Beats Antique featuring Sidecar Tommy & David Satori (CA)

Growing like wildfire under the canopy of live electronica and world roots music comes a masterful merge of modern technology, live instrumentation and seductive performance built of brass bands and glitch, string quartets and dubstep: the musical trio Beats Antique. Since the group’s inception in the eclectic underground of San Francisco’s performance art scene, Beats Antique has been notorious for making it nearly impossible to sit still. They meld their mediums as attentively as they fuse the cultures that inspire their sound. All self-produced and composed, the trio creates a unique collage: an animalistic, raw musical event that blurs the lines between the provocative, the spiritual and the artistic.

The Burning Hell (ON)

The Burning Hell is the alter-ego of ukulele player and all-purpose nerd Mathias Kom. His deadpan wit and urban folk sound have had reviewers claim he’s “our Randy Newman and Cole Porter rolled into one, with one eye on the coming apocalypse and another on the neck of his ukulele”. Kom’s frank, everyday style belies a serious craftsman who can deliver music to dance to while laughing about death; music you can sing along to while knowing that even though the end may be near, the bar is still open. The Burning Hell lineup is always changing, so no two shows are ever quite the same. Let’s see who shows up to uplift us world-weary optimists.

Alpha Yaya Diallo (BC)

Guinean-born guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Alpha Yaya Diallo has been a formidable force on Canada’s world music scene since the early 1990’s, with three Juno Awards to his credit to reflect that dominance. His signature guitar-driven sound, skilful way with the balafon, rich vocals and deep and abiding passion for the music of Africa, particularly West Africa, has drawn has audiences to his recordings and concerts across this land and far beyond. We’re ready at the festival for a dose of Alpha music, his melodic grooves and driving African rhythms that sets stages afire.

The Duhks (MB)

With a collective musical worldview that knows no boundaries, the Winnipeg-based The Duhks are traditionalists at heart, but it’s an open heart that’s continually evolving. With new members on board and new songs, there’s a fresh approach to the band’s spot-on fusion of traditional bluegrass, folk rock, Afro-Cuban jazz and soul. And while they’ve received numerous accolades, including a Grammy nomination and a Juno Award, their primary goal remains playing music that speaks to people. Committed environmentalists, the band incorporates sustainability into everything they do, how they travel, what they eat and what they wear. That’s just one more

reason to love ‘em, eh?

Imaginary Cities (MB)

From Winnipeg, the “heart of the Prairies” comes a band that channels the soul of Motown into a urban, bluesy sound that is creating huge buzz on the college radio music charts. It’s lyrical, melodic music with a funky-pop sensibility that Paste Magazine has deemed “The best of what’s next”. The core duo, Marti Sarbit and Marty Matyas, met and began performing at The Cavern in the ‘Peg, starting out playing for the fun of it. The attention this “fun” and their resulting 2011 recording, Temporary Resident, garnered them an opening spot on The Pixies tour – and lots of folks looking to see them perform on their own. We’ll all have our chance to do just that when they hit the festival stages this July.

Joy Kills Sorrow (MA)

With more than a reverent nod to bluegrass tradition – their name is taken from WKJS, a radio station that broadcast the Munroe brothers’ show in the 1930s – the quintet of Joy Kills Sorrow boasts a full arsenal of original tunes that merge a raft of influences from folk to rock, pop, and jazz. Their lyrics ruminate on modern love and life, eloquent and witty, sometimes dark and even funny. They call themselves “a modern American string band” – and since emerging out of Boston’s ever-thriving folk music scene in 2005, have been dubbed the “‘poster children’ for the burgeoning Americana format” by none other than Sing Out! magazine.

Nomadic Caravan (India)

Videos : http://www.chinhwebchannel.in/

The Nomadic Caravan is a special presentation, conceived by India’s award-winning film and culture activist-couple Meenakshi and Vinay Rai, to share the rich nomadic cultures of India with the world. The Nomadic Caravan brings together artists from the Bhopa, Banjara and Kalbeliya communities – showcasing their music, dance and instruments, and to make the world aware of this glorious heritage. Nomadic Caravan is a special presentation that comes to the festival as part of the year-long Festival of India in Canada in 2011.

Leon Rosselson (UK)

“He has the passion of Brel, the commitment of Brecht and the wit of Lehrer.” - SonglinesThe festival welcomes back a brilliant singer, songwriter, author and activist who’s performances on our stages over the years have provided festival audiences with some of their best moments and memories. Leon celebrated 50 years of performing along with his 75th birthday last year, still bringing a fresh, satirical and laser-edged voice to the uprising for good, peace and democracy. He’s one of Britain’s most respected songwriters, renowned among other things for his politically-edged tune, The World Turned Upside Down, covered both by Billy Bragg and Dick Gaughan, and an anthem at the people’s demonstrations far and wide.

Spiro (UK)

“Spiro are like Detroit techno played by a travelling band out of a Hardy novel“ - Rob Fitzpatrick, The Word This intriguing and spellbinding quartet are leading exponents of a new genre of experimental acoustic folk-influenced composition with roots deep in the music of the British Isles, a “slippery beast” when it comes to nailing down a simple descriptive genre. Spiro creates gorgeous melodies and hypnotic grooves that have as much to do with minimalist classical and dance music as with folk, although folk music forms the raw material around which their sound is built. Expect folk music with cinematic grandeur, an intense emotional impact with a sprinkling of pure mischief thrown in.

Taiko for Tohoku (UK)

When a massive earthquake and tsunami hit the Tohoku region of Japan on March 11, the Japanese Canadian community, along with Canadians of all backgrounds, mobilized quickly in support of the Japanese people. On April 19, a benefit concert at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre raised over $200,000 for the survivors. The climactic ending to the concert was provided by Taiko for Tohoku, an unprecedented collaboration bringing together over 60 members of the Greater Vancouver taiko community. The Vancouver Folk Music Festival is excited to present a reprise of this dynamic collaboration that brings taiko back to Jericho.

Hans Theessink and Terry Evans (Netherlands/USA)

These two tremendous singers and musicians may hail from opposite sides of the Atlantic, but their deep blues voices connect like soulmates united by music. Theessink is considered Europe’s greatest acoustic bluesman, with a career spanning 35 years and 20 albums. He is living performing proof that you don’t have to be American to feel, and take your audience to, the musical heart and soul of the Mississippi Delta. Evans’ musical journey began in Mississippi, singing in the church choir, frequently “slipping away” to sing secular songs (i.e. “rough stuff”).  He’s has had a long connection with Ry Cooder as a backing singer, and recorded and toured widely on his own. His voice is pure “Mississippi Magic”, and one of the most soulful in the business. This is heavenly, heavenly blues by musical heavyweights at the top of their art, preserving and enriching the styles of the old masters.

Foy Vance (Ireland)

“One of the most soulful and powerful singers and writers I’ve heard in a long while” – Bonnie Raitt. So here’s a fun thing to do. Check out Foy Vance’s music on his website, YouTube or myspace page. We bet that within hearing the first few bars of any of this brilliant folk-soul-blues-gospel singer’s tunes, his name will be on your ‘must-see’ list for the festival. Vance has one of ‘those’ voices – he’s been compared to Otis Redding, Tom Waits and Van Morrison – and an Irishman’s gift for profound story-lyrics that put him among a calibre of artists whose work will stand the test of time.

Emily Wells (US)

Called “a wonder to behold”, multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Emily Wells’ list of musical influences boggles the mind. She’s included Outkast, Vivaldi, Nina Simone, Aphex Twin and Biggie Small among others on that long and wide-ranging list. Wells can move from violin to sampler with the greatest of ease, elegantly fuse layers of strings, bass, and drums into electronic-folk symphonies and deliver live shows that explode with innovation. Compared with Bjork and Kate Bush, Emily Wells is more a true original with an uncanny ear and a bold and adventurous vision.