5 things to know about Folk Music Ontario's big London party
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In a city with growing music heft, one that’s held the Juno Awards and the Canadian Country Music Awards, Ontario’s folk music industry touches down Thursday for a four-day conference and awards show in London. Reporter Beatriz Baleeiro runs the 101 on the event.
WHO ARE THE STARS?
Many people have no trouble rattling off the names of Canada’s biggest rock acts and country stars, but folk music is a little more niche, so you’d be forgiven if big names don’t instantly spring to mind. Organizers hope the festival will “open people’s minds” to folk music, with visitors able to sample a wide range of music from reggae, to New Orleans brass, French chamber folk music and sea shanties, said Rosalyn Dennett, Folk Music Ontario’s executive director. The big names, she said, include London’s The Pairs, a quartet made up of classically trained singers Hilary Watson and twin sisters Noelle and Renee Coughlin, along with drummer Steve Plimmer. Others include Shauit, a singer-songwriter from Quebec who combines First Nations, pop-rock and reggae in his work, and King Cardiac, a Toronto band fronted by Gabriel DeSantis that’s made waves in soul and R&B and counts some cool videos you can find online.
Other local bands sharing the festival’s stage with international names are Oh, Berlin and Anddre Mafra & The Reflections, alongside Charm of Finches from Australia and Ronja Maltzhan from Germany.
MEET THE MUSICIANS
For music lovers, no matter the genre, the chance to get up close and personal with performers is always a big draw during industry awards and the lead-up to them. The festival’s intimate space, combining the theatre at Fanshawe College’s downtown school of digital and performing arts, at 137 Dundas St., and nearby Market Lane, equipped with state of state-of-the-art sound systems, will allow fans to catch the performances and interact with artists, buy merchandise and even get albums signed.
LOCAL TALENT/FREE PERFORMANCES
Besides The Pairs, Oh, Berlin and Anddre Mafra & The Reflections, another featured local artist is Emily Jean Flack, a singer-songwriter whose website says she blends traditional Celtic and modern sounds and whose performances include percussive step dancing. At least one London artist performs each night. Thursday to Saturday, in free concerts that begin at 7:30 p.m. in Fanshawe College’s Good Foundation Theatre off Market Lane, and total 12 acts over the three nights.
RED CARPET
Few entertainment awards bashes are complete without the red carpet, where nominated stars in the spotlight mug for the cameras and their fans, and this one is no different. Weather permitting, you can catch the red carpet reception outside the Aeolian Hall, site of the awards ceremony, between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. on Sunday. If it rains, things shift indoors. The ticketed awards show, hosted by The Pairs and including live performances, begins at 2 p.m. and will honour artists in six categories including recording artist of the year.
THE BUSINESS
Because the lead-up to the awards show is a conference, the business end of music also looms large, with a variety of events – panel discussions, workshops and networking events and more – scheduled at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel for artists, managers, producers and others in the industry. One session is called “How to make a living as an artist without destroying the world.”
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