Despite financial setbacks that threatened the likelihood of it going ahead, this year’s Folk on the Rocks (FOTR) music festival in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, was a tremendous success with gorgeous weather all weekend and a line-up of interesting entertainers that filled the air with harmonious vocals and captivating rhythms on four stages. The main stage area was a sea of bobbing heads and patchwork of blankets as fans settled in for the weekend. Festival goers rambled from stage to stage to check out various artists blasting out their songs in the sun-drenched air. At times, one was drawn from the food truck area or another stage to investigate the pumping, infectious vocals of another artist.
The Yellowknives Dene First Nations drummers opened the festival with a welcome prayer song for a safe journey throughout the weekend and a safe trip home for everyone at the end.
It was two days of afternoon to late evening exhilarating momentum lost in the intimate melodies from one singer at one moment and then energized by the enticing celebration of a foot-stomping band the next. Each entertainer had their own spark and original stage presence that made the experience that much more entertaining.
Here, just a taste of the Northern talent featured at FOTR 2016.
Born in a tent, raised in a two-room cabin in the Yukon, classically trained in opera, Diyet’s Alternative Folk, Country and Traditional Aboriginal tunes are rooted in a traditional Northern life. Playing with her husband and collaborator Robert van Lieshout on guitar and foot percussion and multi-instrumentalist and Juno Award winning producer Bob Hamilton, their rhythm, melody and storytelling draws listeners in to hear more. Their repertoire is as diverse as Diyet’s background of Southern Tutchone, Japanese, Tlingit and Scottish roots.
This talented group of Old Town troubadours, Peek-a-Boo Kazoo, from Yellowknife, kept the families at the Children’s Stage bopping to their interactive tunes.
The Midnight Sons Band from Whitehorse, Yukon, includes Alex Johnston (guitar/vocals), Patrick Docherty (drums/vocals) and Daniel Stark (guitar). They have played in the “Dirty Northern” bar in Whitehorse as well as many music festivals and venues across western Canada.
Born and raised in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Young Mic brought his hip-hop/rapping songs to FOTR to an appreciative crowd of fans.
This duo captured the audience while performing throat songs with themes about dog teams, mosquitos, caribou and love.
Not only was the Twin Flames rocking the Folk on the Rocks stages both days, but they played a preview performance Friday night at Warm the Rocks at Long Lake. This band’s hit “Porch Light” has made it to number one on the National Aboriginal Song charts. With partners Chelsey June and Jaaji as leads, this Ottawa-based band blends Inuit folk/ pop/rock music with throat-singing for an eclectic mix of unique indigenous sound.
The Yellowknives Dene First Nations drummers demonstrate traditional hand games.
Double Treble was one of the opening acts at FOTR 2016. These two sets of twins (Issie, Annie, Grace and Sophie) hail from Yellowknife and quickly had music festival goers tapping their feet to Celtic/country/rock fiddling tunes.
IsKwé, from Winnipeg, Manitoba, is of Cree/Dené/Irish heritage whose distinctive alternative RnB/TripHop has earned her a spot on the Top 10 Canadian Musicians You Need to Know by CBC Radio.
