Beloved music festival Folk on the Rocks has released the third wave of artists for this year’s festivities, rounding out the complete lineup for the event.
Notable performers include Desirée Dawson, OMBIIGIZI, Shred Kelly, Balaklava Blues
and Mama’s Broke.
Desirée Dawson is a JUNO-nominated artist and CBC radio favorite and her music has been featured on countless CBC programs. Dawson performs solo with her ukulele, in harmony with her band. She was a Folk on the Rocks Artist in Residency last winter and Yellowknifers quickly fell in love with her heartfelt performances.
OMBIIGIZI (Pronounced om-BEE-ga-ZAY) is a collaboration between Zoon (Daniel Monkman) and Status/Non Status (Adam Sturgeon), two Anishnaabe artists who explore their cultural history through music.
Shred Kelly is a five piece, alt-folk rock band from the Canadian Rockies. After starting out in 2009, the band has taken their show from humble beginnings to the international stage and the group was a fan favorite at Folk on the Rocks 2015.
Balaklava Blues are folk-noir fighters on the cultural front of Ukraine’s battle for freedom. Their multimedia show promises to build empathy and speaks to themes of identity crisis through specific Ukrainian experiences and music.
Mama’s Broke is a duo that delivers a compelling performance influenced by their Canadian roots. Lisa and Amy’s voices blend to create haunting harmonies while playing fiddle, banjo, guitar and mandolin alongside traditional dance and percussion in their show.
Along with these five, Folk on the Rocks is bringing several other acts to the stage this year including:
Tea Fannie, an Alberta rapper with a distinctive hip-hop style that balances trap, 2000s hits and Caribbean styles.
MOOCH, a psychedelic, blues-rooted rock trio based out of Montreal. Band members, Ben Cornel, Julian Iac, and Alex Segreti, experiment with a timeless expression of rock and roll mixed with psychedlic lights, fog, and more.
The Garrys, a trio of sisters from the Canadian prairies that formed in the spring of 2015. The group use layered three-part blood harmonies, hazy sun-bleached melodies, classic lo-fi guitar tones, and syncopated surf beats to create a unique feeling of dark nostalgia and psychedelic dread.
Karima Essa, a three-time Canadian National Dance champion and Bollywood dancer. Essa focuses on celebrating body positivity and bringing the movement into Bollywood dance schools.
Flora and the Fireweeds, are a Yellowknife group forming in 2019 made up of six distinct members, Brie O’Keefe (lead vocals), Eva Paul (vocals/percussion), Kate Mansfield (vocals and whistling), Jean-Michel Hivon (bass), James Hodson (guitar) and David Dowe (drums). Their sound is characterized by a whimsical folk-style that points out the absurdities of life.
SunaĂ¯ra, a creative audio-visual concept of non-binary multimedia artist Sami Blanco. Blanco hails from Montreal and currently lives in Yellowknife. They promise to create sound worlds and an atmosphere inspired by the North.
Hard.Times with Lady Phyl, consists of four musicians focused on rhythm. The group has backgrounds in jazz, pop, and progressive metal and they seek to meld the three genres with an R&B vibe to create a truly unique experience in their sound.
Quantum Haze, a progressive rock/metal band formed in March 2020 by lead guitarist Alex Ketchum and drummer Nikilesh Gohil. After adding bassist/keyboardist Joe Curran in June 2020, the group played their first show in Gohil’s basement. Their influences range from Led Zeppelin, to modern bands like Gojira.
Bush League DJ’s, a self-taught Yellowknife-based group which introduced their hometown to the sounds of electronics house music in 2006. Their eclectic sounds include a mashup of house, techno, funk, and more.
Jenna Blanchard, a folk musician from Prince Edward Island working as a nurse and program coordinator in Yellowknife. Her music is influenced by her small town roots, and her life in the stressful world of healthcare.
Peekaboo Kazoo is a female-fronted children’s performer based in Yellowknife.
Taiga Yoga Yellowknife will be teaching yoga classes through their sets.
Aurora Fiddle Society will be promoting fiddling in Yellowknife and throughout the North Slave region.
Northern Mosaic Network, a Performing Arts & Queer Justice Camp working with Folk on the Rocks. Youth spend the week talking about social justice issues that impact the 2SLGBTQIPA+ community and write songs, spoken word poetry and performance art, all to perform at Folk on the Rocks.
Folk on the Rocks is releasing a full schedule in the coming weeks and tickets are on sale at www.folkontherocks.com/tickets.
