Northern Lights Festival Boréal
Northern Lights Festival Boréal | |
---|---|
blues, Indigenous music | |
Dates | First weekend in July |
Location(s) | Sudbury, Ontario, Canada |
Years active | 1972–2019, 2022– |
Website | Northern Lights Festival Boréal |
Northern Lights Festival Boréal is an annual summer music festival in Sudbury, Ontario.[1] It is one of Canada's oldest continuous music festivals, having been staged every year since 1972 until the COVID-19 pandemic.[2][3]
The bilingual festival is held on the shores of Ramsey Lake at Bell Park, home of the Grace Hartman Amphitheatre.[4] A diverse program of music is presented in a variety of genres including arts, crafts and children's entertainment,[5] featuring a mix of national, international and Northern Ontario artists and performers. Musicians at the festival typically participate in concert performances and workshop sessions, collaborating with several other musicians.
In addition to the main festival, the organizing committee also sponsors concerts and other cultural events in the city throughout the year. During the festival weekend, a number of artists also perform downtown at the Townehouse.
The festival is normally held on the first weekend in July.[6] Most commonly held over three days from Friday to Sunday, the festival at various times in its history has also taken place over one, two or four days.[2]
History
Founded by a group of volunteers in 1972, the festival incorporated in 1975 at which time artists also began to be paid for performing. The event has always been multicultural, including Ukrainian, Indian, and Croatian Canadians at the first festival, and Indigenous artists since the third.[7]
Some of the highlights over the years:
- In the 1970s, Colin Linden, then 14 years old, appeared at the festival.[7]
- Canadian folk musician Stan Rogers wrote one of his most famous songs, "Barrett's Privateers",[8] while at the festival. The song was written for a collaborative performance session with the band Friends of Fiddler's Green.[8]
- In the 1980s, the festival was one of the first major venues to book Shania Twain, then 10 years old.[9]
- The 1990 event saw the first collaborative performance by folk musicians Oscar Lopez, who later recorded two Juno Award-nominated albums together as the Compadres.[10]
- In 1992, the festival was profiled in the TVOntario series Putting On the Arts.[11]
- In 1999, pop singer Amanda Marshall announced a concert in the city on a date that conflicted with the festival.[12] The controversy was resolved when Marshall's promoters offered a special promotional pass that enabled ticketholders to attend both events.[12] Nevertheless, attendance at the festival fell below expectations, leaving a deficit.[13] The following year, the festival recovered by offering a smaller program.[14]
- In 2017, the festival expanded its three-day schedule with a Thursday night performance devoted exclusively to Indigenous music.[15]
- In 2020 and 2021, the festival was cancelled for the first time in its history due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada.[16][17]
- The festival celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2022.[18]
Festival artistic directors have included Scott Merrifield, Vickie McGauley, John Closs, Claude Faucon, Paul Loewenberg, and Max Merrifield.[7]
Awards
The Jackie Washington Award is presented each year for distinguished contribution to Northern Ontario's cultural life.[19] Past recipients have included Robert Paquette, Ken Whiteley, Daniel Bédard, Paul Dunn and Charlie Angus.[19] The award is named for Jackie Washington, a blues musician who appeared at the festival 25 times between the festival's inauguration in 1972 and Washington's death in 2009.
The Bernie Melanson Volunteer Award is also awarded annually, named after one of the festival's founding members and given to individuals or groups for longstanding or exceptional service to the festival.
Performers
1980
CANO, Tom Rush, Stan Rogers[20]
1983
Scott Merritt, Lauri Conger and Lorraine Segato, The Nylons, The Bop Cats, Joe Hall, Nancy White, Eritage, Shirley Eikhard, Richard Séguin, Robert Paquette, CANO, Paul Dunn, Daisy DeBolt, Jacko Chartrand[21]
1990
1995
Ashley MacIsaac, Kashtin, Nadjiwan, The Wailing Aztecs, The Shuffle Demons, Stephen Fearing, Eric Nagler[23]
1997
Blue Rodeo, Bob Wiseman, Universal Honey, Change of Heart, The Pursuit of Happiness, Bob Snider, Fred Eaglesmith, Pacande, The Wailing Aztecs, Nadjiwan, Les Chaizes Muzikales[24]
1998
Bruce Cockburn, Natalie MacMaster, Rheostatics[25]
1999
Mackeel, Buckwheat Zydeco, Grievous Angels,[19] Kim Stockwood[26]
2000
2004
2007
Ron Sexsmith, Leahy, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, Peter Case, Les Breastfeeders, Oh Susanna, Peter Elkas, Ox, Kim Barlow, Torngat
2008
Kate Maki, Old Man Luedecke, Nathan Lawr, Two Hours Traffic, Daniel Bélanger, Ian Tamblyn, David Francey, Miracle Fortress, The Sadies, Don McLean
2009
Serena Ryder, Bob Wiseman, Joel Plaskett, Jenn Grant, Bob Snider, Angie Nussey, Stéphane Paquette, J. P. Cormier, Norman Foote, Mr. Something Something
2011
Broken Social Scene, The Weakerthans, Lunch At Allen's, Ron Hynes, J. P. Cormier, Ladies of the Canyon[31]
2012
Daniel Lanois, Steven Page, Joel Plaskett, The Good Lovelies, The Hidden Cameras[32]
2013
2014
Amélie, Annie Lou, Bustamento,
2015
Fanny Bloom, Big Tobacco & The Pickers, Billy John & The Irish Wake, The Bombadils, Duncan Cameron, Cello Tales, J. P. Cormier, Quique Escamilla, Five Alarm Funk, Sarah Harmer, Hello Holiday, House of David Gang, Jayme Stone's Lomax Project, Kobo Town, Lee Harvey Osmond, Dan Mangan, Melbourne Ska Orchestra, Mimi O'Bonsawin, Lisa Marie Naponse, Le Paysagiste, Pistol George Warren, Les Poules à Colin, Adonis Puentes, Reuben and the Dark, Scarlett Jane, Ben Sures, Tuba Boy, The Wild Geese
2016
Afrikelektro, The Amazing René,
2017
Aerialists, The Ape-ettes, Barry Miles and the Congregation, Bboy Redsky, Bixiga 70, Black Bull Moose Singers,
2018
Afrikana Soul Sister, Afro Madness Drum Troupe,
2019
The Almighty Rhombus, Bedouin Soundclash, Boogat, Kevin Breit, Brooke Bruce, Basia Bulat, The Burning Hell, Duncan Cameron, Eric Clancy, Kevin Closs, Jean-Paul De Roover, Cris Derksen, Fred Eaglesmith and Tif Ginn, ECHLO, Nick Ferrio, Eva Foote, Half Moon Run, Haviah Mighty, Jennifer Holub, Jane's Party, Jennis, K'naan, Mélissa Laveaux, Céleste Lévis, Magoo, Mayhemingways, Rodney Meilleur, Hannah Shira Naiman, Safia Nolin, Oh Geronimo, Pop Mach!ne, William Prince, Rayannah, Sam Roberts, Shaky Stars, Sheesham & Lotus & Son, Al Simmons, Ansley Simpson, Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, Ben Sures, Trapment, David Dino White, Jojo Worthington, Zeus
2022
2023
See also
- Historic rock festivals
- Music festivals in Canada
References
- Sudbury Star, May 25, 2006.
- ^ a b c "Northern Lights Festival Boreal finalizes 45th anniversary performance roster". Soo Today, April 20, 2016.
- ^ Only the Mariposa Folk Festival is older, but it was not staged in 1980-81.
- ^ "Good, bad or ugly, the folk festival endures". Toronto Star, June 15, 1995.
- Sudbury Star, July 10, 1999.
- ^ In 1988, it was postponed until the last weekend of the month to serve as the cultural festival for the 1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics, which was held in the city.
- ^ a b c Merrifield, Scott (2022-06-18). "Looking Back at the Early Days of Northern Lights". Sudbury Star. pp. A1, A4. Retrieved 2023-02-05.
- ^ a b "Stan Rogers: 10 Years Gone". Ottawa Citizen, July 11, 1993.
- ISBN 9780425164518.
- ^ "Just your average 'Celtino' guitar duo; The unlikely fusion of Latin American and Celtic music came easily to Lopez and Keelaghan". Toronto Star, October 11, 2007.
- ^ "Arts on TV". Windsor Star, June 20, 1992.
- ^ Sudbury Star, July 9, 1999.
- Sudbury Star, December 5, 1999.
- Sudbury Star, July 15, 2000.
- ^ "Buffy Sainte-Marie, Tribe Called Red to highlight Northern Lights festival". CBC Sudbury, April 25, 2017.
- Sudbury Star, May 4, 2020.
- Sudbury.com, April 20, 2021.
- ^ Gilhula, Vicki (2022-07-07). "Then & Now: Looking back on fifty years of Northern Lights Festival". Sudbury.com. Retrieved 2023-02-05.
- ^ Sudbury Star, July 18, 1999.
- ^ "Folk music lives, from coast-to-coast". The Globe and Mail, June 27, 1980.
- ^ "Folk festivals forge their own traditions". The Globe and Mail, June 27, 1980.
- ^ "Playbill". Windsor Star, July 7, 1990.
- ^ "Sudbury festival list was wrong". Toronto Star, June 16, 1995.
- ^ "Summer's sounds of music All across Ontario tunefests ranging from folk and roots to global world beat are getting ready to roll". Toronto Star, June 15, 1997.
- ^ "Out of town". Toronto Star, July 2, 1998.
- ^ "Time to head out on the highway ; Music festivals are beckoning from across the province". Toronto Star, June 17, 1999.
- Sudbury Star, July 3, 2000.
- ^ "New MP hits the stage in Sudbury". North Bay Nugget, July 5, 2004.
- Sudbury Star, May 24, 2004.
- Sudbury Star, July 8, 2004.
- ^ "Northern Lights Festival Boreal - performers (2011)". Archived from the original on August 28, 2011. Retrieved 28 Aug 2011.
- ^ "Northern Lights Festival Boreal - Performers (2012)". Archived from the original on July 30, 2012. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
External links
- Northern Lights Festival Boréal official website