Some applications now being accepted for the 2009 Festival. Download the:

Artisan Application and Jury Letter
Volunteer Application
Food Vendor Application
Entertainment Application


Entertainers

This year the Filberg Festival showcases some of our country's finest musicians.

ALEX CUBA

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.

BILL JOHNSON

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.

BREAKMEN

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.

DAVE HARRIS

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.

DAVID GOGO

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.

DAVID KOSUB QUARTET

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.

CHIC GAMINE

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.

FRED EAGLESMITH

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.

GARY FJELLGAARD

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.

GORDON CARTER

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.

IRISH DESCENDANTS

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.

JAKE GALBRAITH

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.

JOEL FAFARD

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.

JULIAN FAUTH

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.

LESLIE ALEXANDER

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.

LUNCH AT ALLEN'S

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.

MARY MURPHY

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."

MICHAEL KAESHAMMER

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.

MIKE BATTIE

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.

ONE WOMAN CIRCUS

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.

PAUL HANN

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.

PAUL KEIM

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.

SHARI ULRICH

http://www.shariulrich.com

Shari 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.

SHEARWATER

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.

SUE MEDLEY

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".

TOM TAYLOR

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.

TRACI SKUCE

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.