Sandy Morris and Anita Best are two of Newfoundland’s most beloved musical icons. A founding member of the Wonderful Grand Band, Sandy has been a driving force in local music for over 60 years, composing for film, TV, and CBC’s Land & Sea. Anita’s warm, powerful voice and deep connection to traditional Newfoundland songs have made her a treasured performer and folklorist. Together, they bring a rich tapestry of song, story, and musical mastery to the stage.

The Anuri Drum Dancers are a group of young artists based in Iqaluit, Nunavut.They specialize in contemporary forms of qilautiit drum dancing, and Inuit throat singing. The Anuri Drum Dancers fuse traditional and contemporary elements of Inuit music. These youth have a great deal of performance experience as members of the Inuksuk Drum Dancers directed by Dr. Mary Piercey-Lewis. They have traveled and performed in many places and capacities across Turtle Island. Their most recent collaboration has been with Gina Burgess and her band. The Anuri Drum Dancers have created contemporary qilautiit choreography to each piece on Gina’s “ISNOW” album. The show they have created combines contemporary drum dancing, jazz, folk, celtic, traditional, and contemporary Inuit throat singing. They have performed this show in Iqaluit and Igloolik. They will be touring this production across Newfoundland in July 2024. 

My name is Alex Taylor, I am a singer songwriter. I am 15 going on 16 this August. I play a variety of instruments but mainly guitar and accordion. I also sing, I love the Newfoundland traditional folk music, Irish music and Celtic music. I organize benefit concerts for a variety of charities. Ex. My Annual Merry & Bright. Some charities are Bridges to Hope, the Janeway, and The Red Cross. I love using my music to help the community! I have done a variety of events such as Open mics and Retirement homes. I also host a weekly trad session every Sunday 2pm, at Rocket Bakery Mount Pearl (46 Banister street). 

Beauxmont stands out for its ability to refresh the traditional Acadian repertoire while remaining true to its roots. Made up of six talented musicians from all over New Brunswick, the members of the group carry within them a rich baggage of musical traditions with the flavors of Louisiana. Powerfully handling voice, accordion, violin, guitars and drums, Beauxmont is quickly carving out a place for itself as the next generation of Acadian music with the success of its new album, Volume 2. The band will carry you away with contagious energy, punchy rhythms and unforgettable melodies to let the good times roll all night long. Band members: Felix Belliveau Chris Cormier Justin Doucet Patrick Dugas Jonathan Mpunge Jesse Mea

Beauxmont se distingue par sa capacité à rafraîchir le répertoire traditionnel acadien tout en restant fidèle à ses racines. Formé de six talentueux musiciens provenant des quatre coins du Nouveau-Brunswick, les membres du groupe portent en eux un riche bagage de traditions musicales aux saveurs de la Louisiane. Maniant avec force voix, accordéon, violon, guitares et batteries, Beauxmont se taille rapidement une place de choix en tant que relève de la musique acadienne avec le succès du nouvel album, Volume 2. La formation saura vous entraîner avec une énergie contagieuse, des rythmes percutants et des mélodies inoubliables pour laisser les bons temps rouler toute la soirée.

Bageshree Vaze is an Indo-Canadian dance artist, musician and writer. She is Artistic Director of Pratibha Arts, an organization that enhances the cultural fabric of Ontario through dance and music productions that often have influences from South Asian cultures. Bageshree is an award-winning Kathak dance artist (winner of the 2010 K.M. Hunter Award in Dance) and as a vocalist she has 5 CDs/albums to her credit. In 2004 she was named an MTV India ‘Ubbarta sitara’ (rising star) and her work has been presented in major festivals around the world including the Canada Dance Festival. In 2022 Bageshree was the inaugural Dance Collection Danse Artist Researcher-in-Residence and received the Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Sound Composition (Dance Division).

Balaklava Blues are folk-noir trench-fighters on the cultural front of Ukraine’s battle for democracy and freedom. Balaklava Blues experiments with Ukrainian polyphony and other folk traditions.They mix thousand year-old polyphonic traditions with personal stories and sounds of revolution and war and stunning visuals that blend folk motifs with contemporary expressions of power, vulnerability and trauma. 

Timely and emotional, their multimedia live show builds empathy and understanding when we need it most and speaks to universal themes of identity crisis, displacement and oppression through deeply personal and specific Ukrainian experiences and music.

Knitting and Spinning: It starts on the farm where my husband and I raise Angora rabbits and I am inspired by the natural surroundings. Once the rabbits are sheared I spin the fibers mixing the angora with silk and wool to create various weights and textures. When I am designing a new wearable art piece I imagine the color and shape and draw from my existing palette or spin and dye yarn specific to the design. Depending on the desired look I dye the fibers while they are still in a raw format or after the skein has been spun. While I knit I control the color, texture, weight, and drape of each piece through a combination of knitted stitches and decorative applique. With each piece that I knit, I push myself to learn new techniques and manipulate color palettes that inherently make each piece unique