Madeleine Roger
Madeleine Roger (she/her) is a singer-songwriter from Winnipeg, Canada. While skillfully accompanying herself on acoustic guitar, it is her artistry as a songwriter that can silence a room, uniting her lyrical prowess with breathtaking melodies that linger long after they are sung.Her newest collection of songs is a deeply personal body of work examining every nook and cranny of love and loss.
It is unflinchingly honest, and is the result of three years of soul-digging, experimentation, and fine-tuning - Madeleine has poured over every word. Nerve the album created in the process (out August 2024 on Birthday Cake Records) is her sophomore release, and it touches the exposed nerve left over from a breakup with a long-term lover and musical collaborator, the death of a soul-friend, the secret of an unrequited love, months of caring for a dying grandparent, and finding a curious peace in spite of it.
It was produced by Josh Kaufman (Anaïs Mitchell, Bob Weir, Bonny Light Horseman) and recorded in four days in Kingston NY by engineer D. James Goodwin (The National, Fruit Bats, The Hold Steady).She has toured extensively across Canada, Europe, USA, and the UK sharing her music live at the Winnipeg Folk Festival, Shetland Island Folk Festival, Vancouver Island Music Festival, Stan Rogers Folk Festival, Summerfolk Festival of Arts and Crafts, among others. She is also a regular collaborator with JUNO award winning string quartet The Fretless, appearing with them in performances and on recordings as a vocalist and co-writer.English Songwriter of the Year nominee (2020 Canadian Folk Music Awards) Producer of the Year nominee (2019 Western Canadian Music Awards)
Quinton Blair
Residing at the central point of Canada, reigns Quinton Blair; an artist genuine to the core and brandishing all the qualities of the real deal. When not moving a dance floor with his uptempo, boot- stompin’, brand of country music; you will find him in the roping pen, or guiding folks through the wilderness of Manitoba on horseback.
Blair is the 2023 Manitoba Country Music Association Fans Choice Award winner; along with additional accolades for MCMA Roots Artist of the Year (four times); MCMA Male Artist of the Year (four times), and, Songwriter of the Year, for the song 20 Dollar Bottle. This was a collaboration written with Jason Blaine. “The country music family is so fantastic in this country, and it's an honor to have your peers recognize all the hard work and energy that goes into every song and every show,” says Blair of his multiple awards.
Blair has released five singles to Canadian radio, granting him national exposure to many markets across Canada, with a loyal Prairie following. Blair has been creating moments and memories in every southern province in 2023 from BC to PEI, including a hearty stint supporting Tim and the Glory Boys on their Hometown Hoe-Down tour. Sharing stages with the likes of Corb Lund, Charlie Major, Terri Clark, High Valley, and many more. Blair’s music is heavily influenced by the likes of Dwight, Allan Jackson, and Garth Brooks, all of which reflect the fiddle-driven era of dancehall country of the '90s.
His mainstream crossover appeal, and his ability to execute an engaging live performance to an intimate gathering or for thousands of people, have presented Quinton with many opportunities to share the stage. Some of those stages are Dauphin Country Fest, Calgary Stampede – Coca Cola Stage, Rope Square, and many small and large rodeos and other festivals, and even headlining shows across the Prairies. From tear-jerkers to boot scooters, Blair has an incredible handle on the country music
songbook, and an uncanny ability to read a crowd and bring them to the dancefloor.
Quinton doesn’t just play country music, country is in his blood. With a new single soon to be released; a co-write with Jason McCoy and additional new songs in the works, there is a buzz of excitement and anticipation within the country music scene for what Blair will be bringing to the table.
Ila Barker
In 2017, Winnipeg-based Anishinaabe and settler folk-soul musician Ila Barker held a guitar on her lap as a friend confided in her the details of an abusive relationship. Barker sang her friend’s words back to her, softly strumming the strings and turning anguish into a serendipitous self-serenade. Eventually that song became the title track of Barker’s debut full-length album, Fool Under Water, a tough-but-tender testament to the possibility of survival, forged as she swam ashore herself.
To write Fool Under Water, Barker spent seven years reflecting on her own survival, alongside that of the women around her. The elegantly rugged candor at the heart of the album’s storytelling was amassed through experience. “My first thought as I started packing my bags to leave was ‘what am I going to do?’” says Barker. “My second thought was ‘but damn, these are gonna be some good songs.’”Barker’s astute observations and vulnerable introspection create a safe basin for those still swimming their way through rough waters. “I want listeners to have a moment to grieve the things that they've gone through and to picture a future that is brighter,” she says.
On lead single “Intuition,” Barker sagely sings “Trust yourself, you know best,” reminding all of us to listen closely to our own truths when we feel we might be sinking. After years of writing, Barker recorded Fool Under Water at Winnipeg’s No Fun Club studio alongside producers Sierra Noble and Rusty Robot in August 2021. “A lot of people think I took a break from music.
The truth is I was in survival mode,” she says. Barker has played the Regina Folk Festival, the Winnipeg Folk Festival, the sākihiwē festival, and opened for Jeremy Dutcher’s sold out performance PEI. The first single off her debut full-length album “Intuition”, hit number one on the Indigenous Music Countdown.
In August the second single “25” was released along with a music video filmed in Mexico and directed by Patrick Shannon of InnoNative which premiered on Entertainment Tonight Canada. Through her work as founding curator with AIRsessions, a series of free music workshops for youth, Barker advocates for gender equity and Indigenous representation in music. “I have found a deeper connection with my community and the Indigenous music community through my music journey,” she says. Fool Under Water is an honour song to Ila Barker’s metamorphosis into the powerhouse she is today and a promise that the tide will turn.
Simply Kara
Simply Kara contains a musical infusion of Kara Hummelt and Patrick Boggs!
A little about Kara,Prairie girl, with some chops on her. Loves crafting with sound and participating in some good ol shinnanigans. Contageous Laughter, navigates the ukulele and harp well! Enjoys improvising and doesnt mind repeating herself here and there. Spending time on creating new ways to share stories, wisdom and knowledge is part of her purpose. Making music fun and playful is part of her daily practice.
A little bit about Patrick Boggs
Patrick Boggs is a veteran of the Winnipeg roots, rock and folk scenes goin back to the 90's. You may have seen Patrick on Winnipeg streets during one of his bass walks with his stickered up Ibanez. Hannah Georgas wrote about this unique rehearsal style in her song On The Street. He was also caught "bass walking" during a live traffic report, and dubbed "The Bass Marauder" by CBC radio's Ismaela Alfa. Weather it be electric or upright, he truly is happiest with a bass in hand, and friends to perform with:)
Wolf Willow
“And The Leaves Have Turned To Amber brings the big-band back to that concert hall in your small town for a dance to remember. Regina’s Wolf Willow breaks the mold of the slew of alt-country artists clambering to re-capture the good o’l days of the genre with a new EP that is a modern classic.”
www.cupsncakespod.com/quick-picks/2019/11/1/anunnakicassidy-waringwolf-willowspectres
“The musical arrangement hearkens back to the countrypolitan style of the 1960s, when Nashville producers like Owen Bradley started applying the string sections of 1950s pop.”
www.goderichsignalstar.com/entertainment/local-arts/hear-it-live-wolf-willow-saints-johnny-cash-in-new-ballad/wcm/705c5c61-3a87-4dcb-b89c-9696fd668b1emusic to country music."
“Wolf Willow is a unique band, soit is only fitting that their latest album, Caribou Howl, is also out of the ordinary.”
leaderpost.com/entertainment/local-arts/wolf-willow-went-out-on-a-limb-with-caribou-howl
“it’s a style of country music that you likely haven’t heard in a while. Though there’s a definite country twang to the vocals and there’s a copious amount of pedal steel and upright bass, there’s also a wonderful horn section for extra bursts of energy.”
https://grayowlpoint.com/2017/03/03/audiblevisual-hoots-max-t-steph-cameron-innes-wilson-more/
“Wolf Willow aims to recapture the old tyme country of the past. Their new record, Darston Waltz, manages to sound sort of modern in places, but like it has one foot in squarely in HG Wells’ time machine, especially in the instrumentals. Whether swaying ballad or swinging dance hall rocker, Darston Waltz is a classic combination of harmonies, shuffling drum and bass work, cryin’ pedal steel, and blazing horns.”
http://www.thefeedbacksociety.com/music/local-music-feedback-reginas-wolf-willow/www.wolfwillowband.com
Curubandé
Curubandé, formerly "Indestructible Latin Orchestra"
A quick search online for Indestructible Latin Orchestra will take you to a history of performances in Winnipeg and western Canada. This band is now back on the stages under a new name: Curubandé. Featuring the heavyweights of Latin Music in Winnipeg, Such as Rodrigo Muñoz aka "Papa Mambo", Amber Epp, and Jaime Chinchilla, this band is a guarantee of authentic Afrolatin genres such as Cumbia, Salsa and Merengue.
Curubandé is Winnipeg's All-Star salsa band. This band has played most major festivals in Western Canada, including repeatedly being selected to headline the Latin night at the Winnipeg Jazz Fest. In July 2024, the city of Thunderbay hired the band for its main stage celebration of Canada Day.
You can find more info about Curubandé band here: https://linktr.ee/curubandemusic
The Listening Room Vibes
The Listening Room is an intimate performance venue housed in Lac du Bonnet's oldest building - and home to the Open Mic Sessions presented by Fire & Water Music Festival.
This year's Vibes workshop will showcase some of our Open Mic performers, all Manitoba musicians. Listeners will be treated to a sampling of the musical talent that we enjoy at these sessions - a mix of unique originals from our singer-songwriters, as well as some iconic cover tunes that you will not want to miss.
This year's Vibes performers are Bernadette, Keith Lillies, Tyson Wagner and Wes Parisien.
More bands to come
