Originally from the rural north of New York State, Than Brown first came to St. John’s to study folklore. They soon fell in love with the local traditional music, spending their free evenings playing sessions in the local pubs. She has begun to break into performance, most recently as an accompanist for Kelly Russell. Than plays the octave mandolin with a rhythmic, melodic style that’s sure to perk up your ears and get you grooving!
The Irish Descendants are a folk group from St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. All the members, born of Irish emigrants, were workers in the Newfoundland fishing industry.
The Irish Descendants played a pivotal role in introducing traditional Newfoundland music to a broader Canadian audience during the early 1990s, sharing the stage with other iconic bands like Great Big Sea. Their authentic renditions of timeless tunes from the East Coast, blended with an Irish twist, have made them a cherished part of Canada’s folk music scene. Their popularity soared to such heights that they were chosen as the official band for Newfoundland and Labrador’s 500th-anniversary celebrations, where they had the honour of performing for Her Majesty the Queen. This landmark event marked a turning point for the band.
2x Juno Awards R&B/Soul Recording of the Year nominee and 3x Polaris Music Prize long-list nominee Tanika Charles in synonymous with Canadian Soul music. She has embraced the sound and aesthetic of the genre without gimmick, whilst pushing the boundaries of what audiences can expect. Her music revels in honesty and attitude, her live show is high energy and endearing, and she continues to organically win audiences over one album, one stream, and one encore at a time.
In 2016 Tanika independently released her debut album Soul Run, which would be re-released internationally through the Milan-based label Record Kicks in 2017. In 2019 she followed that up with the album The Gumption featuring songs like “Tell Me Something” which quickly garnered over a million Spotify streams. Coming out of our pandemic cocoons she released 2022’s Papillon de Nuit: The Night Butterfly which included the songs “Frustrated” and “Different Morning feat. DijahSB. Then in 2023 she presented the live EP The Union Sessions featuring dramatic reworkings of some her earliest material like “Parkdale” and “Silly Happy Wild”.
Tanika is an Edmonton-raised first generation Trinidadian-Canadian residing in Toronto, but she is most at home on the stage. She embarked on her first cross Canada tour in 2016 and began performing internationally in 2017. Since then she has performed in over 150 cities across 10 countries ranging from headlining club dates, main stage festival slots, and even moving trains. Her full band live show consists of both faithful recreations of her studio recordings as well as genre-warping reinterpretations revealing her rock, gospel and even country influences. In 2024 as she plans more further tour dates and music to match. For bookings Tanika is represented by Paquin Artists Agency (Canada) and Cartel Concerts (France).
Splash’N Boots are a beloved Canadian children’s music duo consisting of Nick Adams (Splash) and Taes Leavitt (Boots). With 20 years of experience, Splash’N Boots have become a household name, creating music and concert experiences that bring happiness and joy to children of all ages.
Their newest album, I am Love, follows their recent success with their second JUNO Award for “Heart Parade” in 2021 and a Canadian Folk Music Award in 2022. Splash’N Boots have created a global community dedicated to making every child feel seen, heard, and loved for exactly who they are.
With their hit TV show on Treehouse TV and Disney Jr. Canada, Splash’N Boots have appeared daily in over 8.5 million homes across Canada. They have also recently written and produced an episode for Sesame Street.
In addition to their own original music, Splash’N Boots have collaborated with a wide range of artists including Alice Cooper, Brett Kissel, Johnny Reid, Alan Doyle, Simon Ward of The Strumbellas, The Wiggles, and Sharon and Bram. Their music is enjoyed around the world, with millions of streams on Spotify, Apple Music, and Youtube.
Beyond their music, Splash’N Boots are committed to using their voice to raise awareness for important causes. They have supported and worked with organizations such as Sick Kids Hospital, Camp Ooch, Plus1, MusiCounts, Kids Up Front, and the Starlight Foundation. They are also the creators and stewards of a uniquely powerful pen pal program geared towards children with autism, called Lucas’s Letters, which encourages children of all ages and abilities to connect through letter-writing.
Through their music, television appearances, and advocacy work, Splash’N Boots continue to spread joy and positivity to children and families around the world.
From the rocky shores of Newfoundland, Canada The Navigator’s formed in 2000 based on a unique combination of baritone voices and instrumentalists into a folk band that is as much known for its own original contemporary trad as it is for the traditional music. With four full studio albums, Bay Bulls Cove (2023); Soldiers and Sailors (2011); Sea Miner (2009), Dance and Sing (2001), and a number of other recording contributions, the group has toured all of Canada, much of the US and Europe.
As Music NL’s Award for Folk/Roots Group of the Year (2002), the band has created a name and following across the province that just gets stronger every year. As part of the successful “Celtic Christmas” Yhe Navigators has enjoyed 13 years of touring NL and even put together a popular CD of the same name along with The Irish Descendant’s (2010).
The band’s first CD Dance and Sing was the longest running #1 selling CD at Fred’s Record’s in St. John’s, holding the spot for almost a full decade and is still the #4 best selling CD of all time! In 2021, The Navigator’s were invited to record a song from the Broadway musical Come From Away by its producers. Their version of Welcome to the Rock became an instant favourite and was released early as a part of Apple TVs movie version of the musical.
Steve Earle is one of the most acclaimed singer-songwriters of his generation. A protege of legendary songwriters Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark, he quickly became a master storyteller in his own right, with his songs being recorded by Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Joan Baez, Emmylou Harris, The Pretenders, and countless others. 1986 saw the release of his record, Guitar Town, which shot to number one on the country charts and is now regarded as a classic of the Americana genre. Subsequent releases like The Revolution Starts…Now (2004), Washington Square Serenade (2007), and TOWNES (2009) received consecutive GRAMMY® Awards. Restlessly creative across artistic disciplines, Earle has published both a novel and collection of short stories; produced albums for other artists such as Joan Baez and Lucinda Williams, and acted in films, television (including David Simon’s acclaimed The Wire), and on the stage. In 2009, Earle appeared in the off-Broadway play Samara, for which he also wrote a score that The New York Times described as “exquisitely subliminal.” Earle wrote music for and appeared in Coal Country, a riveting Public Theater play that dives into the most-deadly mining disaster in U.S. history, for which he was nominated for a Drama Desk Award. Mr. Earle was recently inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.
The Mummers and the Paupers is a 10 member mummers troupe with a repertoire of music, skits, stories and recitations, as well some piano moving skills when needed. Somewhat unruly but generally well mannered, they have graced nearly every Wassail so far and..well…it wouldn’t be Christmas if they weren’t allowed in.
Like a sporadic option on a menu, Soup’ du Jour performs a variety of music styles both in English and in French.
There is no shortage of talent and charisma in this dynamic duo who rejoice in offering an amusing performance that will surely delight the diverse tastes of their audience.
Tout comme une option occasionnelle figurant sur un menu, Soup’ du Jour interprète une variété de styles de musique en français et en anglais.
Il n’y a pas de pénurie de talent et de charisme dans ce duo dynamique qui réussit à offrir une prestation amusante qui plaira sûrement aux goûts divers de son public.
St. John’s Storytelling is a not-for-profit organization that has been active in the Storytelling community of Newfoundland and Labrador since 2004. St. John’s Storytelling hosts and organizes an annual Storytelling festival bringing storytellers from across the province, Canada and internationally to the stage in St. John’s. We host a monthly Storytelling Circle on the second Wednesday of the month, bi-monthly Storyteller networking/workshopping sessions, and programming for kids, youth, and adults year round. St. John’s Storytelling hosts workshops and courses for emerging and professional storytellers in the interest of preserving, promoting, and developing the art and tradition of storytelling. The activities of St. John’s Storytelling are directed by a Board of four to eight volunteers.
The mandate of the St. John’s Storytelling Festival is to promote the art and tradition of storytelling in Newfoundland and Labrador and throughout Canada; to foster creative expression of this art; and to promote cooperation among organizations related to the art and tradition of storytelling.
