Performers 2023

 

 

    • Albert Dumont

      ALBERT DUMONT, Spiritual Advisor, Poet, Storyteller Algonquin, Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg Albert Dumont’s artistic talents touch many areas of the arts community. He is a respected poet, a pen&ink artist, actor, storyteller and playwright. Albert has acted in fire prevention videos, TV commercials and plays. Albert has written 5 books of poetry and 2 children’s books. He is the founder of Turtle Moons Contemplations, featuring his artwork and poems. Albert was presented with a Human Rights Award by the Public Service Alliance of Canada in 2010. In January 2017 he received the DreamKEEPERS Citation for Outstanding Leadership. Albert has dedicated his life to promoting Indigenous spirituality and healing and to protecting the rights of Aboriginal Peoples particularly those of the young. He is the father of three daughters and grandfather of five grandchildren.

    • Alireza Tarviji Ensemble

      Alireza Tarviji was born in Iran. He started taking violin lessons at the age of 7 until the age of 16, performing in Guilan Phil., Paytakht, and Tehran Conservatory Orchestras, before moving to Canada in 2020 to continue his education. He currently studies music at the University of Ottawa and continues his experiences in various orchestras (OYOA, OCO, uOttawa). His trio, Vivo Trio, had a successful inception in 2022; and he is looking forward to performing more with his ensembles, future Quartet, and Vivo.

      Fanny Marks: French/British cellist Fanny Marks entered the local music school at age 9, going on to earn her Bachelor of Music from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (London), her postgraduate degree in music from the Royal Academy of Music (London) and her post graduate Performance Diploma from the University of Indiana (USA) in the studio of Janos Starker.

      Trained as a performing artist, most of her career has consisted in touring with orchestras (such as the Nederlands Kamerorkest and the Nederlands Philharmonisch Orkest) and chamber music groups in concert halls and theatres across Europe and the Americas.

      Throughout her music life she has developed a passion for working with kids – music theatre, children’s operas, workshops for disabled kids or kids with special needs /low-income families and youth music summer camps in Europe but also in her numerous travels around the world.

      Fanny moved to Wakefield, Quebec in September 2014 and started her own cello teaching studio in Wakefield.

      Since summer 2015, she has been a regular substitute at the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa.

      Since September 2019, she has been a teaching artist at Orkidstra, an Ottawa Sistema-inspired organization which empowers kids playing in music ensembles and builds strong harmonious communities.

      Since September 2021, she has been the conductor of the Senior Strings at the Ottawa Youth Orchestra Academy.

      Emmanuelle Lambert-Lemoine: Emmanuelle Lambert-Lemoine is a violist, pianist, conductor and teacher. She completed her Master’s degree in conducting at the University of Ottawa and is a doctoral student in Viola Performance at the Université de Montréal. Parallel to her musical career, Emmanuelle earned a Master’s degree in Performance Studies at the TISCH School of the Arts, NYU, where her research focused on music education and political theater in the Americas. She is also co-founder of ASTAWT (Action for Survivors

      of Torture and War Trauma), an organization that welcomes refugees to Ottawa. Emmanuelle is currently the conductor of the Ottawa Youth Symphony Orchestra.

      Galina Rezaeipour: Galina Rezaeipour is a Belarussian-born Canadian violinist, who graduated from the Music Academy in Minsk, completed her Master’s Degree in chamber music and played in the State Symphony Orchestra of Belarus as well as in Netherlands and Canada. She is a member of the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra, she regularly performs with the Gatineau Symphony, Thirteen Strings, Decades of Bonds and in musical ensembles and chamber series. Galina is an RCM Gold Medalist Teacher(20

      11 and 2013) and a member of Ontario Registered Music Teachers Association(ORMTA).

    • Alise Marlane

      Alise Marlane, from the Gatineau Hills, writes and performs thoughtful, playfully lyrical, jazz-infused folk to accompany your mood of contentedness and melancholy. Her repertoire covers a broad spectrum of subject matter brimming with distinctive finger-style guitar work and some forays into mandolin and tenor guitar territory. She’s a past recipient of the Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award, and was a CFMA nominee in the days of roots band Frida’s Brow. She currently plays solo; with acoustic trio Paugan Dames along side Tina Therrien and Chris MacLean; with the Ottawa ensemble “Songs from a Drunken Piano”– a Tom Waits review; and with poetry troubadours Ilse Turnsen and Mary Lou van Schaik as a multi-instrumentalist alongside the most-talented James Stephens.

    • Anton

      My name is Anton Kaspruk and I am currently a student at Algonquin College in the Performing Arts program where I am studying to be an actor. My professional goal is to be an actor in the film and media industry. I am currently working as a background actor for Smyth Casting. I have completed over 48 background jobs in one current year and am not a union member. Some of my most important skills are communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and critical thinking.

    • Benj Rowland

      Benj Rowland Has been performing and writing music for almost 20 years, after many bands and countless tours he is for the first time releasing music and performing under his own name. Known previously for his work as songwriter and instrumentalist behind the folk duo Mayhemingways, Benj’s 2020 release COMMUNITY GARDEN has seen him take his place as dedicated artist and knowledge keeper of the Canadian folk music scene.

    • C.A. & Sonny

      The C.A. & Sonny Show, featuring Sonny Aiken and C.A. Jackson! An Ottawa-based duo focused on preserving the tradition of Folk music. Using a variety of stringed instruments, C.A. & Sonny sing songs, crack jokes, and tell tales of yesteryear. Their musicality is balanced expertly with their laid back performance, showcasing an enormous repertoire of antiquated melodies and stories.

    • Celtic Rathskallions

        The Celtic Rathskallions have been performing in schools, festivals and theatres for over 20 years and have toured across Canada, the USA and Ireland. This is a show for all ages with a focus on kids.

      • Chloé Laberge

        Chloé Laberge is a folk musician and ecological farmer. She has been performing in the Ottawa-Gatineau area for over ten years in a variety of different bands. Her newest album chasing dawn, recorded with Ottawa’s own Dave Bignell, is coming out this month: chasing dawn is about realizing that the magic of dawn can become a state of mind – that there is beauty in the space between dawn and dusk, in the mundane. Chloe plays garden-folk music, songs inspired by relationships and nature. Her influences are the traditional campfire songs of her youth, and an unending list of women. You can often find her around town accompanying a variety of local musicians ranging from country-rock to traditional folk to cajun. When she’s not playing music, you’ll find her in the garden growing a variety of heirloom vegetables, herbs and fruits for her ecological seed business Junco Seeds (juncoseeds.ca).

      • Chris White

        Chris White

        Chris White loves connecting people with music and with one another.  He co-founded the Ottawa Folk Festival with Max Wallace in 1993 and spent the next 16 years creating an atmosphere of celebration, inclusion and participation in the role of Artistic Director.  He hosts ‘Canadian Spaces’, the Saturday morning folk show on CKCU FM, and ‘Canadian Faces’, a live Sunday evening gathering of artists on Facebook.  Chris has led singing groups for home-schooled children (‘The Sparrows’), for people with dementia (‘Turquoise’), for seniors (‘The Merry Songsters’) and for men (‘Brothers Aloud’).  He organizes concerts and community events through Folkzone, a company he co-founded with long-time Grassroots Festival contributor, Mark Delorme.  Chris has released three albums of his songs – ‘Inner Voice’, ‘Music All Around’, and ‘I’m A Poet… And I’m Aware Of It’ – and is currently working on a memoir.

        Live broadcast of ‘Canadian Spaces’ from the Ottawa Grassroots Festival – Saturday, April 22 from 10 to noon

        ‘Canadian Spaces’ on CKCU FM is Canada’s longest-running folk/roots radio show, founded in 1980 by the late Chopper McKinnon (1946-2013). The show is now produced and hosted by Chris White and a Canadian Spaces Collective consisting of Anne-Marie Brugger, Arthur McGregor, Carolyn Sutherland, Gord Peeling, Ian Tamblyn, Kate Greenland, Ray Harris and Teresa Bandrowska.

        ‘Canadian Spaces’ will be broadcast live from the Ottawa Grassroots Festival at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church (82 Kent at Wellington) on Saturday morning, April 22 from 10:00 am to noon. The broadcast will include live interviews and performances featuring festival musicians, as well as interviews with Grassroots organizers, volunteers and attendees.  The show will be broadcast on CKCU FM 93.1 and streamed on www.ckcufm.com. The show will also be *videostreamed* live to the Canadian Spaces Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/canadianspaces/videos.

        Thank you to CKCU production manager Dylan Hunter and program director Dave Aardvark for supporting this exciting initiative!

      • Dawson Fleming

        Dawson Fleming is a graduate of the Algonquin College Performing Arts program. Previous credits include: For Lamira Rose Theatre Collective, Concealer (Alan) and Blank Canvas (Felix), and for Carleton’s Sock ‘n’ Buskin Theatre Company, Elephant’s Graveyard (The Engineer). He performed in Algonquin College’s Hot House series during the 2022-23 school year. Dawson continues to pursue theatre, film, and music with the support of his loving partner, cat, family, and friends.

      • Ethan Mitchell and Maddy O’Regan

        Ethan Mitchell and Maddy O’Regan are an Ottawa based duo playing original folk and old time music. They’re known for their compelling songwriting featuring lush, sophisticated progressions and evocative lyrics. Ethan’s intricate fingerpicking guitar provides a strong foundation for Maddy’s soaring violin lines, and their two voices blend together in beautiful harmony to bring their songs to life.

      • Gil’s Grassroots Hootenanny

          Inspired by the legacy of Gil Levine, and first presented in 2010, Gil’s Hootenanny has continued to thrive over the past many years.  

        • Hey Buster

          Hey Buster is a couple of Singer-Songwriter Dads from Ottawa (Slo’ Tom and Sherwood Lumsden) and a large raccoon puppet called Buster. They perform original songs from three independently released CDs in an interactive show for children and their parents. The songs range from Mom and Dad approved topics like community and public transportation; to what kids really care about: stinky feet, underwear and boogers.

        • Imaginary Gary

          Imaginary Gary is a fun loving, party starting , hand talking, balloon twisting, magical imaginary friend…That everyone can see.

          “Comedy magic that pulls a giggle out of the hat”

          “Balloon art that pops in your heart…not in your hands”

          “Makes talking with a sock on your hand fun…not stinky”

          Imaginary Gary is the brain child of Actor/Comedian Jamie Rallison, with over 15 years in the entertainment industry ( the last 5 entertaining kids & family audiences) Jamie has the know how and experience to make your party or event …. “Something to talk about for years to come!”

        • Jamieson Mackay

          Jamieson Mackay is a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Ottawa-Hull. His debut solo LP, Like A Spring, is a lyric rich dive into the early 70s world of piano driven folk rock, exploring themes of love and searching for freedom in this changing world. He navigates this hazy landscape with a voice bathed in emotion and subtlety. It sounds like a hazy August bike ride by the river. It sounds like a night walk through the cold rain in November. It sounds like a day spent watching the shadows pass from left to right, sitting silently by the window. It sounds like the look on the face of a dear friend, finally embraced after years in between. He has shared the stage with Andy Shauf, Jennifer Castle and Helena Deland as part of Jasmine Trails and Shadowhand, and inhabits a space somewhere in between these luminary artists.

        • Jennifer Lamoureux

            As the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority’s (RVCA) Aquatic and Fish Habitat Biologist for the past 23 years, Jennifer Lamoureux has provided a range of professional biological services and advice to support the programs and activities of the RVCA and its partners. Jennifer manages the Conservation Authorities aquatic monitoring programs. She provides technical review/input in support of the RVCA programs in regulations, planning and development review, watershed monitoring/reporting and watershed management planning. She has provided technical review and design advice on over 2500 development projects including a large number of aquatic habitat compensation projects within the Rideau Valley watershed. She has designed and implemented dozens of wetland and fish habitat restoration projects in the Rideau Valley watershed which have resulted in improving habitat for fish and wildlife across the watershed.

          • Jenny Colbert

            Jenny is thrilled to be in the performing arts program at Algonquin, she’s super excited to be performing alongside her classmates today. Jenny has a long history in theater, most notably in Suzarts production of Hairspray as her dream role of Tracy Turnblad. Last December she won the Ottawa Broadway Across Canada for best lead actress for her role in Hairspray. She wants to thank her sister Katherine Colbert for being her number one supporter and is dedicating her performances today to her. She also wants to thank Professor Teri Loretto for always pushing her for greatness.

          • Josephine Tacadena

              Josephine is a current student at Algonquin College in the Performing Arts program. She moved to Ottawa from Toronto in September 2022 to attend college and is hoping to make a career in music after this program. Josephine’s past experiences include being a church choir member when she was still at an incredibly early age back in her home country, the Philippines. She also used to perform for her elementary school and would sing at weddings through her mother who used to work for the church Josephine grew up in. Josephine’s goal for this is to be a professional recording artist.

            • Kathy Armstrong

                Kathy Armstrong is a percussionist and educator combining her training in classical music and education with her many years of studies in Ghanaian music and dance to offer an integrated and community-based approach in her work. She received her BMus and MMus from the University of Toronto, and an MA in Music and Culture from Carleton University. She travelled to Ghana in 1990 to begin studies with Kwasi Dunyo, and their longtime connection has fostered meaningful cross-cultural relationships and educational projects. Kathy’s extensive work with choirs began with Doreen Rao and led to many creative alliances. Kathy founded Ottawa’s Baobab Drum Dance Community (1995-2020), an early leader in intercultural arts education. Kathy currently teaches at Carleton University in the School for Studies in Art and Culture, where she also directs the West African Rhythm Ensemble. She received a Community Award from the Ghanaian Association of Ottawa, and is an honorary elder in the village of Dagbamete, Ghana.

              • Keith Glass

                I am a singer/songwriter/producer/guitarist, etc., with a background in all kinds of roots music – rock and roll, blues, bluegrass, country and R&B – playing songs I have written over my career. I am a founding member/singer, guitarist and songwriter with Prairie Oyster, as well as sideman with Lynn Miles and many others, and a record producer. My main job, currently is as bandleader with Keith Glass Band. I have two solo CDs, and two with Keith Glass Band.

              • Ken Yates

                Born and raised in London, Ontario, Ken Yates has gained a reputation as one of his country’s brightest rising singer-songwriters. The winner of two Canadian Folk Music Awards for Songwriter of the Year and New Artist of the Year, Yates has spent recent years expanding his sound and touring North America and Europe, supporting artists like Passenger, Stu Larsen, Kathleen Edwards and Rose Cousins. His latest release “Cerulean” steps firmly into indie folk and alternative territories, and captures Yates at his most vulnerable. The cool-hued record was written as an intimate reckoning as he grieved his dying mother, giving listeners a vivid window into the rollercoaster of intense thoughts and emotions that accompany such a personal, yet universal experience. The album was produced by Ottawa’s Jim Bryson, and features guest vocals from Kathleen Edwards, Katie Pruitt and Stephanie Lambring. It was recently nominated for two more Canadian Folk Music Awards for Contemporary Album of the Year and Contemporary Singer of the Year.

              • Laura Reinsborough

                Laura is a community organizer and changemaker, focused on delivering positive environmental and social change. She holds a Magisteriate in Environmental Studies from York University specialized in environmental education and community arts. She has worked in gardens, galleries, and along river banks to connect people with a strong sense of place. An adept non-profit leader, Laura founded Toronto’s Not Far From The Tree, an award-winning charitable initiative to pick fruit growing in backyards and transform it into a shared public good. While at the helm of Food For All New Brunswick, she built a robust network to activate and amplify food security. As the Riverkeeper, Laura speaks for the river, advocating for its protection and health. She leads a team of dedicated individuals that work strategically to advocate, educate, and ensure the Ottawa River watershed is swimmable, drinkable, and fishable.

              • Melwood Cutlery

                Musician and singer-songwriter Melwood Cutlery, recipient of the Ontario Council of Folk Festivals “Songs from the Heart” award, for the song “Ballad of the Moonlight Lady” performed by Melwood on piano and vocal with the able assistance of Lynn Miles on vocals. (from CD “Campfire” released on the now defunct Borealis label, and recorded by Dave Draves at “Little Bullhorn” studio in Ottawa)
                Melwood’s songs range from “top forty folk” to “back forty country”, and all points in between, including but not limited to “Jazzy Blues”. He has been described as “the hippest songwriter around” by the excellent David Francey, and this is a show that promises to deliver the goods.
                The CD package for “Home in the Country” a more recent release was designed by acclaimed Ottawa area visual artist Crystal Beshara.
                After serving a twenty year sentence in the city of Toronto, Melwood was shipped to Lanark County to pursue his artistic goals alone and with an assortment of local County musicians. Ongoing now for 14 years, the artist currently resides in the hamlet of Glen Tay , where he lives with his ageing cat Buddy two pianos, a few guitars and a billiard table.
                He is currently embarking on a new recording project which is expected in late 2023, as well as a collaborative book project with illustrator Elizabeth Sawatzky also due at summer’s end.

              • Meredith Brown

                Meredith Brown, Riverkeeper Emerita, is an environmental scientist, educator and consultant, a community volunteer and the founding Executive Director and longtime Riverkeeper for the charitable organization Ottawa Riverkeeper. Meredith holds degrees in biology, environmental engineering, resource and environmental management and has devoted her career to restoring and protecting Canada’s freshwater. She has worked collaboratively across Canada on issues related to water pollution, instream flow, river restoration, watershed governance, watershed health, community-based monitoring and the rights of nature. Meredith is the Director of Special Projects for Canadian Geographic and is leading a multi-media, Indigenous-guided initiative about our shared responsibility to the Great Lakes. She was recently appointed to serve on the Water Quality Board of the International Joint Commission who oversees and protects the shared waters of Canada and the United States. Meredith is a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society and a Director of the Canadian Canoe Museum. Meredith is the mother to two nature-loving teens who have grown up exploring our regional rivers with their canoe-tripping, night-swimming parents.

              • Mia Kelly

                Mia Kelly is a singer-songwriter from Gatineau, Quebec who writes and performs in both French and English. Mia enthralls listeners with a distinctive blend of Folk, Rock, and Blues and is making her mark in the Canadian folk music scene at the age of 19. Backed by her performance on guitar or piano and accompanied by foot percussion, Kelly’s foot-stomping sing-a-longs are anchored by her powerful voice that emanates raw emotion. Her infectious energy captivates you as she shares her heartfelt stories & banter. Swiftly gaining recognition as a poetic lyricist with a powerful and versatile voice, Mia is a born performer who radiates confidence on stage. With her knack for adapting the stories of the people she has connected with in her life, Mia is an imaginative storyteller who channels her raw and vulnerable emotions through her expertly crafted songs. In August of 2022, Kelly released her first album “Garden Through the War”. Produced and mixed at Fixed Hinge Studio by Ottawa’s Jim Bryson (Kathleen Edwards, The Tragically Hip) and mastered by Grammy-nominated Phillip Shaw Bova, the record demonstrates maturity in Kelly’s songwriting. Exploring themes of resilience and growth that follow hardship, the album has already received recognition from the SOCAN foundation. In 2022, Kelly was awarded Emerging Artist by Culture Outaouais and was named by the Ottawa Citizen as one of the city’s top artists to watch in 2020.

              • Michael Curtis Hanna

                A Native of Detroit Michigan, Michael Curtis Hanna has enjoyed performing a variety of musical styles but finds himself at home in Jazz, Gospel and Blues.
                Singing in Chorales, Church Choirs, Male A capella groups is a favored avocation.
                Michael has performed on stages across the US, Canada and Japan.
                He is featured in local productions of “The Gift of Jazz” and “Decades of Bond” and continues to sing in both Churches and venues around Ottawa.
                Michael can be heard on compilations of Pianist, John Dapaah’s, “A Jazzy little Christmas” and Guitarist Peter Foret’s “Marvel-ville”.

              • Moonfruits

                Moonfruits craft contemporary folk that addresses our collective humanity with heart, wit, and wonder. Led by partners Alex Millaire and Kaitlin Milroy, Moonfruits pen songs in both French and English, reflecting their bilingual lived experience in their hometown of Ottawa. The band harmonizes over assiduous arrangements of guitar, banjo, chord organ, and glockenspiel, weaving song-worlds that rouse and serenade in equal measure. Theirs is the music of open-minded dreamers and diligent doers, confronting dehumanizing capitalism and environmental catastrophe with a rousing message of solidarity. This Stingray Rising Star, SOCAN, and Trille Or award-winning group has toured their transportive live show across Canada, the US, France, Belgium, and Germany. Moonfruits’ lushly orchestrated sophomore album, Salt (Oct. 2022), is a 12-song suite that explores what it means to the band to live, dream, and raise a child in an era of climate change and deepening inequality.

              • Pat Moore

                Pat Moore is an Ottawa based maker of art – primarily a musician who writes and performs her own compositions as well as interprets the music of others, she also creates silver and copper jewellery in her home workshop, and is now the author of a kids book – Clean Water for Lukong, nominated in 2023 for an “Ottawa Faces Award”.

                Always one to seize an opportunity to learn and contribute, Pat eagerly jumped on board when she was offered the opportunity to travel to Kumbo Cameroon to teach business skills to the management and staff of the local Water Authority. While there, she was inspired to write the Kumbo Water Song, followed by the book, Clean Water for Lukong. The book was written in response to a request to send books back to Kumbo, and Pat decided the kids should have a book about themselves, and thus over 200 copies of the book were put in the the classrooms in Kumbo. Copies are also in Ghana, Ivory Coast, and Kenya. They are a hit!  Clean Water for Lukon serves to tell the story of water, and as a literacy aid. There are very few books in Africa which are so colourful, and contextually appropriate.  In the western context the book serves to teach kids about another culture, as well as giving pride to kids who see themselves in the story.

                As a musician and songwriter Pat found writing this book to be a natural addition to her creative endeavours.

              • Pataki Shadow Puppet Theatre

                  Trevour Strudwick is a singer/songwriter, recording artist, actor, comedian, actor, hypnotist, life coach and entrepreneur turned puppeteer. A recent graduate of the Algonquin Performing Arts Program, he has come away with a passion for storytelling and entertainment in all its forms. Anton Kaspruk is a student at Algonquin College in the Performing Arts program, and is studying to be an actor. He is striving to be an actor in the film and media industry. Currently working as a background actor, he has completed over 48 background jobs in one current year and is not affiliated with a union. Anton values communication, teamwork, problem solving, and critical thinking.

                • Paul Weber

                  Paul Weber is an engaging storyteller, singer and songwriter. He is a people’s poet of sorts, telling tales of past times, stories of the street, and community struggles. With one foot in the narrative folk tradition and another foot in the digital world. Paul just released, “Ode to Gerry Barber”, a heartfelt collection of songs in a wide range of musical styles. In 2020 he was awarded a Bernard Grand Maître award for his musical contribution to Francophone culture.

                • Phil Jenkins

                  Since 1978, after emigrating from Liverpool and returning to Ottawa where he grew up in the 1950s, Phil Jenkins has worked as a newspaper columnist (books, reviews, music), travel writer, author , playwright and a performing songwriter. He was a freelance columnist for the Ottawa Citizen from 1991 to 2017. He has written for magazines (National Geographic Traveller;Equinox;Wedding Bells; Canadian Geographic, Ottawa Magazine) and about the Canadian landscape in bestselling books: Fields of Vision, An Acre of Time, River Song, Beneath My Feet and As I Walked About. As well, local histories of the Ottawa Heart Institute and the Ottawa Public Library. He is twice the winner of the Ottawa Citizen Non-Fiction Award, and the Lela Common Award for Creative non-fiction . Phil teaches and lectures in writing, the Canadian landscape and Ottawa history. As a singer/songwriter and band member he produced the albums Car Tunes and Making Waves, and a solo album, Noteworthy. He lives in the Gatineau Hills of Quebec, on the Gatineau River.

                • Polky

                  Toronto’s own Polky was created by courageous Polish ladies, singer Ewelina Ferenc, dancer Ala Stasiuk, and multi-instrumentalist Marta Solek. Polky, meaning “Polish women,” came together through a shared passion for Eastern European music’s enigmatic and upbeat style. Joined by Canadian musicians, Polky brings its original sound to Eastern European traditional music by adding a uniquely Canadian and multicultural flavour. They take you on a musical journey to Poland, the melting pot of Eastern and Central Europe, with Ukrainian, Jewish, and Slovak musical influences!

                • Rebecca Macheri

                    Rebecca is an international student from Uganda. She is in the Performing Arts program at Algonquin College. She graduated from Canadian Independent College. She always had a great interest in arts. Rebecca studied music for 2 years in high school. She learned to play a traditional Ugandan instrument (tube fiddle) and voice as her western instrument. Rebecca moved to Ottawa from Uganda in December 2021 and lives in southern Ottawa. She is a rising actress and singer.

                  • Siqiniup Qilauta (Sunsdrum) – Heidi Langille and Lynda Brown

                    Siqiniup Qilauta (Sunsdrum) does Inuit cultural performances that include throat singing, drum dancing, games and singing traditional songs. The name of the group, Siqiniup Qilauta roughly translates to The Sun’s Drum. The name was influenced by an Inuit legend they heard about the sun. When the sun has a complete halo around it, it indicates good luck and the halo represents a drum. The group is located in Ottawa, Ontario, and has travelled nationally and internationally. They are featured on David Newland’s album, Northbound. Lynda Brown works at Students on Ice, Heidi Langille works at Nvision, both are Royal Canadian Geographic Society Fellows.

                  • Spencer Scharf

                    Spencer Scharf, folk-rock, blues one-man band, has done hundreds of shows, captivating audiences at major festivals and every venue in between with expressive fingerstyle guitar, banjo, mandolin, ukulele, keyboard, harmonica and smooth tenor vocals. “A fantastic musician with a great repertoire of songs…usually travelling with about a dozen different instruments, he never fails to put on a show.” – Aerik Watson, Renfrew Concert in the Park. His 2020 album The Other Side has emotional highs, lows and optimism for the future.

                  • The Broken Bridges

                    The Broken Bridges is one of the rare groups that formed in 2020. Fern & Willow Marwood (now 20 and 16) were a fiddle/banjo duo turned trio by adding Graham Lindsey (considerably older) on guitar. They bring an energy to the stage that you’ll love!

                  • The Open Stage, with Alan Sandeman

                      I have been playing guitar for about 50 years, originally in Kingston, Ontario, where I grew up. When I was 18, we moved to Ottawa and found an increased passion for music. Since then I have focused my attention in a more secular direction, playing in several Ottawa bands doing music which varies from light rock, 50’s and 60’s and through to country and blues. At this time I play bass and guitar with a five piece band called Assembly Required doing all kinds of dance and party music. In fact we regularly play the family Christmas parties of at least six of the local seniors residences. For the past few years I have been doing shows for the seniors in our community residences and have really enjoyed the experience and by all reports the seniors have a wonderful time with my music and my humour.

                    • The Sunday Night Revue

                      EVERY SINGLE SUNDAY NIGHT AT IRENE’S PUB, BIRDIE WHYTE WRANGLES HER CREW OF FOLK MUSICIANS, ARMED WITH AN ARSENAL OF BANJOS AND GUITARS (AND SOME GAMES AND GAGS) TO PUT ON THE SUNDAY NIGHT REVUE! ACTING AS MASTER OF CEREMONIES, BIRDIE SETS THE SCENE FOR THE EVENING BY LEADING THE TROUPE WITH SOME OF HER SWEET, POETIC SONGS, BEFORE PASSING THE SPOTLIGHT ALONG TO EACH PERFORMER.

                      MARC ALBERT, SAL, NIK FIELD, AND C.A. & SONNY ALL TAKE TURNS COMMANDING THE STAGE AND SUPPORTING ONE ANOTHER. INDIVIDUALLY, EACH PERFORMER IS A SEASONED MUSICIAN IN THEIR OWN RIGHT, AND THE SUNDAY NIGHT REVUE ALLOWS THEM THE PLATFORM TO COLLABORATE WITH LYRICAL WHIMSY, DULCET INSTRUMENTATION AND PLAYFUL BANTER. THE RESULTING SHOW FEELS REMINISCENT OF A LIVING ROOM JAM, OFFERING A SIMILAR RELAXED ATMOSPHERE WHERE EVERYONE CAN TAKE PART IN SOME WAY.

                      THE WHOLE ROOM CAN ENJOY THE FUN GAMES AND SILLY PRIZES THAT BIRDIE OFFERS, DRINK SPECIALS FROM THE FRIENDLY BARTENDERS, AND DELICIOUS EATS FROM THE IRENE’S KITCHEN. ADMISSION IS FREE, TIPS ARE WELCOME AND SILLY (OR AWESOME) PRIZE DONATIONS ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED.

                    • Tina St. John

                      Tina St John was born and raised in the Ottawa valley. She began her journey in art and music therapy, creatively healing from a lifelong eating disorder. She describes herself as an intuitive artist. Her paintings take her to landscapes, pathways from within, where she creates spaces to heal, connecting in spirit and body, flowing along, in the many symbolic meanings of rivers: the hero’s journey; a path that one must take; the descent into or out of something; birth and rebirth. Tina, a retired midwife, mother of four, and grandmother of four lives in Vanier with her husband, daughter, her dogs and Bowie, her green cheek parrot.

                    • Tragedy Ann

                      Tragedy Ann is a Forward-looking Folk duo from Guelph, Ontario.

                      Braiding organic vocal harmonies with organ, accordion, singing saw, and guitars, Tragedy Ann’s arrangements are as delicate as they are driving. Their concerts emanate “…the honesty and enthusiasm of people who can’t help but create and perform.” (Jon Farmer, Georgian Bay Roots).

                      With their new album Heirlooms, Liv Cazzola and Braden Phelan issue a call for deeper connection with each other and with the natural world.

                  • Wally Schaber

                    Wally Schaber was born and raised in Ottawa. He is well known as one of the founding partners of Trailhead Outdoor stores (1976) and Black Feather Wilderness Adventures (1974). Since retiring in 2016 he has created and lead a not for profit called Friends of Dumoine dedicated to promoting non mechanized recreation in the Dumoine watershed and interpreting and protecting the natural and human history of the area.
                    Todays show will describe that work with audio visuals