Spirit of the West, Ozomatli and Michael Franti Lead Stellar Lineup

Dates: July 18, 19 & 20, 2008

Venue: Jericho Beach Park in Vancouver, British Columbia

Admission: Early Bird tickets on sale until June 21, from $46 for Friday evening and

$76 for Saturday and Sunday one-day adult admissions to $112 for adult weekend passes.

Little Folks (12 and under) admitted free when accompanied by an adult. See full price range below.

THE HEADLINES

An exciting mix of contemporary and traditional folk and roots music and themes will ensure a lively weekend at Jericho Beach Park July 18, 19 and 20 when musicians and songwriters from around the world and across the street gather for Vancouver's 31st annual celebration of traditional and contemporary folk and roots music.

From Vancouver-based folk music icons Spirit of the West, making their long overdue debut at the Festival, to Los Angeles’ multi-ethnic Ozomatli with their dynamic mix of Latin salsa, urban hip hop and jazz funk, and the return of Michael Franti and Spearhead, with their own unique blend of funk, reggae, and folk stylings, the Festival will once again embrace the full range of folk and world music expression.

An engaging mix of Americana, old-time, folk and bluegrass will bring us Abigail Washburn and the Sparrow Quartet, featuring Béla Fleck, embodying the notion of Americana as a world-wide musical language.

Critically acclaimed Canadian singer, songwriter, musician and poet Ferron returns to her roots at the Festival, while, from the furthest reaches of the global village, the Master Musicians of Jajouka, called by Mick Jagger "one of the most inspiring musical groups still left on the planet", will bring us the traditional music from the Rif mountains of northern Morocco.

With something for every folk-roots-world music taste, on seven outdoor stages over three evenings and two full days of non-stop music, songs of peace, social justice, and human love and joy will bring to life this annual celebration that is Vancouver’s signature festival event.

THE HIGHLIGHTS

With the dynamic growth of experimental techniques and multi-ethnic musical fusion, the Festival’s programming no longer fits into neat and tidy categories. Celtic tunes can be played with traditional Indian instruments, Appalachian bluegrass banjos can pick up African beats, and punk stylings can show up along with down-home country. But let’s try to pull out a few common threads in 2008s amazing lineup.

The Celtic world is close to the heart of the folk-roots musical experience, and LAU is a formidable union of three of the most innovative exponents of traditional music in Scotland today. Grammy-winning Maeve MacKinnon brings a diverse Scots and Gaelic repertoire sun in a beautiful and distinctive voice.

From the other side of the globe, Kiran Ahluwalia will represent Punjabi traditions with her lush ghazals and lively folk songs, while Delhi 2 Dublin, an electro-acoustic collaboration between five world fusion artists, blends the traditional folk melodies of North India and Ireland with cutting edge technology.

Bluegrass, with its roots in the music of the British Isles and deep in Appalachia, has inspired many artists, including Juno-winner Jayme Stone, who blurs the lines between time and location with Malian kora player Mansa Sissoko in building a bridge between Africa and America through the unexpected medium of the banjo. And The Carrivick Sisters, 19-year-old twins Hazel and Charlotte, prove that the bluegrass tradition is safe in the hands of the next generation.

Québec has always been the home of great music and song, and Les Chauffeurs à pieds serve up lively instrumental versions of traditions tunes. The Pascale Picard Band is considered one of this year’s hottest discoveries, and Jorane is widely celebrated for playing alternative music on a typically classical instrument, not to mention her unusual ability to sing while playing the cello!

Speaking of unexpected mixing and matching, Dubblestandart’s fusion of Jamaican reggae with electronic atmospherics, Kobo Town’s blend of calypso, reggae and dub poetry, and Markus James and the Wassonrai, with their vital mix of music from the Mississippi Delta and Mali will stretch your mind and broaden your musical horizons.

In a league of his own, jazz legend John Boutté lives and breathes the heart and soul of New Orleans, blending New Orleans jazz, soul, blues and gospel with his own Creole traditions, while Harry Manx and Kevin Breit, two artists who are comfortable playing virtually anything with strings, are a match made in guitar heaven.

For the straight goods, T-Model Ford is pure Mississippi blues, Outlaw Social delivers folk music that sounds as though it was recorded in Dust Bowl days of the great Depression, and The Sojourners capture the spirit of the "old school" gospel recordings of the 1930s and ‘40s.

THE FESTIVAL

A major event on the world folk and roots music circuit, the Vancouver Folk Music Festival challenges audiences to expand their understanding and appreciation of what 'folk' can mean in a global context. Bringing attention to exciting young artists who are pushing the boundaries and honouring the elders of the tradition, the Festival is an acknowledged leader in creating new ways of working with artists in developing forums and vehicles for experimentation, improvisation and education.

The Festival features a twenty-vendor food area, a crafts market, a stage and activity area dedicated to the Little Folks and their families, and the Festival Community Village where local community-building organizations and businesses are represented.

All of this takes place in the spectacular outdoor setting of Jericho Beach Park, amidst groves of pine and cedar trees and against a backdrop of the beautiful Coast Mountains rising above a modern city skyline.

Citywide public performances build community excitement leading up to the Festival Weekend, including Live On The Drive, a free concert on Commercial Drive on the Wednesday before the Festival featuring Eneida Marta, and two great nights at The Yale, with Marcus James and the Wassonrai on July 17 and T-Model Ford on July 21.

The Vancouver Folk Music Festival is a world of music on the beach for one magic weekend every summer. We'll see you in the Park!

TICKET PRICES & OUTLETS

Early Bird Prices (until June 21):

* Adult: Friday $46; Saturday & Sunday each $74; Weekend $112.

* Student (19 +): Friday $41; Saturday & Sunday each $47; Weekend $72.

* Youth (13 to 18): Friday $26.50; Saturday & Sunday each $33; Weekend $62.

* Elders (65 +): Friday $32; Saturday or Sunday each $37; Weekend $53.

* Little Folks (12 and under): Admitted free when accompanied by an adult.

Ticket Outlets

* Highlife Records: 1317 Commercial Drive, 604.251.6964

* Neptoon Records: 3561 Main Street, 604.324.1229

* Little Sisters Bookstore: 1238 Davie Street, 604.669.1753

* Zulu Records: 1972 West Fourth Avenue, 604.738.3232

THE FESTIVAL LINEUP

* Abigail Washburn and the Sparrow Quartet featuring Béla Fleck. This all-star collaboration has created a new sound that challenges traditional notions of country and culture;

* Kiran Ahluwalia. Captivating live performances featuring lush ghazals and lively Punjabi folk songs;

* Bill Bourne and Madagascar Slim. A deep passion for the blues fused with world and African rhythms, sweet harmonies and ingenious guitar playing;

* John Boutté. His smoky, soulful vocals typify the music of his native New Orleans;

* The Carrivick Sisters. This young twin duo perform bluegrass with sweet harmonies and stellar original songs;

* Charanga Cakewalk. A pan-Latin American martini of equal parts traditional instruments and deep, urban, grooves;

* Les Chauffeurs à pieds. This Québecois quartet serve up lively instrumental versions of traditional tunes full of zest, humour and joie de vivre;

* The Checkerboard Guy. A humourous comic daredevil who is sure to liven up the Little Folks Village;

* Jason Collett. The Broken Social Scene guitarist brings his instrument and a stack of intimate tales to tell at the Festival;

* Creaking Tree String Quartet. Paying no heed to stylistic boundaries, this quartet is as tight and polished as it is improvisational and exuberant;

* Dawn Tyler Watson and Paul Deslauriers. Montreal’s "Queen of the Blues" has teamed up with guitarist/singer/ songwriter extrordinaire Deslauriers;

* Delhi 2 Dublin. An electro-acoustic collaboration between five world fusion artists, blending the traditional folk melodies of North India and Ireland with cutting edge technology;

* Del Castillo. A high-energy Chicano band that sings in Spanish, combining old-school Gitano with nuevo flamenco and churning polyrhythmic percussion;

* DNA6. A hot combination of hip hop and funky jazz sounds blended with smooth stirring vocals;

* Dubblestandart. Transplanted dub from Jamaica to Vienna that mingles electronic atmospherics with a reggae foundation;

* Etran Finatawa. From the shifting dunes of the Sahara desert, these two legendary nomadic peoples perform desert blues with guitar lines, looping camel rhythms and wailing responses;

* Ferron. The critically acclaimed Canadian singer, songwriter, musician and poet returns to her roots;

* Eliza Gilkyson. Masterfully structured, startlingly intimate songs in a beautifully lived in voice;

* Jenn Grant. Her agile voice and superb songwriting skills make her one of the most promising artists on the Halifax scene;

* Harry Manx and Kevin Breit. A match made in guitar heaven with two artists that are comfortable playing virtually anything with strings;

* Jayme Stone and Mansa Sissoko. Inventive banjo styles steeped in the technique and lore of old-time and bluegrass music meets a Malian griot and kora master;

* John Reischman and the Jaybirds. A top-flight band delivering a truly fresh blend of original songs and instrumentals, old-time heritage, and bluegrass power;

* Jorane. Her voice and that of the cello intertwine in ways unique, mysterious and otherworldly, creating her signature sound;

* Harrison Kennedy. This blues troubadour and former Chairmen of the Board concocts a powerful stew of rhythm and blues;

* Kobo Town. Named after the vibrant and turbulent neighborhood in old Port-of-Spain, their music draws its inspiration from traditional calypso, roots reggae and dub poetry;

* LAU. A formidable union of three of the finest and most innovative exponents of modern traditional music in Scotland today;

* Maeve MacKinnon. A diverse Scots and Gaelic repertoire joined to a beautiful and distinctive voice;

* Aimee Mann. A thoroughly engaging and accomplished Grammy-winning singer-songwriter with thought provoking songs;

* Carolyn Mark. A country-punk chanteuse who sings songs that will tickle your heart and break your funny bone;

* Markus James and the Wassonrai. A vital mix of music from the Mississippi Delta and Mali featuring Malian and Guinean musicians based in the US;

* Eneida Marta. Captivating vocals with songs that celebrate the traditions of solidarity and rhythms from her native Africa and her new home of Portugal;

* Master Musicians of Jajouka. Traditional music from the Rif Mountains. Mick Jagger has called them "one of the most inspiring musical groups still left on the planet";

* Michael Franti and Spearhead. The band makes a triumphant return with hip hop, funk, reggae, folk stylings, and songs of peace and social justice issues;

* T. Nile. A banjo-fueled ensemble that delivers a rootsy and upbeat west coast sound;

* Faith Nolan. She belts it, rocks it, rolls it and tells the truth using her powerful voice for political and cultural expression;

* Outlaw Social. Cheerful funky alt old time folk music that sounds as if it was recorded in the Dust Bowl days of the great Depression;

* Ozomatli. This multi-ethnic Los Angeles-based group brew a vital concoction of Latin salsa, urban hip hop, and jazz funk;

* Pascale Picard Band. Considered one of the year’s hottest discoveries, Pascale is at the center of this dynamic young band;

* Murray Porter. He’s the traveled the world for 30 years with his blues, telling the Aboriginal side of history with a mixture of country, blues and humour;

* Hayley Sales. Laidback surf-folk-pop-rock straight from Vancouver Island;

* Martin Sexton. Soulful folk and blues music and emotional songs that recall the work of Van Morrison and Otis Redding;

* Slide to Freedom. The blues of Mississippi John Hurt with East Indian tunings and sonics;

* Meaghan Smith. Her smooth, soaring vocals blend her pop sensibilities with a folk shine that has earned her a Galaxi Rising Star Award;

* The Sojourners. They capture the spirit of the "old school" gospel recordings of the 1930s and ’40’s combined with soulful multi-textured vocals;

* Spirit of the West. A Vancouver institution renown for their rousing and engaging performances and great songwriting;

* That 1 Guy. This prolific and insanely genius musician delivers earthshaking future funk from his magic pipe;

* T-Model Ford. Mississippi blues from one the world’s finest;

* April Verch. An ace fiddling step dancer with vocals that cut through eras and genres to a timeless place very close to your heart.

* And more … or less. Lineup subject to change without notice.