“We are all born charming, fresh and spontaneous and must be civilized before we are fit to participate in society.” (Miss Manners)
Quite. But there’s something about festivals that seems to instantly, deliciously subvert all that hard work. Guards are down, decorum’s out the window, and the word of the day is colour, in all its forms; when time finds you inside that blissful bubble of impulsive freedom and creativity, you do start to wonder whether all the civilizing is worth it. And when it comes to reminding ourselves of the charm of our fresh spontaneity, there’s nothing quite like the raw, unadulterated sounds of good folk music.
This is not the world of beards and waistcoats it is often portrayed to be (although I’d be lying if there weren’t some present). Folk music is the music of the folk, the rythms and harmonies and melodies that were born in the land and take root in the souls of the communities living there. Every beat, every note, draws its expression from the particular joys and sorrows and hopes and dreams of the hands that have played it and the hearts that have sung it throughout the centuries. It is the raw expression of the human spirit in all its infinite forms; the music that dances in the undamaged wilderness in the carefully managed land of the commerical.
Every year folk from all over BC emerge from their forests and mountains and inner-city condos to bask in the wonders of the Vancouver Folk Festival.
Festivals in BC differ from festivals in England in two main ways:
1)You can’t really drink (no drinking in public spaces)
2)The sun shines
The first rule makes for a family-friendly atmosphere and a lot of pot smoking; the second means everything is a whole lot more fun. Out on the beach, drummers were drumming and barbeque smells were wafting out on the breeze. Across the bay, the glittering glass towers of downtown Vancouver were a stark reminder that we were, actually, getting this soulful in a city. And inside, amongst the trees and lakes and grassy knolls of Jericho park, those tuneful bursts of expression from around the world were playing themselves out.
Sundrenched, drunk on friendliness and spirited tunes, dancing in a crowd of toddlers and teenagers and the toothless, my senses stripped of everything but the raw emotions pulsing from the stage, I couldn’t help but think that the world needs more of this. So if ever you fancy subverting all that hard work that’s being done civilising you and want to have a dance in that wilderness of our soul, here’s a few sounds to get you started.
The Watcha Clan – finally getting some of the recognition they deserve, these guys kick ass. Big time. Balkan, dub, reggae, drum n bass, gypsy – you name it, they play it.
Al Andalus – beautiful melodies from the Middle East, North Africa and southern Europe
Peatbog Faeries – celtic electro beats. you can’t help but dance
Bassekoy Kouyate & Ngoni Ba – from Mali. Taking the ngoni, a traditional Malian instrument, to new levels
Eccodek – soulful, downtempo dubby stuff
Ricky Skaggs – get up and jig bluegrass
Check out the festival website for more offerings!
