• Artists,  Manitoba

    Artist Spotlight: Kelly Bado

    With influences from her African heritage, la chanson française and American gospel, Kelly’s music crosses cultural barriers to bring people together in joy and hope. Striking vocals and uplifting melodies make for a performance that stays with the audience long after the show is over. Kelly has created a sound and message that is an intoxicating blend of Soul/World/Pop.  In a very short time she has transitioned from local prominence to National exposure. Her debut French language recording entitled “Entre Deux”, produced by award winning writer/producers Norman Dugas, Daniel Roa and Chris Burke-Gaffney has been rewarded with an unprecedented amount of coveted awards. The latest and not the least being…

  • Artists,  British Columbia

    Artist Spotlight: Ursidae

    If folk music is “all the music that fits between the cracks”, then ursidae springs forth from the lush, dark soil that lives between rocks and sidewalk squares. This alt-folk offering is the solo project of Vancouver-based musician Caro Deady. Tapped into tradition, and stirred by the indie folk stylings of Daughter, Bon Iver, and Sharon van Etten, ursidae gives voice to her own stories in her newest release, almost//closer: an EP steeped in dusky blues and the salty waters of lonely love. Tender and whimsical, honest and fierce, ursidae takes listeners on a journey through dreamscapes and back alleys—all the while reminding us that there’s beauty in sadness, that…

  • 2019 Canadian Festival Report Card
    Canadian Festival Report Card

    2019 Canadian Festival Report Card

    The 2019 Canadian Festival Report Card is here! Canadian Festival Report Card: 2019 Highlights 54 festivals were graded at an ‘A,’ down from 57 in 2018 (booooo) 116 festivals were graded Every province and territory in Canada is represented in this report card, for the third year in a row. However, many of the provinces/territories only have a few festivals listed, and we need to work in future to increase the numbers of festivals graded. As a group, these 116 festivals get an ‘A’ grade, booking 46% women-identifying or non-binary artists (up from 43% women-identifying or non-binary artists in 2018) This is a heartening result, as it means that overall,…