Edward Island)

Traditional Album of the Year / Album traditionnel de l’année

• Kitchen Days by/par Braden Gates (Alberta)

Traditional Singer of the Year / Chanteur traditionnel de l’année

• Ewelina Ferenc (of Polky) for/pour Songs From Home (Ontario)

Vocal Group of the Year / Groupe vocal de l’année

• Twin Flames for/pour Omen (Quebec)

Young Performer(s) of the Year / Jeune artiste(s) de l’année

• Isabella Samson for/pour If It’s Not Forever (Nova Scotia)

As previously reported on AcousticMusicScene.com, the Slaight Music Unsung Hero Award was presented to Genevieve Nadeau. A leading figure in Quebec’s trad music and song scene, Nadeau manages the Quebecois folk group Le Vent du Nord, co-founded and runs La Compagnie due Nord – producing hundreds of concerts annually around the world, and produces CDs and music videos, helped launch the Festival Chants de Vielles, serves on the board of Folquebec, and has been a cultural ambassador for Quebecois music.

The Canadian Folk Music Awards also paid tribute to Grit and Judith Laskin, stalwarts of the Canadian folk music scene and founding board members of the CFMAs.

2022 Canadian Folk Music Awards Concerts & Showcases Stream Online, March 31-April 2

Michael Kornfeld — Mon, 28 Mar 2022 14:27:55 +0000

While the Canadian Folk Music Awards have been presented virtually over the past two years due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Canada’s leading folk music event – including awards concerts and nominee showcases – will be presented live and in-person at The Guild in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island and livestreamed March 31-April 2, 2022.

Both performers and organizers look forward to connecting with audiences directly across a stage and online, and a mix of live and video performances will be presented in what will be the CFMAs first hybridized event. “I am proud that 2022 will see the CFMAs return, safely and with great care, to in-person shows,” said Graham Lindsey, co-president of the Canadian Folk Music Awards. “We will combine live and virtual performances in our free live stream of all events to ensure everyone unable to travel to PEI feels part of the event. We are doing a lot to make this a special show for all, whether joining us virtually or in Charlottetown.”

Although The Guild can only accommodate 160 people, many more are expected to view the musical celebration streaming free of charge via the CFMA website (folkawards.ca and prixfolk.ca) on the CFMA Facebook page and YouTube channel. Chelsey June of the duo Twin Flames and Benoit Bourque co-host the bilingual awards concerts. There will be six nominee performances each night during the Awards Concerts and an additional 10 during the Tradworks and Songwriter Nominees showcases.

Here’s the performance schedule:

Thursday, March 31 @ 6:30 p.m. EDT/7:30 p.m. ADT: Songs and Stories – Songwriters Nominee Showcase

David Laronde (Ontario), David Lesak (Ontario), Guillaume Beaulac (Quebec), Phyllis Sinclair (Alberta), Emiliie Landry (New Brunswick), and Rick Fines (Ontario)

Friday, April 1 @ 6:30 p.m. EDT/7:30 p.m. ADT: Awards Concert Show (Night 1)

The Fugitives (British Columbia), Elage Diouf (Quebec), Nicolas Boulerice (Quebec), Rob Lutes (Quebec), Polky (Ontario), and Twin Flames (Ontario)

Saturday, April 2 @ 12 p.m. EDT/ 1 p.m. ADT: Tradworks – Traditional Music Nominee Showcase
(featuring Celtic, Quebecois, English, Appalachian and Canadian mountain music)

Bumarang (Quebec), Grosse Isle (Quebec), The Wardens (Alberta), and Rosier (Quebec)

Saturday, April 2 @ 6:30 p.m. EDT/7:30 p.m. ADT: Awards Concert Show (Night 2)

Dana Sipos (British Columbia), Eliana Cuevas (Ontario), Morgan Toney (Nova Scotia), Bouches Bees (Quebec), Ian Tamblyn ((Ontario), and Alicia Toner (Prince Edward Isle)

Genevieve Nadeau will receive the Slaight Music Unsung Hero Award.

As previously reported on AcousticMusicScene.com (https://acousticmusicscene.com/2021/09/29/canadian-folk-music-awards-nominees-named-2/), Rob Lutes (Come Around) and Allison Russell (Outside Child) top the list of nominees for the 2022 Canadian Folk Music Awards with four nods each, while Cedric Dind-Lavoie, Whitehorse, The Hello Darlins, Rosier, Rick Fines, and Poly snagged three nominations each. They are among the 105 nominees from throughout Canada vying for awards in 19 categories. The virtual CFMA Awards Concerts will also include the presentation of the Slaight Music Unsung Hero Award to Genevieve Nadeau. A leading figure in Quebec’s Trad music and song scene, Nadeau manages the Quebecois folk group Le Vent du Nord, co-founded and runs La Compagnie due Nord – producing hundreds of concerts annually around the world, and produces CDs and music videos, helped launch the Festival Chants de Vielles, serves on the board of Folquebec, and has been a cultural ambassador for Quebecois music.

The Canadian Folk Music Awards were established in 2005 to bring greater exposure to the breadth and depth of Canadian folk music, celebrating and promoting it in all its forms. This year’s nominees span the country from Whitehorse, Yukon to Cambellton, New Brunswick, and from Banff, Alberta to Halifax, Nova Scotia. They were chosen for each category via two-stage jury process. More than 100 jurors, located across Canada and representing all of its official provinces, territories and languages determine the recipients in each category.

A complete list of 2022 Canadian Folk Music Awards nominees follows, while more information may be found online at folkawards.ca. And here’s a link to view a recording of the 2022 CFMA nominee announcement made last September 28.

Children’s Album of the Year / Album jeunesse de l’année

• Campfire Time! by/par Peter Lenton aka Peter Puffin’s Whale Tales (AB)
• Falling in Africa by/par Garth Prince (AB)
• Believe in Your Magic by/par Penny Pom Pom (BC)
• Heart Parade by/par Splash’N Boots (ON)
• Think About the Wild by/par Remy Rodden (YT)

Contemporary Album of the Year / Album contemporain de l’année

• XO, 1945 by/par Ryland Moranz (AB)
• All This Time Running by/par Craig Cardiff (ON)
• Solar Powered Too by/par Rick Fines (ON)
• Voyageur In Song by/par David Leask (ON)
• Outside Child by/par Allison Russell (QC)
• À l’ouest du réel by/par Reney Ray (QC)
• Come Around by/par Rob Lutes (QC)
• Encounter by/par BEYRIES (QC)

Contemporary Singer of the Year / Chanteur contemporain de l’année

• Kelly Bado for/pour Hey Terre (MB)
• Terra Spencer for/pour Chasing Rabbits (NS)
• Craig Cardiff for/pour All This Time Running (ON)
• Denise Flack for/pour Good Water (ON)
• Rob Lutes for/pour Come Around (QC)

English Songwriter(s) / Auteur compositeur(s) anglophone

• Scott Cook for/pour Tangle of Souls (AB)
• Noah Reid for/pour Gemini (ON)
• Rick Fines for/pour Solar Powered Too (ON)
• Allison Russell for/pour Outside Child (QC)
• Ian Tamblyn for/pour A Longing for Innocence (QC)
• Rob Lutes for/pour Come Around (QC)

Ensemble of the Year / Groupe de l’année

• The Hello Darlins for/pour Go By Feel (AB)
• The Fugitives for/pour Trench Songs (BC)
• Elliott BROOD for/pour Keeper (ON)
• OKAN for/pour Espiral (ON)
• Whitehorse for/pour Modern Love (ON)

French Songwriter(s) of the Year / Auteur-compositeur(s) francophone de l’année

• Émilie Landry for/pour Arroser les fleurs (NB)
• Anne-Sophie Doré-Coulombe for/pour Nos maisons (QC)
• Flavie Léger-Roy for/pour Les trous dans les coeurs (QC)
• Guillaume Beaulac for/pour Guillaume Beaulac (QC)
• Reney Ray for/pour À l’ouest du réel (QC)

Global Roots Album of the year/ Album traditions du monde de l’année
(Note: This replaces the World Album of the Year.)

• El Currucha by/par Eliana Cuevas (feat. Aquiles Báez) (ON)
• Espiral by/par OKAN (ON)
• Songs From Home by/par Polky (ON)
• VelkomBak by/par Gypsy Kumbia Orchestra (QC)
• Wutiko by/par Elage Diouf (QC)

Indigenous Songwriter(s) of the Year / Auteur compositeur(s) autochtone de l’année

• Phyllis Sinclair for/pour Ghost Bones (AB)
• Morgan Toney for/pour First Flight (NS)
• David Laronde for/pour I Know I Can Fly (ON)
• Chelsey June & Jaaji for/pour Omen (QC)
• Laura Niquay for/pour Waska Matisiwin (QC)

Instrumental Group of the Year / Groupe instrumental de l’année

• Amber & Zebulun for/pour South of North, East of West (ON)
• Shane Cook & The Woodchippers for/pour Be Here for a While (ON)
• Frank Evans & Ben Plotnick for/pour Madison Archives (ON)
• Bùmarang for/pour Echo Land (QC)
• Oktopus for/pour Créature (QC)

Instrumental Solo artist of the Year / Instrumentiste solo de l’année

• Adam Young for/pour Yearbook (NS)
• Maneli Jamal for/pour Soul Odyssey (ON)
• Cédric Dind-Lavoie for/pour Archives (QC)
• Dave Clarke for/pour The Healing Garden (QC)
• Olivier Demers for/pour À l’envers d’un monde (QC)

New/Emerging Artist(s) of the Year / Artiste(s) de la relève de l’année

• The Hello Darlins for/pour Go By Feel (AB)
• Oxlip for/pour Your Mother Was A Peacock (BC)
• Noah Reid for/pour Gemini (ON)
• Polky for/pour Songs From Home (ON)
• Allison Russell for/pour Outside Child (QC)
• David Lafleche for/pour Everyday Son (QC)

Oliver Schroer Pushing the Boundaries Award / Prix Innovation musicale Oliver Schroder

• Decoration Day for/pour Makeshift Future (ON)
• Speaker Face for/pour Crescent (ON)
• Briga for/pour Territoire (QC)
• Allison Russell for/pour Outside Child (QC)
• Cédric Dind-Lavoie for/pour Archives (QC)
• Rosier for/pour Légèrement (QC)

Producer(s) of the Year / Réalisateur(s) de l’année

• David Travers-Smith, Fernando Rosa, Annabelle Chvostek for/pour String of Pearls (ON)
• Luke Doucet, Melissa McClelland for/pour Modern Love (ON)
• Cédric Dind-Lavoie, Corne de brume for/pour Archives (QC)
• Quinn Bachand for/pour Légèrement (QC)
• Rob Lutes, Rob MacDonald for/pour Come Around (QC)

Single of the Year / Monoplage de l’année

• Still Waters by/par The Hello Darlins (feat. Matt Andersen) (AB)
• Never Mind The Weather by/par Big Little Lions (BC)
• Gospel First Nation by/par William Prince (MB)
• Everything Reminds Me by/par The Deep Dark Woods (NS)
• Yellow Snow by/par Andrea Bettger (NT)
• Elmira (Remix) by/par The East Pointers (feat. Lonely Kid) (PEI)
• Pontoise by/par Rosier (QC)
• The River by/par Loryn Taggart (QC)

Solo Artist of the year / Artiste solo de l’année

• Dana Sipos for/pour The Astral Plane (BC)
• William Prince for/pour Gospel First Nation (MB)
• Laura Smith for/pour As Long As I’m Dreaming (NS)
• Maneli Jamal for/pour Soul Odyssey (ON)
• Rick Fines for/pour Solar Powered Too (ON)
• Alicia Toner for/pour Joan (PEI)

Traditional Album of the year / Album traditionnel de l’année

• Kitchen Days by/par Braden Gates (AB)
• Alive by/par Fred Eaglesmith & Tif Ginn (ON)
• Be Here for a While by/par Shane Cook & The Woodchippers (ON)
• Le bonhomme Sept Heures / The Bonesetter by/par Grosse Isle (QC)
• Les sessions du Vices & Versa – 15th Anniversary by/par David Boulanger (QC)

Traditional Singer of the year / Chanteur traditionnel de l’année

• Ray Schmidt for/pour Sold Out at the Ironwood (AB)
• Pat Chessell for/pour The Road Not Taken (BC)
• Ewelina Ferenc for/pour Songs From Home (ON)
• Nicolas Boulerice for/pour Maison de pierre – Confiné au voyages (QC)
• Sophie Lavoie for/pour Le bonhomme Sept Heures / The Bonesetter (QC)

Vocal Group of the year / Groupe vocal de l’année

• The Fugitives for/pour Trench Songs (BC)
• The Gilberts for/pour Tell Me (NS)
• Whitehorse for/pour Modern Love (ON)
• Les Bouches Bées for/pour Les trous dans les coeurs (QC)
• Twin Flames for/pour Omen (QC)

Young Performer(s) of the year / Jeune artiste(s) de l’année

• Paige Penney for/pour When All is Said and Done (NL)
• Isabella Samson for/pour If It’s Not Forever (NS)
• Hannah Thomas for/pour Christmas Don’t Be Late (ON)
• Irish Millie for/pour Thirteen (ON)
• The Broken Bridges for/pour The Porch Sessions (ON)

Quick Q & A with Annie Sumi

Michael Kornfeld — Tue, 08 Mar 2022 23:57:18 +0000

By Kathy Sands-Boehmer

Annie Sumi is an ethereal folk artist from Canada, whose intimate and expansive music invites listeners into a familiar otherworld. Inspired by the mirrored relationship between physical and emotional landscapes, the young, Ontario-based singer-songwriter’s music speaks of human experience through the language of the senses. She has toured across Canada, parts of the U.S. and Europe, and released three albums since 2015. Kathy Sands-Boehmer, chief innovator and merry-maker at Harbortown Music, recently asked Annie Sumi some questions about her music — including her latest recording, Solastagia, which was released last fall.

Annie Sumi showcases her talents during the 2018 Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) Conference (Photo: Jake Jacobson)
Annie Sumi has been on my list of potential interviewees for some time, and I was glad to have the opportunity to pose some questions to her—especially about the newest addition to her discography, Solastalgia. As you’ll see from my questions below, I was rather taken with the entire concept of this album. I highly recommend that you listen closely and listen to every track to fully absorb all the textures, nuances, and powerful lyrics at once.

Annie’s musical imagination soars in all her recordings but this latest offering is far and away her best yet. Annie articulates her love of nature and humankind, and it comes through in each and every note. A native of Whitby, Ontario, Annie has been playing her contemporary folk songs to audiences for the past several years and has won over artists from coast to coast. Her style definitely evokes an ethereal sense of wisdom beyond her years. Annie has collected numerous nominations for new and emerging artists in Canada and as music writer Sarah Greene of Exclaim says: “Sumi’s music has a mystical bent. With her pure voice, finger-picked guitar, and smiling banter, she communicated joy and wonder.” My humble advice: check out her music and find yourself a nice, comfortable place to just be in the present and listen to her. You’ll feel refreshed and happy that you did so after taking the time to listen. For more information about Annie, visit her website. Look for upcoming shows with Annie and Travis Knapp.

Here’s a video of “Over the Hills” which will give you an excellent glimpse into Annie Sumi’s music.

Can you please to explain the Rainer Maria Rilke quote “I live my life in widening circles that reach out across the world” that sits atop your website home page. Is it the making of your music that makes this quote resonate with you?

This quote reminds me of the ways that sound reverberates out into the world. It also brings up images of when you drop a stone into a quiet lake, and the water ripples out – on and on – touching the distant shores. I suppose ruminating on this quote helps me to remember that every little thing that we do reaches out across the world energetically, and it inspires me to ‘drop stones in the water’ with good intention.

Tell us about your upbringing in Canada. Did you gravitate towards music at an early age? If so, did you pick up any musical instruments at that time and did you start to experiment with them?

I started learning piano when I was around six years old, and it was really fun until I got bored of playing classical music and found myself gravitating to more popular songs. I usually credit the singing to my Scottish heritage because everyone who came in and out of my Grannie’s house had to sing a “wee” song – that definitely encouraged the silly, playful, and performative parts of me! It wasn’t until I was in high school that I started experimenting on guitar. I took some lessons at the local school, The Music Scene, and then began writing my own tunes.

Did the fact that you are of mixed race affect your musical outlook on life? Did you have any particular influences that inspired you?

I like to think that the Scottish part of my family inspired the performative, sing-songy side of my writing; and, perhaps, the Japanese part of my family inspired the introspective, poetic parts of my writing! I think I am still understanding how being of mixed-race has informed my creative life, and the ways that I am interested in deepening my relationship to my ancestors.

Listening to your newest album, Solastalgia was a perfect opportunity for me to concentrate deeply on your music and appreciate the beautiful sounds and timely lyrics. I chose not to read anything about your album before listening and it brought me great comfort to realize that I had, in fact, tuned into your world and sonically experienced what you must have felt as you were creating the songs in Banff. Tell us a bit about your experience writing the songs amidst the beauty and wonders of Alberta.

Spending time in the mountains was profoundly beautiful. The landscape inspires so much awe – a perfect space to inhabit while writing. At the time I was writing this album, I was walking with grief and trying to soften the hard edges of my heart toward a deeper wisdom. I was in the throes of “global dread” and “environmental anxiety”, but, after reading Glenn Albrecht’s Earth Emotions, I felt more equipped to “name” my grief and walk beside it without allowing it to overtake me. Writing these songs were part of my process in rediscovering hope, awe, and wonder for this beautiful earth, and inspiration to continue trying to find meaningful ways of meeting the urgent call towards action.

Annie Sumi performs during the 2018 NERFA Conference (Photo: Ethan Baird)
You chose to entitle the album Solastalgia which means “a homesickness you have when are still at home” explaining that there is a disconnect between being on earth and remembering to take care of it. Do you have any practical advice to suggest how we can be better inhabitants and caretakers of this planet?

Joanna Macy has been an abundant well of inspiration and resource on my own journey of remembering. She often talks about how we cannot grieve or stand up for something that we do not love, or see ourselves connected to… For that reason alone, I feel like the most essential thing we can do as a species is to reconnect with the natural world and open our hearts to its beauty. Perhaps, then, as a collective, we would feel inspired to stand up against the capital-driven injustices that threaten these wild spaces and recognize that the people that have been protecting these lands deserve physical and financial support, media visibility, and national acknowledgment.

I was particularly taken with the meditative beginning track, “Circles” and how it works as a welcome to the rest of the album and slides smoothly into “Over the Hills.” The songs are very calming and speak to the listener as a way of imaging the people who inhabited the earth years and even centuries in the past. Did your imagination run wild as you created these songs?

This is a fun question! Ha-ha! My imagination tends to run wild, and this collection of songs definitely cultivated a space for the imagination to thrive! But I wasn’t thinking a lot about people that have inhabited this earth in the past… in fact, a lot of these songs were written with an intention to be as present as possible. I was hoping that it would inspire listeners to feel the power, magic, whimsy, desperation and joy accessible in this moment, and feel awake to their lives.

Annie Sumi (Photo: Michael Kornfeld)
strong>“Psychoterra” is another song that struck me as being cosmic on many levels. It feels like you were channeling indigenous people who inhabited the land, and the subtle percussion brings the listener right into the next song called “Mother.” Am I correct in assuming you are speaking of Mother Earth and that lyrics of that song address climate change and all that that means to us now and in the future?

Definitely. ‘Mother’ speaks to the body of the earth, and inquires if there is still time to rise and meet the challenges we face related to the declining climate. It was written in a moment when I was physically unable to stand up in protest, so I felt compelled to write this song.

Can you give us some insight into your song “Fleur?” I love the strong female characterization! I love the power in your voice–you set the tone perfectly but I want to know what prompted you to write this intriguing song.

“Fleur” was inspired by Louise Erdich’s character in her novel Tracks. The character depicts a strong, Indigenous woman that is connected to some primordial powers that allow her to retaliate against her oppressors. “Fleur” was so intriguing that I felt compelled to write about her journey and the ferocity of her character.

How would you compare the music on Solastalgia to the songs on your other albums?

I think Solastalgia is the most conceptual body of work that I have written up to this point. I had a very clear idea of how to weave textures throughout the album that linked the beginning, middle, and end. I wonder if writing 80% of this album in the same place contributed to the thematic nature of the album!

Is there any kind of musical project that you would love to do that you haven’t done yet?

There are hundreds of musical projects that I would love to do and haven’t done yet! So, I will report back when those snippets of experimental sounds come into fruition in some way!

Kathy Sands-Boehmer
Kathy Sands-Boehmer is an enthusiastic and tireless presenter, promoter and supporter of independent musicians. For years, she booked and promoted artists, new and old, at a well-respected 225-seat venue north of Boston, Massachusetts; was an active leader of the Boston Area Coffeehouse Association (BACHA), and a past board member and vice president of Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA). She has mentored, coached, and managed a variety of artists and formerly co-hosted a podcast, Through the Musical Cosmos. Kathy recently launched Harbortown Music as a resource for musicians and venues – building community, while promoting and presenting high-quality music and also hosts livestreams under its banner – occasionally partnering with AcousticMusicScene.com’s Michael Kornfeld. This and many previous Q & A interviews are archived on her blog, Everything Sundry, as well as in the Featured section of AcousticMusicScene.com.

Folk from the North Country Live Streams Jan. 26

Michael Kornfeld — Sat, 22 Jan 2022 14:40:00 +0000

Kathy Sands-Boehmer’s Harbortown Music and Michael Kornfeld’s AcousticMusicScene.com team up to present Folk from the North Country – a livestream concert featuring Ontario, Canada-based artists Benjamin Dakota Rogers, Angela Saini and The Young Novelists – on Wednesday, January 26, at 7:30 p.m. EST. Featuring songs and conversation, the show can be viewed online at Harbortown Music’s Facebook page or YouTube channel. It may also be shared via the AcousticMusicScene.com group on Facebook. Although there is no set fee to view the livestream, tips for the artists would be most appreciated (suggested donation: $20) and may be made via paypalme.com/harbortownmusic.

About the Artists:

Hailing from the countryside of rural Ontario, Benjamin Dakota Rogers is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist channels his penchant for starry nights and nostalgia into a stylized, hard-driving and powerful Americana sound full of heartbreak and grit featuring guitar, banjo, upright bass, and fiddle. He has released three full-length solo recordings, showcased his talents at the Philadelphia Folk Festival, among others, and has been a four-time international songwriting competition winner and a two-time Canadian Folk Music Awards nominee.

Here’s a link to view a few of Benjamin’s videos: benjamindakotarogers.com/videos.

Angela Saini is a Canadian prairie-raised, Toronto- based folk-pop Americana artist with a positive and uplifting outlook on life. She is all about second chances and empowering others. A 2020 Independent Music Award Nominee and 2017 Toronto Independent Music Award winner, she uplifts and inspires audiences with sing-alongs and storytelling about courage and finding joy in surprising places. Angela has five Canadian tours under her belt, as well as several treks across Germany, The Netherlands and the UK. Best known for her sunshine-soaked song “Living on the Bright Side,” she has showcased her talents at the Philadelphia Folk Festival and at a number of Canadian music festivals. Her ability to combine humanistic and honest themes laden with catchy hooks and memorable melodies make her entertaining as well as relatable.

Here’s a link to view a few of Angela’s videos: angelasaini.com/videos.

The Young Novelists create contemporary folk songs that marry effortless harmonies with darkly poetic lyrics, exquisitely crafted hooks, and the unique sound of bowed glockenspiel. The award-winning Toronto-based husband-and-wife folk-roots duo of Graydon James and Laura Spink share a passion for confessional storytelling and sing songs about small towns, redemption, love and loss. The duo has toured across Canada, the U.S. and Europe and has released three studio albums and a live recording. In 2015, The Young Novelists were named New/Emerging Artist of the Year in the Canadian Folk Music Awards and took first place in the Grassy Hill-CT Folk Songwriting Competition during the 10th annual Connecticut Folk Festival, while James won the Ontario Arts Council’s Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award for “Couldn’t Be Any Worse.” The duo has also played coveted juried official showcases during the Folk Alliance International conference and those of its northeast and southeast regional affiliates (NERFA and SERFA).

To view a few videos, visit youngnovelists.com/videos.

About Your Hosts:

The livestream marks a renewed partnership of sorts for Michael Kornfeld and Kathy Sands-Boehmer, who served as president and vice president, respectively, of the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) for several years and also co-coordinated one-day conferences and a series of showcases. Kornfeld, a veteran strategic communications and public relations professional – whose clients have included a number of independent recording artists and labels – launched AcousticMusicScene.com in 2007 to provide news, information and commentary for the folk, roots and singer-songwriter communities. The longtime president of the Folk Music Society of Huntington, a nonprofit presenting organization on Long Island, NY, Kornfeld also serves on the board of Folk Alliance International, curates the annual Huntington Folk Festival, and hosts showcases at various music conferences and festivals. Sands-Boehmer, who served as the booking and publicity manager for Me & Thee Coffeehouse in Marblehead, MA for many years, was an active leader in the Boston Area Coffeehouse Association (BACHA), and has also served as an artist manager, recently launched Harbortown Music as a resource for musicians and venues — building community, while promoting and presenting high-quality music. She works with Stephen Bach of The Digital Docs, who engineers all of Harbortown Music’s virtual shows and lends his technical expertise to the participating artists as well.

Winners Named in Canadian Folk Music Awards

Michael Kornfeld — Mon, 12 Apr 2021 21:24:40 +0000

The 2021 Canadian Folk Music Awards were presented virtually during a pair of 90-minute evening livestreams via the CFMA website and Facebook page, April 10-11.

British Columbia-based folk duo Pharis & Jason Romero, who had topped the list of nominees with six nominations for their album, Bet On Love, won both Ensemble and Vocal Group of the Year, while Pharis was named Traditional Singer of the Year. William Prince, a storytelling country-folk singer-songwriter from Peguis First Nation, who had received five nods for Reliever, won Contemporary Album of the Year and was named English Songwriter of the Year. Beòlach– a band known for both its original compositions and innovative arrangements of traditional Cape Breton, Scottish and Irish tunes — was named the winner in both the categories for which it was nominated – Instrumental Group and Traditional Album of the Year. They were among 100 nominees from throughout Canada who vied for awards in 19 categories, plus the Unsung Hero Award.

[Here’s a link to view a CBC Music video of concert featuring the songs from William Prince’s Reliever album: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7rkKq6FoRw.]

Like last year, the awards celebration was to have taken place in-person in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, but was streamed online instead due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Observing social distancing protocols, Benoit Bourque and Jean Hewson co-hosted the bilingual event from 1,600 miles apart. Each of the award recipients shared short recorded acceptance remarks, while the awards extravaganza was punctuated by pre-recorded performances by some of the nominees.

A two-stage jury process featuring 100 jurors based across Canada and representing all official provinces, territories and languages determined the official recipients in each of 19 categories.

The Canadian Folk Music Awards were established in 2005 to bring greater exposure to the breadth and depth of Canadian folk music, celebrating and promoting it in all its forms. The annual presentation of awards caps a few days of artist showcases.

A complete list of 2021 CFMA nominees follows, while more information may be found online at https://folkawards.ca.

Contemporary Album of the Year: Reliever by William Prince

Contemporary Singer of the Year: Coco Love Alcorn for Rebirth

Traditional Album of the Year: All Hands by Beòlach

Traditional Singer of the Year: Pharis Romero for Bet On Love

Solo Artist of the Year: Julian Taylor for The Ridge

Single of the Year: “Some Kind of Hell” by Burnstick (Producers: Jason & Nadia Burnstick)

English Songwriter(s) of the Year: William Prince for Reliever

French Songwriter(s) of the Year: Marie-Ève Lapierre-Lemoyne for Onze

Indigenous Songwriter(s) of the Year: Leela Gilday for North Star Calling

Ensemble of the Year: Pharis & Jason Romero for Bet On Love

Instrumental Group of the Year: Beòlach for All Hands

Instrumental Solo Artist of the Year: Marc Atkinson for Solo

Vocal Group of the Year: Pharis & Jason Romero for Bet On Love

New/Emerging Artist(s) of the Year: Noah Derksen for America, Dreaming

Young Performer(s) of the Year: The Gilberts for The Gilberts: One

Children’s Album of the Year: Broccoli Farm by Claire Ness

World Album of the Year: Kora flamenca by Zal Sissokho

Producer(s) of the Year: Chris McKhool & John ‘Beetle’ Bailey for Refuge (Sultans of String)

Oliver Schroer Pushing the Boundaries Award:Aerialists for Dear Sienna

Linus Entertainment Acquires Borealis Records

Michael Kornfeld — Wed, 13 Jan 2021 14:01:02 +0000

Linus Entertainment, a leading Canadian rights management company, distributor and music publisher whose portfolio of labels also includes Stony Plain Records, True North Records and others, has acquired the catalog of Borealis Records, an artist-focused Canadian folk and roots music label.

“We have partnered with Linus Entertainment for some 13 years in distribution and they have been our partners in the best sense,” said Grit Laskin and Bill Garrett in a joint statement announcing the transition. Laskin (also a noted luthier) and Garrett (an in-demand producer) founded Borealis in 1996, along with fellow musicians Paul Mills and Ken Whitely. The label was committed to recording only Canadian artists, seeking out artists from all of Canada’s regions, entering into “ethical artist agreements that are fair and typically more generous than what is the industry standard, “ and presenting all the diverse styles of music under the folk and roots umbrella.

“It has been a joy to work with Grit and Bill and their wonderful artists,” said Geoff Kulawick, president and CEO of Linus Entertainment. “Taking on the responsibility of managing the Borealis catalog, which includes many ever-green musical gems of Canadian culture and folklore was a natural fit as we know the music well, so transition for the artists and our global distribution partners will be seamless.”

The Borealis catalog includes more than 200 titles. Among the more than 60 artists who called the label home are The Bills, The Bombadils, La Bottine Souriante, Jon Brooks, Michael Jerome Browne, The Fugitives, Beppe Gambetta, Gathering Sparks, Eve Goldberg, James Gordon, James Keelaghan, Linda McRae, Melisande (electrotrad), Evelyn Parry, Nathan Rogers, Pharis & Jason Romero, Chris Ronald, Oliver Schroer, Jayme Stone, Shari Ulrich, Le Vent du Nord, Ken Whiteley, and the late Ron Hynes, Penny Lang, Stan Rogers, Laura Smith, and Jackie Washington.

“Being an artist on Borealis has been a wonderful thing,” said Eve Goldberg, a Toronto-based singer-songwriter and part of the folk-roots duo Gathering Sparks. “On the artist side, they have always acted with great integrity and respect for the music and the musicians, and I think they’ve made a big difference for a number of artists. It has always felt like they are part of my music community, and that means a lot in the midst of this business.’

Goldberg has been associated with Borealis since its inception — having initially handled artist relations and a variety of administrative tasks for the label. “When Borealis started, there weren’t many Canadian labels that were releasing folk music, and as an independent artist it was challenging to get your music out there,” she said. “ I think [Borealis] made a huge difference on the Canadian folk scene. They were never in it to get rich (who gets rich off of folk music anyway??). They were purely motivated by love for the music, wanting to help artists’ careers, and wanting to lift the profile of folk music in Canada and beyond…. Although I’m sad to see Borealis ending this phase of its life, I know that True North will be a great new home for Borealis artists and for the Canadian folk music Borealis has nurtured for 25 years.”

James Gordon, a Guelph, Ontario-based singer-songwriter, best known for his topical songs about Canada’s identity and heritage, shares her sentiments. “I’m doubly grateful for all the nurturing support that Borealis has offered me for the last 20 years, and for the fact that they have found a home for all of us Borealis artists with True North Records, where I know I’ll be well looked after.”

Gordon, who has released more than two-dozen solo recordings and was a founding member of the Canadian folk trio Tamarack, noted that when he started out in the music biz more than 40 years ago his Canadian music heroes like Bruce Cockburn and Murray McLachlin were on the new True North label. “I always dreamed that some day I’d join them, and that seems now to have accidentally happened.”

“I have nothing but respect for any label that manages to survive in these challenging times,” Gordon told AcousticMusicScene.com. “In the pandemic, purchasing CDs and downloads (definitely not streaming) is pretty much the only source of income for many of us in this biz, so I am extra pleased that there appears to be a smooth transition for Borealites,” he added.

“For an independent artist, they were a perfect – always there to answer questions, confer on strategy, bolster my confidence in my work – and always in the audience when I was in the same town,” said singer-songwriter Shari Ulrich, who signed on with Borealis in 2013. “In 50 years I have run the gamut of the full range of worldwide deals on major labels, to releasing albums completely independently, and Borealis filled a critical sweet spot in Canadian music.”

Ulrich continued: “Bill and Grit and their team also became very good friends, as I suspect they did with all of their artists. I always sensed that they had my best interest at the forefront, as I do now as they hand off their roster to True North Records. As with everything else these days, I can’t predict what the future holds, but I know and trust Geoff Kulawick to share their principles (and taste in music!) and hope to find a good home there,’ she added.

“We have been most fortunate in being able to work with a large number of very fine artists over the years,” Laskin and Garrett acknowledged. “Their music has been a constant source of inspiration and the friendships made will be life-long. Although we leave the business of running a record company behind we by no means will be leaving music.”

For his part, Laskin said that he continues building guitars full-time and serving in a volunteer capacity as president of the Canadian Folk Music Awards board of directors. He’s also been part of the band Friends of Fiddler’s Green for nearly 50 years. Laskin, who has published four books, two coffee-table tomes and a novel, informs AcousticMusicScene.com that he also is engaged in research for another novel. “In short, there is no lack of things to keep me out of trouble,” he said.