MEET THE ARTISTS
Saddle up and join The Tone Rangers, a ragtag band of troubadours whose songs echo across the vast plains and dusty trails. From campfire ballads to saloon showdowns, this eclectic posse serenades the frontier with tales of adventure, heartache, and redemption.
Saskia from the UK, & Steafan from Ireland, moved to Canada in 2007 with 3 children and over 800 instruments! After 22 years of playing together, and many sessions under their belt for other people, Steafan & Saskia released their first duo album called “Moorchild”. Between them, Saskia & Steafan have played with thousands of artists both live and recorded, including Uriah Heep, Loreena Mckennit, Bjork, Depeche Mode, The Band of Hope (with Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick), SinÉ, The Afro-Celt Sound System, Oliver Schroer, David Newland (in his project Northbound Passage), and most recently Sultans of String, George Crotty, Shannon Linton and MEDUSA. They have been session musicians on TV shows which include Relic Hunter, Earth Final Conflict, Murdoch Mysteries, Copper, Cabinet of Curiosities (Del Torro) and Friends (the one with Ross’s Wedding). Together they worked on developing the Celtic music for the hit Broadway show “Come from Away”. Steafan is the author of bestselling books “The Bodhran Book” and “The Low Whistle Book”. With his other hat, Steafan is a TD and sound/lighting tech for theatres (and a very useful person to have around)
Lotus Wight is the stage name of artist Sam Allison. He was brought to Canada in a basket at the age of one year old.
After his tenure as the banjo player for the highly influential string-band Sheesham, Lotus and Son, he has carved out his place as a solo act, helping to re-define standards of old-time and folk music, relying on his musicality, wit, and legendary musical inventions to delight dozens of fans in the tri-county area.
Wight has enjoyed multiple nominations for the Canadian Folk Music and JUNO awards and tours the globe with The Complete Recordings of Hezekiah Procter.
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, as well as some songs of their own.
Ottawa singer-songwriter Birdie Whyte is at home on the stage anywhere she goes.
Songwriting is Birdie's passion and her lovely voice lends an aching depth to the simple country lyrics she lays down. Birdie's songs are insightful and mindfully crafted, drawing the listener in and leaving them with melodic, vividly colourful landscapes that hold true to the storytelling form of the folk tradition.
Art Bouman is an African Nova Scotian banjoist and folk singer, who is interested in the African influences on folk music across the Western hemisphere. Blending gospel, blues, mento, calypso and African American string band music, Art's music expands what we traditionally consider "early western music" or "old-time music" to revive and reclaim sounds and voices that have been largely forgotten
Kate Weekes is a songwriter, singer and instrumentalist based in the Gatineau Hills of Quebec. Her songs reflect time spent canoeing the rivers of northern Canada, living as a dog musher exploring life as much as possible. Kate has released 3 solo albums alongside collaborative projects and singles.
Hailing from Gallingertown, Ontario, Thomas Henbest will be our steadfast Master of Ceremony this festival. Thomas grew up as part of the fabric of Upper Canada Village, eventually becoming the full time Music Director. With a spark and an incredible smile he will guide us through the weekend, moderate the panel discussion on Saturday and call the square dance on the Sunday.
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