Living Our Traditions

Good morning! There are only 5 more sleeps until #FriendsoftheFestival - our fundraiser to get the NL Folk Arts Society back on its feet. We aim to bring you a Folk Festival this year and more of the folk programs you love!

We are back today to feature another one of our A-mazing performers you can catch at the St. John’s Convention Centre this coming Sunday, June 7!

Zaynab Wilson is a soulful singer, drummer, strummer, improvisor, and composer whose roots run deep in rhythm, community, and creative freedom. Raised in a family and community steelpan band, and performing since age six, her musical mosaic is steeped in a celebration of her Afro-Caribbean heritage.

As a drummer, Zaynab has a Bachelor of Music from Humber College and has performed and toured with various Canadian and international artists like Lorraine Klaasen, Alysha Brilla, Jason Wilson, Martin Carthy, Dave Swarbrick and Pee Wee Ellis, at notable festivals such as Woodford Folk Festival (Australia), Hillside Festival (Canada) and Celtic Connections (Scotland). Since the debut of her original music project in 2018, Zaynab has toured in Canada, the US, and Australia. Her recent EP, A Way Home, earned a 2025 MusicNL R&B Artist of the Year award and praise from Caribbean Beat magazine for its heartfelt take on diaspora, heritage, and home. For 2026, Zaynab received her Bachelor of Music Education from Memorial University and is working on her first full-length album with the support of the Canada Council of the Arts.

We are so grateful to Zaynab and all the performers for stepping up to help us. You can help too by buying your tickets to the show or donating at the link in bio. We hope to see you there!

#nlfolk #meettheartist

@lovedowntownstjohns @thesjcc @zaynabwilsonmusic @cbcnl @destinationstjohns @govnlsocial @590vocm @ntvnewsnl @nlliveevents @coast1011 @975krock

Only 6 more sleeps until Friends of the Festival! Are you counting down to this incredible night of music with us? We are back with another A-mazing featured performer who is no stranger to the NL Folk Festival!

#DavePanting is a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer
With a career spanning five decades. He is a winner of three lifetime achievement awards.
[Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival, ECMAs, Music NL].

Dave was a member of influential Newfoundland folk rock band Figgy Duff and a driving artistic force behind the award winning NL / Maritime band Rawlins Cross, for whom he wrote most of the material.

A veteran of national and international touring, Dave has played with The Irish Descendants,
Colleen Power, The Annual Feast Of Cohen, The Forgotten Bouzouki, The Panting Brothers,
Cotillion and many more.

You can always count on Dave for his roots music, with original and traditional songs and instrumentals, playing guitar, banjo, mandolin, and bouzouki.

Dave will be sharing the stage with Figgy Duff bandmates #PamelaMorgan and #KellyRussell!

Don’t miss out on Friends of the Festival! Get your tickets now at the link in bio. If you cannot attend, please consider donating at the link. We hope to see you there. Thanks so much for your support! #nlfolk #meettheartist

@lovedowntownstjohns @cityofstjohns @thesjcc @destinationstjohns @cbcnl @the_telegram @newfoundlandquarterly @947ozfm @coast1011 @590vocm

Our beautiful friends @theonceband took some time away during last nights game (we’re sorry Andrew) to remind you of the upcoming ‘Friends of the Festival’ Fundraising Concert June 7th at the St. John’s Convention Centre.

For tickets or to make a donation please visit www.nlfolk.com.

Nine more sleeps until Friends of the Festival! We are stoked to hear these legendary longtime collaborators. #AnitaBest and #SandyMorris released Some Songs in 2018, a 16 track album decades in the making. Thanks to them for their support and dedication to help the NL Folk Arts Society.

Anita Best, a native of Merasheen, Newfoundland, began her singing career in the 1970s with the trad-rock band Figgy Duff. Since then, her voice has been featured in festivals and concerts across Canada, the United States, the UK, and France.

Although she has worked as a folklorist, broadcaster, teacher, and community animator, she is best known as a collector and interpreter of traditional Newfoundland songs and stories. Anita performs primarily as a solo artist or in collaboration with Sandy Morris and Pamela Morgan.

She has contributed to films and numerous musical recordings, but is especially recognized for The Colour of Amber and Amber Christmas in collaboration with Pamela Morgan, Crosshanded, The Tin Table: Tales and Ballads from Newfoundland and Some Songs. She has also collected songs for, and co-authored several books. Anita has received several prestigious awards and honours for her work.

For over sixty years, Sandy Morris has
been a staple of the Newfoundland
music scene, boasting countless album,
radio, TV, and film credits and gracing
the stage with the province’s most
talented musicians and then some.
A founding member of the Wonderful
Grand Band and composer for the series Land & Sea, he is familiar to television audiences as well as to live audiences throughout the province.

We hope to see you at Friends of the Festival! Tickets are on sale now at the link in bio. If you can’t make the show, please donate if you can. You can also do this at the link. Big thanks to those of you who bought tickets and donated so far! Onward and upward!

#nlfolk #meettheartist

@thesjcc @590vocm @lovedowntownstjohns
@destinationstjohns @947ozfm @ntvnewsnl @cbcnl @nlliveeventlistings @newfoundlandlabrador @vowr800 @themuseyyt

Just 10 more sleeps until Friends of the Festival! We are back with another featured Artist! Meet renowned Fiddler #KellyRussell. 🎻

A professional musician since 1975, Kelly has been a member of landmark groups Figgy Duff and The Wonderful Grand Band, to name just two. Working closely for many years with legendary fiddlers Rufus Guinchard and Emile Benoit, Kelly has inherited considerable status as one of Newfoundland’s leading traditional music scholars and performers.

Kelly has appeared on countless stages in many countries worldwide. His record label, Pigeon Inlet Productions (est. 1979), has released over 30 full-length recordings, He has published music books including “Kelly Russell’s Collection - The Fiddle Music of Newfoundland & Labrador”. This material has since been digitized and is available online at kellyrussell.ca.

He has taught fiddle to many students, and has also been active in the art of storytelling and recitation.

Accolades include: NL Arts Council Award for Music (1987), Tourism Industry Association Certificate of Recognition (1991 & 1997), Marius Barbeau Award (1997), City of St. John’s Legend Award (1999), “Tradition Bearer” designation from the Department of Tourism (2010), Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012), The Order of Canada (2015), Honorary Doctorate from MUN (2021). Plus lifetime achievement awards from ECMA and the NL Folk Arts Society. He is currently renovating 2 houses in Western Bay (his real job). 

Kelly will be performing alongside fellow Figgy Duff band mates #PamelaMorgan and #DavePanting. We are super excited to hear them onstage at the St. John’s Convention Centre on June 7!

Don’t delay! Grab your tickets now at the link in bio! We are so thankful to Kelly and all the Artists who are donating their time and talents to help us out. If you can’t make the show, please click on the link in bio to donate if you can. Thanks in advance for supporting the NL Folk Arts Society!
🎻🪕🪈🪗🎤🎼

#nlfolk #meettheartist

@lovedowntownstjohns @thesjcc @ntvnewsnl @cbcnl @newfoundlandlabrador @newfoundlandquarterly @themuseyyt @vowr800 @cityofstjohns @590vocm @the_telegram @downhomemagazine @kellyrussellnl

Thanks to NTV and Amanda Mews for chatting with Interim Board President Jean Hewson about the upcoming Friends of the Festival fundraising concert and other ways you can help.

More details at www.nlfolk.com

We are getting really excited for Friends of the Festival- coming up at the St. John’s Convention Centre on June 7. Another featured artist in our concert is the one and only #PamelaMorgan!

Pamela has graced stages around the world and has served as producer for several of her own original theatrical scores, including Nobleman’s Wedding, Tempest, and White Fleet Suite, which has toured internationally. She has two collections of Newfoundland songbooks, an honorary doctorate from MUN, and is the recipient of lifetime achievement awards from both the ECMAs and the NLFAS. 

She has 23 albums to her credit, including the complete discography of Figgy Duff, Canada’s trailblazing folk-rock band that she fronted for 19 years, and has recently released WETLAND - A Rock Opera.

Pamela will be accompanied by Figgy Duff bandmates #KellyRussell and #DavePanting at Friends of the Festival!

We hope to see you at the St. John’s Convention Centre on June 7. Tickets are on sale now at the link in bio. If you can’t make the show, please donate if you can. You can also do this at the link. Thank you so much for your support and we cannot wait to see you at the show!

#nlfolk #meettheartist

@lovedowntownstjohns @ntvnewsnl @cbcnl @thesjcc @coast1011 @590vocm @downhomemagazine @themuseyyt @vowr800 @nlliveeventlistings @govnlsocial @cityofstjohns

Friends of the Festival is quickly approaching and we are back today with more brilliant featured Artists hitting the stage on June 7 at the St. John’s Convention Centre.

Jim Payne and Fergus O’Byrne are award winning veterans of the Newfoundland and Labrador folk music scene who have brought local music
to audiences around the world. They’ve also devoted much of their careers to passing on our music and song traditions to younger people
through their work in the province’s schools over the past 30 years. Their latest album, Wooden Boats, was voted Music NL Traditional Album
of the Year in 2025, and they are thrilled to support the upcoming Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival, an organisation whose
contribution to the popularity of Newfoundland and Labrador music and the performing and recording careers of all the musicians who play it cannot be underestimated.

Thank you so much to Jim and Fergus, and to all the Artists dedicating their time and talents to help the NL Folk Arts Society get back on its feet You can find Jim and Fergus’ music at SingSongInc.ca.

Friends of the Festival tickets are on sale now at the link in bio, where you can also find a link to donate. Everything helps! Thanks to those who have already bought tickets and/or donated!

#nlfolk #meettheartist #friendsofthefestival

@lovedowntownstjohns @govnlsocial @cbcnl @the_telegram @ntvnewsnl @590vocm @coast1011 @vowr800 @cityofstjohns @947ozfm @nlliveeventssam @thesjcc

Friends of the Festival is less than two weeks away! It’s coming up on June 7 at The St. John’s Convention Centre. Have you got your tickets yet?

We are super excited for you all to hear our featured performers. We are so lucky that the stars aligned for an appearance by #MatthewByrne!

Matthew has established himself as one of Canada’s foremost traditional singers. His rich and powerful vocals, refined guitar style, and compelling interpretations of unique
traditional songs have made him a favourite of folk audiences at home in Newfoundland and abroad.

In 2025, Matthew released his fourth studio album #StealingTime, which recently earned him the Canadian Folk Music Awards for Traditional Album of the Year and Traditional Singer of the year.

Don’t miss out on your chance to see Matthew Byrne and other A-mazing performers we have lined up to help us out at this special night of Folk music.

See the full list of performers AND get your tickets now for #FriendsoftheFestival at the link in bio. If you can’t make the concert, you can donate at the link as well.

#nlfolk #meettheartist @mattbyrnenl

@cbcnl @ntvnewsnl @the_telegram @coast1011 @themuseyyt @destinationstjohns @downtownst.johns @thesjcc

For generations, folk music and cultural traditions have brought people together — sharing stories, preserving heritage, and celebrating the spirit of community. 🎻🌎✨

We are humbly asking for your support to help keep it all going. Every donation to the NL Folk Arts Society helps us get back on track, and in turn, helps fund local artists, cultural performances, workshops, and the unforgettable music that connects past and present.

By giving, you’re not just supporting a festival — you’re helping preserve traditions, amplify community voices, and ensure future generations can experience the magic of folk culture.

🎶 Donate today at the link in bio and help the music carry on. Every contribution, big or small, makes a difference. ❤️

#SupportTheArts #KeepTraditionsAlive #CommunityCulture #NLFolk

@cbcnl @themuseyyt @the_telegram @lovedowntownstjohns @ntvnewsnl @nlliveeventlistings @govnlsocial @cna_news @newfoundlandquarterly

Tickets are on sale NOW for Friends of the Festival - a fundraising concert!

Thank you to Andrew from #RubeandRake for the shout out from beautiful England! Have a great tour, guys! They are just one of the A-mazing acts lending their time and talents to help us raise funds AND raise the roof off the St. John’s Convention Centre on June 7.

For more info and to BUY TICKETS - go to the link in bio! We hope to see you there!

if you can’t make the show, you can DONATE at the link in bio as well.

Hope you’re having a wonderful May 2-4 weekend! 🎻🪈🎸🎼🪕

#friendsofthefestival #meettheartist #nlfolk

@rubeandrake @lovedowntownstjohns @lovedowntownstjohns @thesjcc @cbcnl @the_telegram @ntvnewsnl @947ozfm @radio800vowr @govnlsocial @newfoundlandlabrador