Thank you, Mr. Speaker. During the week of July 18–20, Folk on the Rocks will be hosting their annual summer music festival. This year’s theme is Global Fusion, and it is an exploration of what multicultural means in Canada today.
For 28 years Folk on the Rocks has been bringing music to the shores of Long Lake. The festival is one of the NWT’s premier musical events. It is known as a culturally diverse event, which includes a 50-50 split between northern and southern performers.
The festival has always supported northern performers and has been a great opportunity for these northern performers to play alongside and collaborate with established southern performers. This exposure is incredibly valuable to these northern performers and helps them enhance their current skills.
Folk on the Rocks should be very proud of their contribution to the northern music scene. They’ve made a real difference in the lives of many northern performers.
This year’s line-up is spectacular, both from a southern and a northern point of view. Artists include Juno-nominated Jill Barber, one of Canada’s most renowned singer-songwriters; Toronto-based Elliott Brood, who plays dark, gritty folk music and howling bluegrass; B.C.-born and Toronto-based Ndidi Onukwulu, who has a voice you just won’t forget; Malajube, with their rock punk and bubblegum pop sounds for everyone to enjoy; the Mushfiq Ensemble, singing in a dozen different languages; Shane Philip, with a musical tapestry including reggae, ska, folk, funk and rock; from Fort Smith, State of the Art, a hard-rocking band with
raw grit and intensity; Four Leaf Clover, St. Patrick High School’s own jazz band, well worth a listen; Shea Alain, a local singer-songwriter and winner of last season’s Rock the Folk contest; Santa Lucia LFR, Latin, funk and rock; Plants and Animals from Montreal with classic rock and folk progressive; Uzume Taiko, the dynamic fusion of old Japanese and new styles of drumming; Tambura Rasa, upbeat sounds and songs from around the world; Taqralik Partridge with spoken-word performances from Nunavik; Aaju Peter from Greenland; Juno-nominated Mike Ford, previously from Moxy Fruvous; Alex Mahe on guitar in both French and English; Mathew Noqingaq, a drummer from Iqaluit; The Green Fools, Calgary-based comedians; the songs of Stephen Kakfwi — some of you might remember him; I think he’s been in here once or twice — Tony Foliot, the Snow King; the Dawgwoods, Yellowknife’s newest folk-rock band, with great sounds; Bryce Young; and Yellowknife’s own The Skinnys, who are pure entertainment.