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This year the Filberg Festival showcases some of our country's
finest musicians.
http://www.alexcuba.com
 Singer songwriter Alex Cuba hails from Cuba but now resides in Smithers, B.C. Musically, he lives everywhere in between. His
trademark sugarcane sweet melodies, pop soul hooks and rock chords
subtly subvert commonly held notions of what Cuban music is. Alex is
on the vanguard, crafting a cross cultural sound that mirrors his
geographical journey. Not tied to tradition, this Cuban Canadian
prefers his vintage Gibson over el sencerro (cowbell) anytime. From
his earliest years Alex was immersed in music. His first stage
appearance on national TV was at the tender age of four. Alex went
on to study guitar, tres, percussion and bass, practicing eight
hours a day during his teens. Alex won a National Song Writing
Competition in Cuba when he was eighteen, but only recognized his
singer songwriter path upon moving to Canada, after years playing
bass in traditional Cuban groups. In Canada, he teamed up with his
twin brother Adonis to form The Puentes Brothers, but for Alex
something didn't quite fit, and departing from Cuban music norms to
follow his own path appears to be paying off. Alex focuses on what
he does best: crafting songs that cut through linguistic and
cultural barriers like a machete through sugarcane.
http://www3.telus.net/public/a6a90614/Site/Welcome
http://www.myspace.com/billjohnsonbluesband
 Bill
Johnson started playing guitar at a very young age. His uncle had a 1961
Gretsch Country Gentleman with lots of knobs & levers on it, and a cool
amp with tremolo. He let Bill play that guitar when he was five years
old, way back in 1969. Over the years Bill has played with some of the
country's finest blues acts, has opened for Delbert McClinton and Otis
Rush, and played lead guitar for veteran bluesmen Dutch Mason, Hubert
Sumlim, Son Seales, Donald Ray Johnson, and Cash McCall. His style is
strongly influenced by the blues of the forties and fifties, but with
his own fresh take. Bill's guitar is powerful yet controlled and his
voice was made for the blues, deep, resonating and passionate. Working
mostly out of the Calgary and Victoria area Bill has and has spent a
lifetime immersing himself in the blues.
http://www.thebreakmen.com
 The Breakmen formed in 2005 when four of Vancouver's best young
songwriters and acoustic musicians got together to work on each
others songs. They quickly found an enthusiastic audience for what
they were doing, performing to sold out houses and playing a leading
role in the flourishing West Coast roots music scene. The band's
sound has matured into a distinct voice in Canadian roots music,
with a potent blend of bluegrass, old timey folk, and vintage
country influences. Known for tight vocal harmonies, creative
instrumental work, and contagious stage energy the band has
attracted national and international attention. The Breakmen have
played over 200 festivals, theaters and live stages throughout
Canada and the U.S. west coast and have two CDs to their credit.
http://www.novatone.net/novatone/Slim.htm
 Dave Harris is a versatile musician and singer songwriter who is
probably best known for his one man band act. For over thirty years
Dave has been a fixture on the streets of Victoria, playing and
singing his wide ranging repertoire of country and blues. Dave plays
guitars, harmonicas, violin, mandolin, fotdella (foot operated pedal
bass), suitcase bass drum and various percussion, horns, whistles
and bells. He plays these instruments, in various combinations,
simultaneously, in the tradition of the great Jesse Lone Cat Fuller.
The veteran musician performs his own original tunes as well as many
of the less known blues classics. His abilities as a one man band on
a wide range of instruments in various combinations and humorous
patter have resulted in Dave being the subject of a documentary film
that has been aired many times on various TV stations across the
country.
http://www.davidgogo.com
 David Gogo will be performing two sets on the Main Stage during the
festival. He will play a solo set with his array of acoustic guitars
and will also play an electric blues set with his band. David’s
latest CD called Acoustic features ten brand new tracks steeped in
the blues, roots and folk tradition that have influenced David
throughout his career. Known primarily as an electric guitar player,
David is finding that people are enjoying his acoustic show and as a
player, it keeps things interesting and challenges him. His acoustic
performances offer an intimate and personal look at the acoustic
side of his talents as a singer, songwriter and guitarist. David
will also showcase his blistering guitar licks and soulful vocals
during his electric performance. Either way David is looking forward
to sharing his passion for music with the audience at the Filberg
Festival.
http://www.davidkosubmusic.com
 Over the years David Kosub has played at folk venues in Ontario, BC,
Nova Scotia, PEI, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland. In that time he
wrote numerous songs and honed his craft before family life and a
career in radio broadcasting and magazine writing beckoned. All that
changed four years ago when he began attending music festivals
across western Canada and resumed performing regularly with his
group, the David Kosub Quartet. Joining David will be Nancy Taylor
who sings, plays guitar and piano and has entertained in a variety
of folk venues around Vancouver Island. Also joining David will be
talented guitarist and mandolinist Rose Birnie. With a gift for
local colour in her original lyrics, she continues to be a staple of
the folk club scene, leaving a trail of graceful notes wherever she
goes. David Klassen will round out the quartet on bass.
http://www.chicgamine.com/wp/
 Chic Gamine, the roguishly charming Winnipeg/Montreal based vocal
quintet, has been serenading its audiences since the summer of 2007.
By complete coincidence, the group is composed of the 5 “A’s”:
singers Ariane Jean, Andrina Turenne, Alexa Dirks, Annick Brémault
and drummer and percussionist Alexandre Sacha Daoud. Over the years,
its members have been integral parts of a multitude of projects
having garnered critical success. With a solo percussionist as their
main musical support, Chic Gamine use their voices as instruments,
effortlessly launching into intricate string arrangements, bass
heavy rhythm sections and lush harmonies. These multifariously
talented songwriters create a sound that resonates with soul,
passion and an unabashedly random and sometimes downright peculiar
brand of humour that reels audiences in and leaves them begging for
more.
http://www.fredeaglesmith.com
 Award winning singer songwriter Fred Eaglesmith inspires comparisons
to icons like Woody Guthrie and Bruce Springsteen, tops the roots
music charts, and boasts devoted fans that include a slew of his
fellow songwriters. High profile fellow musicians like Toby Keith
and The Cowboy Junkies as well as film folks like Martin Scorsese
and James Caan, consider him one of the stellar musical and lyrical
talents of our day. Fred is a decidedly grassroots artist in the
thematic focus of his songs and how he pursues his career, playing
shows across North America as well as in Europe and Australia and
releasing his own records. Fred is also known as a between song
raconteur whose pointed and illuminating storytelling and comedic
skills are as sharp as his songwriting. He is the subject of three
tribute albums and enjoys critical comparisons to some of the most
respected talents in music as well as the respect of his peers.
http://www.fjellgaard.bc.ca
 For more than thirty years Gary Fjellgaard has been making a living
on the road with a guitar and a song. He delights his audiences
throughout North America and Europe with his masterful acoustic
guitar, gentle vocals, riveting yodeling, and tales of his life in
the woods. Gary takes his music to the people with a rare sincerity.
Raised on the Canadian Prairies, this award winning singer
songwriter is a champion of vanishing values and the frontier
spirit. Cattle drives, wagon treks, windswept prairies, rushing
rivers and working folks with ties to the land have all been a
source of inspiration for his songs. His western roots music has
survived categorization, and a move to Canada's West Coast has
brought a universal quality to his songwriting. His shows range from
the intimacy of the small theatre to the excitement of main stage
appearances at Canada's top festivals.
http://www.gordoncarter.com
 Gordon Carter was born in Cumberland in the Comox Valley and has
been writing and performing music since his early teens. Gordon is a
talented singer songwriter who writes from the heart and writes
about his local heritage and homeland. His songs are timeless,
blending folk and folklore seamlessly. Gordon is not only an
excellent songwriter and performer, but he is an accomplished
musician, enhancing his songwriting with a guitar picking style he
has made his own. He is an old school storyteller and songwriter in
a world that is too short of artists that can relay history in the
musical and oral tradition that Canada was founded on. It is this
tradition that inspired Gordon to take his music on the road. He is
a prolific performer and is a favourite amongst the Vancouver Island
music scene.
http://www.irishdescendants.com
 Since their formation in 1990, the Irish Descendants have garnered a
loyal fan base in their native Canada, and captured the attention of
an ever growing international audience. The band's award winning
recordings range from lilting ballads to toe tapping reels, and
their high energy, humorous live performances have made them a
popular attraction at home and abroad.
They have toured extensively throughout North America, including
headlining Celtic festivals in Chicago, Boston and Cleveland, as
well as the International Festival of the Sea in England. The Irish
Descendants have also performed at such prestigious venues as The
Smithsonian in Washington D.C. and have played with many of the
nation's best symphony orchestras. When Newfoundland celebrated its
500th Birthday, the band was selected to play at the festivities,
entertaining European royalty and heads of state.
http://members.shaw.ca/jake.galbraith/home.htm
 Jake Galbraith has always loved music. His musical career began in
the context of the Los Angeles version of the late 1950s folk
revival. After moving to Victoria in 1973 Jake made his full time
living as a player for about ten years in the 1970s and early 1980s.
Since then, he has continued to immerse himself in the Vancouver
Island music community as a performer and in various aspects of
concert and record production. As the very competent Filberg
Festival main stage MC and the host of the Great Canadian Songs
panel concert for the past few years, Jake facilitates the
connection between audience and performer, drawing on his life long
love of music and the craft and ritual of musical performance. As a
performer who embraces many styles, Jake continues to perform these
days with various ensembles as well as performing solo throughout
many Vancouver Island communities.
http://www.joelfafard.com
 Joel Fafard is that rare breed of instrumentalist: the kind who's
appeal reaches far beyond the realm of serious guitar enthusiasts.
The gifted slide fingerstyle player writes stirring, melodic
compositions that paint pictures as vivid as any song with words.
And when he sinks his chops into a number like "Face Down in the
Rhubarb," well, let's just say the serious guitar enthusiasts aren't
disappointed either. Many of Joel's tunes have cryptic titles that
figure heavily into his live show. Not content to simply show off
his wizardry, Joel proves himself the consummate entertainer,
setting up the pieces with short stories that indicate the source of
the title. Joel has toured across Canada, the US West Coast, Europe
and New Zealand, and his music has been featured in several TV
shows.
http://www.julianfauth.com
 Julian Fauth is a soulful singer, songwriter and barrelhouse piano
player working in the tradition of pre-war acoustic blues. The
Toronto based singer and pianist practically redefines eclectic.
Julian is an artist with an individualistic style that recognizes
and appreciates tradition but uses it as a blank canvas on which to
paint his own interpretation of the genre. He began listening to
blues and fooling around on the piano as a very young child. After
moving to Toronto in 1996, Julian began jamming in Kensington Market
bars, which led to a busy career on the Toronto blues scene. Among
the slashing guitars that dominate today’s blues music Julian’s
novel music is refreshing. Playing a style of piano that was long
dismissed as out of style, Julian proves to be a young master of the
88s. The talented player and composer has toured in Russia, Cuba,
Germany, the USA and throughout Canada.
http://www.lesliealexander.com
 Leslie Alexander grew up on an Alberta sheep farm and couldn't wait
to get to the city. She hit the road, made a bunch of mistakes and
wrote songs about them. She wound up singing on a street corner in
Vancouver for spare change. She does not consider this a mistake.
Along came producer John Ellis who put together Leslie's first CD, a
collection of tunes about street life and redemption which got
Leslie out of the rain and into some coffeehouses where she set her
sights on the concert stage. Leslie has now appeared on concert &
festival stages across Canada, headlining or sharing the spotlight
with the likes of Mary Gauthier, Corb Lund, Jim Byrnes and Barney
Bentall. Leslie's unique perspective, songs and stories combine to
create a show that moves from pin drop intimacy to foot stompin',
flat out rock'n roll, taking you to all the beautiful and terrifying
places she's been.
http://www.lunchatallens.com
 Lunch At Allen's is an extraordinary musical revue by internationally
renowned songwriters, Murray McLauchlan, Cindy Church, Marc Jordan, and
Ian Thomas. The stage show is an intimate and humorous performance by
some of Canada's finest individual artists performing some of Canada's
most enjoyed songs from each of these songwriters’ impressive
catalogues. Marc Jordan and Ian Thomas' songs have been recorded by
everyone from Rod Stewart to Bette Midler, and Diana Ross to Santana.
Murray McLauchlan's hits have covered Canadian airwaves from coast to
coast. Cindy Church's sweet voice and her songs are well known on the
folk festival circuit through her solo work and as a member of Quartette
with Sylvia Tyson. Together, it seems as though they've been playing for
years, but with an energy and freshness like they've just met.
Murray McLauchlan is one of Canada's best songwriting
performers. To experience him perform is to enjoy creative storytelling,
social commentary and wit with a man who clearly enjoys sharing his
music and experiences with an audience.
Originally from Bible Hill, Nova Scotia, Cindy Church
spent her formative musical years in western Canada, making her first
recordings with the Great Western Orchestra, touring and recording with
Ian Tyson and embarking on a solo career. Now living in Toronto, she has
not only acquired a national reputation as one of the best singers in
the country, but an international one as well.
Marc Jordan began his professional career in Los
Angeles in 1977 when he was signed to Warner Bros. Records. He spent the
next 15 years making and producing records for Warner Bros., BMG, and
Atlantic Records. Marc wrote songs for and with Diana Ross, Manhattan
Transfer, Kenny Loggins, Joe Cocker, Sheena Easton Amanda Marshall,
Cher, Shawn Colvin, Chicago, Natalie Cole, Holly Cole and Rod Stewart
and has many television and film credits as well.
Many international artists have had success with Ian Thomas'
songs such as Santana, America, Manfred Mann, Chicago, Bette Midler and
Anne Murray. His songs have been licensed for television uses in
programs such as WKRP in Cincinnati, Baywatch, Degrassi High and Leap
Years. Ian is also in demand as a film composer and has scored many
feature films and TV Movies of the week.
http://www.marymurphy.ca
 Combine a wee Irish lass with a honeyed crystalline voice, a dynamic
back up band, and good cheer. What do you get? A whopping great time!
Let Mary Murphy's Irish Isle transport you across the Atlantic to a home
of traditional, original and contemporary Irish songs. Mary will share
her gifts of melody and lyric and will also lead the audience in playful
choruses in both English and Irish language, and even do a little step
dancing! Her penned originals are seeped in tradition, and one would be
hard pressed to decipher the originals from the traditional ones. Mary's
Irish wit and storytelling also ring clear and prove to be yet another
way in which her audiences find themselves feeling personally connected
and drawn into her world. Mary regularly tours with Will Millar (Irish
Rovers) who calls her voice, "The Heart and Soul of Ireland."
http://www.michaelkaeshammer.com
 Michael Kaeshammer’s polished, but warm live shows pack concert halls
across North America and Europe. Spiking his onstage patter with a
droll, but quick witted humour, the young pianist is the consummate
entertainer. Growing up in Germany, Michael first studied classical
piano before falling passionately in love with boogie woogie piano
playing at the age of thirteen years. Michael has an air of confidence
and a level of musical sophistication that is very unique. He’s an
incredibly physical piano player, very sensitive, very strong. Michael
loves being in front of an audience and he tries to write and record
music that both satisfies himself and reflects how he wants to
contribute to the music world. His succinct, wise lyrics are clever and
funny and painfully honest. Sometimes the musician’s talent and maturity
is simply breathtaking. Michael has matured into a singer and songwriter
of real skill and creative imagination.
http://www.mikebattie.com
 Mike Battie has personally introduced more than 10,000 people to the joy
of juggling. He began sharing his performance expertise in 1987 by
becoming the resident juggling/unicycle/stilts instructor for Vancouver
Cirkids. In 1995 he began training a group of Abbotsford youths to
become the resident performers for the Western Canada Games in that
city. This group of high school students later went on to perform
professionally with Mike at the PNE, Grey Cup Gala and in a movie. Mike
travels every year to Winnipeg and Saskatchewan to share his skills with
kids in the C.A.M.P. and C.A.P. programs. Mike has also instructed for
the Vancouver School Board's Adult Education program, taught privately
for schools, colleges, and corporate functions, and conducted workshops
at Science World and a wide variety of festivals. Mike will perform
daily in the Kids Area.
http://www.sandnorthrup.com
 Sand Northrup loves to teach the skills she uses in her own performances
as juggler, unicyclist, stilter and clown. Since 1984, she has brought
circus arts to literally thousands: at schools across the country,
innumerable community centres, festivals, corporate events and special
education projects. Sand co-founded the Ailanthus Street Performing
program for inner city youth and taught there three seasons. She coaches
at Saskatoon’s Circus Arts Project and the One Wheel Wonders, a unicycle
basketball team. She also coordinated the wildly successful Circo
Circuit project for the Vancouver International Children’s Festival and
now takes her mobile “Circus School” to schools throughout BC. Sand will
perform her One Woman Circus stage shows and present interactive circus
workshops daily in the Kid’s Area.
http://paulhann.com
 For nearly four decades, Paul Hann has charmed audiences on five
continents with his warmth, sincerity and good humour. As a successful
singer songwriter of children's music Paul has recorded seventeen
albums. He starred in his own National Television Series for seven years
and was twice nominated for a Juno Award. Paul's commitment to
entertaining young audiences is reflected in his live performances where
he mixes both traditional favourites with original songs, easily
relating material that both parents and children can enjoy. His concerts
abound with amusing anecdotes, quick one liners and many opportunities
for participation. With a solid tradition for touring in all regions of
Canada and beyond Paul has earned a reputation as an entertainer who
genuinely enjoys making people happy. Families will enjoy his daily
concerts in the Kid’s Area.
http://www.paulkeim.com
 If Memphis and New Orleans influenced blues is up your alley then you
won't want to miss Paul Keim. He will play an acoustic solo set on the
Garden Stage and an electric blues set with his trio on the Main Stage.
Joining Paul for the electric set will be bassist Jack Joshua and
drummer Cary Hitsman, both of whom hail from southern California. Paul
has been in the music business for over thirty years and has played in a
variety of western swing bands and jump blues bands. Paul plays his
guitar with groove and passion. A Californian native, but now a Comox
Valley resident, Paul loves to play, and he loves to write. He has spent
most of his life playing, writing, recording and thinking about what
makes music tick. Paul is the owner/operator of Dove Creek Recording
Studios in Courtenay and spends much of his time producing, touring,
writing and recording with vivacious Irish singer Mary Murphy, to whom
he is happily married.
http://www.shariulrich.com
S hari Ulrich first hit the stage as one third of the infamous Pied Pumkin String Ensemble. The Pumkins became the foundation of British
Columbian music for an entire generation. Folks still recall Shari’s
violin, mandolin, flute, dulcimer, guitar, and saxophone playing as well
as her incomparable voice. In 1976 Shari was hired to tour with West
Coast folk artist Valdy as part of his backing group, The Hometown Band
and her reputation across Canada was launched. When the Hometown Band
dissolved in 1978, Shari embarked on her own solo and songwriting
career. 1989 marked the start of her collaboration with long time
friends Bill Henderson and Roy Forbes - UHF - the much praised acoustic
vocal trio with whom she continues to record and perform. A long time
mentor for Canadian songwriters, Shari’s reputation as a songwriting
educator has led to her participation in countless workshops and camps.
http://www.shearwaterband.com
 Hailing from Vancouver Island, the Shearwater Bluegrass Band is fronted
by acclaimed singer bassist Tammy Fassaert, and features talented
guitarist Dave Clarke and hot young mandolinist James Whittall.
Shearwater's signature sound comes from combining refined vocal
harmonies with blistering instrumental duets. Shearwater has been making
waves since it first started performing on the folk and bluegrass
circuit on the West Coast in late 2006, and its reputation is spreading.
The group has performed at many festivals, as well as several folk
concert series. Shearwater's groove pays homage to various acoustic
styles, from country and bluegrass to Celtic and folk, with even some
Caribbean flavour thrown for good measure! Roots music with the drive of
bluegrass – that’s the sound of the Shearwater Bluegrass Band, a trio
that blends fine duet harmonies with scorching picking.
http://www.myspace.com/suemedley
http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Pop_Encyclopedia/M/Medley_Sue.html
 Sue
Medley was playing guitar and writing songs by the age of twelve. In
1989 she made an appearance at the Big Valley Jamboree in Saskatchewan
and received a nomination for the Vista (Rising Star) Award at the
Canadian Country Music Awards. This notoriety led to her signing with
Polygram Canada and a self titled debut CD in 1990. On the heels of the
singles "Dangerous Times" and "Love Thing", Sue toured North America the
rest of the year including dates with Bob Dylan in Toronto. Her second
album produced the single "When The Stars Fall" which became a major hit
on the radio. In October 1992 Sue was invited by John Mellencamp to
participate in the Bob Dylan Tribute at Madison Square Gardens in New
York. Later that month she received a SOCAN award for her song "Maybe
The Next Time" which was one of the most played songs on Canadian radio
in 1991. Four of Sue’s songs were featured on the hit TV series
"Dawson's Creek".
http://www.myspace.com/themusicoftomtaylor
 Vancouver’s Tom Taylor writes songs with considerable power. His voice
has a true familiar tone that draws you in with his songs that are both
honest and heartfelt. Influenced greatly by Joe Ely and John Hiatt, it
is the craft behind writing a song that he truly loves most. Tom spent
most of his musical career playing in the Vancouver cult band She Stole
My Beer. The sought after campus favourite recorded and released two
major label albums and toured extensively for years building themselves
a strong and dedicated fan base. After parting ways with SSMB, Tom
continued to perform as a solo artist, capturing the listener with his
introspective and emotion filled lyrics. At the heart of all his music
are the songs that document his power both as a songwriter and a
musician. Tom is a troubadour who will continue to effortlessly draw
listeners into his world.
http://www.yogaonrosewall.com/contact.html
 Traci Skuce is a certified Iyengar Yoga Instructor who teaches in the
Comox Valley. She has been studying and teaching yoga since 1997 and
aspires to teach yoga with precision and lightness. Traci finds that
yoga has become as essential to her daily life as breathing and she
enjoys sharing her yoga skills with others. She teaches in a friendly
and informed manner so her yoga classes are fun. Traci not only teaches
adults, but also regularly presents yoga classes for young children at
schools and festivals throughout the Comox Valley area. Traci enjoys
practicing yoga with youngsters and invites them to join in with her to
learn to balance like a flamingo, graze like a giraffe or slither like a
snake. Have fun playing a variety of games that encourage flexibility
and freedom in your body at the daily yoga workshop in the Kid’s Area.
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