Coast Mountain News Thursday, August 4, 2011
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$1.00 + HST Vol. 27 | No. 16 Thursday, August 4, 2011
Michael Wigle photo
Local First Nations hip hop artist Crystal J lent her stunning voice to the Earth Tones and Native Voices Workshops
12th Annual Discovery Coast Music Festival Shines BY TAHIRIH GOFFIC Celebrating its 12th year, the Discovery Coast Music Festival was once again a fun filled, exuberant celebration of song and dance, culture, diversity and community. The light drizzle that accompanied the soothing sounds of some of Canada’s best folk singers didn’t stop the festival attendants from enjoying every minute. With an exciting lineup comprised of almost every possible genre from blues, avant garde folk singing, plains Cree hiphop and Afro-jazz fusion, there was something for every kind of
music lover. The mix reminded us that music doesn’t have to be mainstream to be absolutely riveting. Saturday was closed by headliner The New Odds (formerly The Odds), a great band that holds many Juno nominations and songs on the top charts. They rocked us out the gates late that evening - not kicking and screaming, but dancing and singing. I encourage everybody to check out Jesse Dee and Jacquie B, hailing from Wells, B.C., and their sidekick, Scott Cook, from Edmonton. They’ve developed two distinct sounds: rocking
folk/jazz, and beautiful vocal harmonies accompanied by melodic electric guitar. Lindsay Knight, aka, Eekwol, is Canada’s first solo Aboriginal female hip hop artist. A member of the Muskoday Cree First Nation, she was the winner of the First Nations Award for Arts and Entertainment in 2008. With her down to earth sincerity and unselfconscious attitude, and her driving hip hop rhythms, she had us up dancing and grooving for the duration of her performance. Andrea Koziol is definitely an original. Imagine Jane Siberry, Sarah McLachlan, and Loreena
McKennitt, all rolled into one amazing, fire-ball woman. Performing in bare feet and ripped jeans, as at ease on stage as you might imagine her to be in her own home, she sang her lungs out with honest passion. Aside from the wildly energetic live show by Mr. Something Something, this band is becoming increasingly well-known for its green politics and environmental activism. Their music is a rich cacophony of African beats and infectious grooves, their vibrant horn lines rolling through passionate vocals promoting a strong social conscience. And with the
bafflingly co-ordinated acrobatics of the lead singer, you can’t help but feel the vibe and get up and dance. 2009 Juno winners Digging Roots transfixed us with the sensational guitar playing of Raven Kanatakta and his partner and wife, Shoshona Kish, who wowed us with her amazing vocals. With their cross-genre sound, somewhere between rock, blues and hip hop, and their sweet onstage chemistry, I was left wanting more long after they left the stage. They won both SEE FESTIVAL ON PAGE 3