Northern songbird Cindy Paul is deeply connected to her Indigenous roots and it shines through in every breath and beat. An established songwriter, producer, and visual artist, Cindy was honored with nominations from New York's Native American Music Awards, Western Canadian Music Awards, Canadian Folk Music Awards and Milwaukee's Indian Summer Music Awards, featured on the Native American Music Award compilation CD Water is Life in support of Standing Rocks effort to protect the water and composed the theme song for the 2017 World Indigenous Nations Games.

Cindy has played many legendary festival stages such as Boonstock Music & Arts, North Country Fair, and Folk on the Rocks and performed live on workshop stages with Corb Lund, Mary Gauthier, Valdy, Bill Borne, Fred Penner, and Derek Miller. Cindy was featured as a presenter at the 2016 and 2017 Native American Music Awards, NY. Her international performances include The Folk Alliance International Conference in Kansas City, MI, the Gathering of Nations, Stage 49 in Albuquerque, NM, the Indian Summer Festival, Milwaukee, WA, and national events include the Indigenous Women's Justice Forum and the World Indigenous Nations Games.
Cindy's original composition, He Can Fancy Dance is shared for educational purposes on the residential school system and for Indigenous cultural sensitivity and awareness in many conferences and workshops throughout North America and is now currently the subject of an international documentary. Cindy has developed and facilitated visual & performing arts workshops which include songwriting, metis cultural dance, music, and art instruction. She truly believes in educating and healing through art and music and her compositions echo the sentiment to never soften your conviction to make others socially comfortable. With her distinct lyrical metaphors of love bitten with honesty, her passion for sharing her northern stories, and her unique neo-folk style sound, Cindy Paul has taken flight into airwaves worldwide.

Wild Mint Arts is a performing arts group that has live music and dance shows that tour internationally. Nimihitowin! is one of their more acclaimed works, being popular with children's festivals. Wild Mint Arts is a new company grown out of the 10-year old "Indigenous Dance Studio" with this new name, Wild Mint Arts delivers workshops in dance and performances in dance for family audiences.

McKiver McMann duo is a group dedicated to performing, composing, and commissioning music by Indigenous composers. The group also wants to advance the position of Indigenous classical music as well as the presence of classically trained Indigenous musicians in the contemporary classical community. They play works from all eras of music, with special emphasis on Indigenous compositions.

Beverley McKiver is Anishinaabe, and Jessica McMann is Cree. They are both trained classical musicians with additional training in Jazz, Composition, and world music. They recently recorded a CD at the Banff Centre. Both are composers and performers in their own practice as well as a duo.

Independent Canadian performing artists Flint & Feather are a free-spirited husband and wife duo who are deeply passionate about connecting with people through folk/roots music, stories, and laughter. Based in Calgary, Alberta, co-members Joal and Lauren Kamps blend storytelling with songwriting to create charming “rocky mountain folk-pop” songs inspired by Canadian history, rocky mountain folklore, and their own personal journeys. Their original songs are filled with vivid imagery accented by delicate harmonies, and their honest and engaging approach to performance connects with listeners of all ages and backgrounds.

The Kamps first began performing together as Flint & Feather after attending Canada's Music Incubator's Artist Entrepreneur Program in Toronto, as honored Bell Media Prize winners. Soon afterward Joal and Lauren gigged cross-Canada in partnership with VIA Rail's Artists On Board Program, quickly followed by an independently booked 27-performance European Tour. They have since completed another 32-performance European Tour and have performed well over 150 concerts throughout western Canada in the last two years, including a host of performances at music festivals, summer concert series, community events, and intimate house concerts.

‘Top 3’ winners of the 2018 Prophets of Music’s Emerging Artist Program, the Kamps have been able to record several singles with JUNO Award-winning producer, Russell Broom. Lauren and Joal also attended the 2018 Hornby School for Emerging Artists during a successful four-week tour of western Canada last summer. There, at the Hornby School, the Kamps enjoyed artist mentorship from fellow JUNO Award-winning Member of the Order of Canada, Phil Dwyer, Canada’s premier Jazz musician. Most recently, Joal and Lauren attended the prestigious Banff Centre’s Early Fall Musicians in Residence program, where they spent five-weeks writing, refining, and rehearsing in preparation for recording and releasing their debut EP in 2019.

***Prior to forming 'Flint & Feather', Joal previously released two full-length albums as 'JOAL KAMPS', winning multiple awards for his songwriting and recorded works, and performing numerous tours and festival dates throughout western Canada, Europe, and The United States all as self-taught, independent Canadian performing artist.

2017 Juno-nominated songwriter Maria Dunn draws deeply on the folk tradition of storytelling through song. Melding North American roots music with her Scottish-Irish heritage, she sings about the resilience and grace of “ordinary” people, past and present. Her latest recording Gathering (Nominee - 2017 Juno Award, Nominee - 2017 WCMA, Winner - Edmonton Music Prize) celebrates love—the love of family, community, and humanity that connects us and fires our actions to make the world a better place. Her previous album Piece By Piece (Nominee – 2013 Canadian Folk Music Award) pays tribute to immigrant women working at a Western Canadian clothing factory. Maria's other independent CDs include The Peddler (Nominee – 2009 Canadian Folk Music Award) and For A Song (Nominee – 2002 Juno Award), all produced by Shannon Johnson (of 2007 Juno-winning band The McDades).

In addition to developing and touring four multimedia people’s history shows, On The River (with Indigenous women’s trio Asani), Packingtown, GWG: Piece by Piece, and Troublemakers: Working Albertans, 1900 – 1950, with videographer Don Bouzek, Maria performs (solo, duo, ensemble) at festivals and theatres in Canada, Europe (UK/Ireland Tour 2017, 2015; Netherlands Tour 2011, 2010) and the USA. Media features include Bravo TV (The Carol Project), CBC National Radio (Sunday Edition), CKUA Alberta, BBC Radio Scotland. Her songs are published in the Rise Again songbook, Sing Out! and Penguin Eggs magazines and recorded by other artists including Niamh Parsons, The Outside Track, Bob Bossin.

www.mariadunn.com

…remarkable singer-songwriter, think of her as a distaff Woody Guthrie. – Mike Ross, Edmonton Sun

An arrestingly powerful singer-songwriter from Canada who writes great historical and social commentary. – Rich Warren, WFMT Chicago and Sing Out! Magazine

A wonderful collection of new songs from one of our most important and vital songwriters… Essential listening, then, this Gathering. – Roddy Campbell, Penguin Eggs Magazine

Daydreamers is more than just an album, it's the diary of two travelers, one from Canada and the other from Germany. For some years, David Celia & Marla (Marlene Winkler) have been going on long tours together, then settling down in Toronto to reflect and write songs. Filled with nostalgia and confidence, the two have explored many lands, playing over 200 shows throughout Europe, Canada & Russia with their voices and guitars. The eleven songs on their first joint record are also eleven musical postcards for anyone who has ever dreamt of being on the move. Their vocal harmonies blend together with hints of 60’s folk, yet remain timeless and make you want to sing along.

Their first co-write, Lover of Mine is an outlook on their relationship and the challenges of relationships in general. In this song, they fantasize about a bright future together whilst maintaining a realistic attitude. Warming Words, All In Rhyme & Where Are you share similar sentiments which include confronting issues before they arise and missing each other when apart.

The first album track on Daydreamers was inspired by Pete Seeger’s collection of songbooks entitled “Carry It On!”. Pete’s passion for everyone to sing together as a metaphor for his hope to have world peace. The music and words to this song and others including Luddite Blues were an unconscious response to this philosophy.

Socially critical lyrics, driving melodies, wistful words about overseas romances; this is how Marla & David Celia playfully take you on a colorful ride through their delightful debut album.
They both share a similar passion for realizing gratitude towards things that come their way. Creating and performing music is the greatest way to express this as it’s what brought them together in the first place.

And so they choose to bring this music to listeners here, there and everywhere by touring
around the globe.

- “Close your eyes and you could be sitting on a rocking chair on a 70’s Laurel Canyon porch” Tim Merrick (americana-uk.com)

- “A trademark of the duo is pure, crafted folk" - Matthias Haag (journalist)

Returning to her Roots and her aboriginal heritage, a performance by Canadian Artist Laura Vinson has all the ingredients. Authentic Native sound, songs and stories about North American Indians mixed in a contemporary musical show.


The ancestral spirit is audibly present when the Indigenous Dancers enter the stage and perform their traditional dances. Visually, emotionally and musically this is a glimpse into the life and history of Native North American Indians- you can feel the Spirits are there.


Laura Vinson is active in the music industry for over 45 years now. She started her career as country star, had several hits including the hit "Sweet Mountain Music". Laura Vinson and her Band Free Spirit are a regular on all the major festivals and venues in North America and is a frequent guest on many national TV shows. In 1996, after her time as a country artist, Vinson created a theater show around her highly successful album "Voices On The Wind", an album for which she has received several Aria Awards.




Her Native roots-inspired Vinson to this album to take a large audience to get familiar with its culture and heritage. The show appears to be an international success, both the festival edition and the unique theatrical version. The show traveled around the globe (South Korea, United States, Australia, Denmark, Lithuania, Belgium, and the Netherlands).


A colorful display of Native North American rhythms and uplifting lyrics about the wonderful life then and now with the currents of Native, Metis, western and Celtic influence tells the story of Western Canada.




Laura Vinson is born and raised in the shadows of the Rocky Mountains near Jasper National Park. Her Métis heritage is Cherokee, Cree English, and French. The roots of her Aboriginal background are told in her songs which tell about the life of the North American Indians and their traditions. "Louisiana Purchase" is a true story about her Cherokee Great-Grandmother who was purchased by her American husband for just a "good horse and some blankets".


To be in the audience at a Laura Vinson & Free Spirit concert is to experience what it was like to be part of the spiritual and tribal rituals of a time long past. One feels the Ancestral Spirits hovering over the performers especially when the Native dancers make their proud and mysterious entrances. Their dazzling outfits, dances, songs, and drumming come from centuries of spirituality and tradition. It evokes a feeling of the past and present merging in Laura's songs, the bands' music, and the ancient rhythms and melodies from the Native performances.

A performance from Laura Vinson combines traditional music performed in a contemporary presentation and involves the audience in the other side of the Wild West way of life in historical and present-day North America.

Myrol is an Alberta based duo that blends stunning female voices with insightful and powerful original songwriting. The Americana- Roots -Alt-Country duo are often backed up by a band of fantastic seasoned professionals

Although one might categorize their music as Americana, Joanne and Haley are talented musicians, renowned vocalists, and award-winning songwriters who traverse through many genres of music weaving an elaborate musical tapestry that ultimately serves the song. They have won a World Billboard Songwriting Competition Award for 'The Mighty Peace', as well as multiple awards from the Calgary Folk Festival Songwriting Competition for their songs over the last three years.

The girls have been featured on the main stage at the Big Valley Jamboree, and at the Calgary Folk Festival. The two have toured Europe, Australia, The U.S.A., and Canada, at times playing to crowds of 30,000 and more. Their second album is called 'Blue Moon Away'. It features songs by the duo as well as co-writes with Fred Eaglesmith, CFR Champion Bull Rider and cowboy poet Dan Lowry, and Nashville's Tim Taylor. The album also features some of Alberta's best and most talented musicians as well as some big names from Nashville. Tammy Rogers of the Steel Drivers and Emmylou Harris, plays fiddle and mandolin and Jeff King, who currently plays guitar for Reba McEntire and George Strait, is on the new album.

If you haven't had a chance to see Myrol preform, then don't miss this exciting act, and if you have already seen Myrol, then there is no doubt that you'll be eagerly anticipating your next opportunity to listen to these women sing.
“Absolutely Brilliant…chills ... chills ! ...

Songwriters create and work over hundreds of perfect songs ...
and then one day the universal muse delivers such a great one.
I think even someone in Austin would understand the fragility of an ice bridge."
- Tom Coxworth Folk Routes CKUA Radio