When the lineup for the 2011 Winnipeg Folk Festival was announced, standout acts included k.d. Lang, Blue Rodeo and an acoustic set by Tegan and Sara, leading some to believe the festival was catering to its older, committed attendees.

However, when artistic director Chris Frayer talks about the festival, he doesn’t focus on those acts.

“We’ve started to go deeper into the world of electronic music, bringing in Ganga Giri from Australia and Omar Souleyman from Syria,” Frayer says.

The festival begins at Birds Hill Park on Wednesday, July 6 and runs until Sunday, July 10.

The idea, Frayer says, is to appeal to a wide and increasingly younger audience to get them into the festival. Once there, he hopes people will begin exploring how broad folk music’s range is.

“I think the electronic stuff works best to provide a catalytic opportunity to introduce fans to a variety of music,” Frayer says.

A late addition to the festival lineup is San Francisco-based electronic and world fusion duo, Beats Antique.

“In regards to bringing electronica/folk to a younger audience, we feel that this is one of Beats Antique’s most important missions,” Beats Antique member Dave Satori says by email.

“ Folk music is hip where we live, and it’s not that way everywhere in the world.

Chris Frayer, artistic director, Winnipeg Folk Festival

“The younger generation is living in a highly electronic, computerized culture,” he continues. “I grew up with record players and cassette tapes – an analogue childhood that saw the transition into the digital world. I believe Beats Antique tries to capture that transition and remind the new generation of its rich history and amazing traditions that have built this beautiful world.”

Frayer adds that folk music is evolving at a very fast pace.

“The festival more or less represents the different kinds of tastes in folk music that people have so that younger audiences get to see the acts they know, while we’re trying to be true to the artists that shaped their genres,” he says.

For example, Saturday’s feature act at the festival will be Funky Meters, who had a great deal of influence in developing funk as a genre in the ‘60s and ‘70s.

Some of the first-time acts at the festival this year include Wilco lead singer Jeff Tweedy, who will hit the main stage on Sunday, as well as Vermont’s Mountain Man and Winnipeg’s Crooked Brothers.

“There’s been a lot of debate about what is folk music,” said Jesse Matas, mandolin player and vocalist with the Crooked Brothers. “It looks like a great lineup. I think Chris (Frayer) did a really good job.”

Frayer says the key to programming a successful lineup of music is to include music that is going to get people excited and engaged.

“Folk music is hip where we live, and it’s not that way everywhere in the world,” he says.

Visit www.winnipegfolkfestival.ca.

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Folk Festival highlights

As usual, the line-up of performers at the 2011 the Winnipeg Folk Festival features an eclectic mix of local, U.S. and international artists.

Here are some acts you won’t want to miss.

M. Ward

A troubadour of today’s singer-songwriter scene, Ward has a zest for collaboration and a knack for getting the perfect sound. The American singer-songwriter has released seven solo albums as well as collaborations with actress Zooey Deschanel (as She & Him) and fellow singer-songwriters Jim James, Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis (as Monsters of Folk).

Jeff Tweedy

He’s never released a solo album, but as the leader of critically acclaimed rockers Wilco and as a former member of Uncle Tupelo, Tweedy has 11 albums of material from the past 21 years to choose from. With any luck, he’ll play a song or two from The Whole Love, Wilco’s eighth studio album, due out in September.

Omar Souleyman

According to Wikipedia, this musician from Syria has released around 500 studio and live albums since he began his career in 1994. Whether that’s true or not, Souleyman has been “drawing rapturous reviews” for his live show, according to Pitchfork. His music draws from a number of traditional Arabic styles but also uses dance beats and synthesizers.

Funky Meters

Combining funk, blues and dance grooves with a New Orleans vibe, The Funky Meters have toured with the likes of The Rolling Stones, and have been a studio band for artists like Dr. John, Paul McCartney, Robert Palmer and Patti Labelle in their 31-year history. Originally known as The Meters, the band is considered to be one of the originators of funk music.

Tim Robbins and the Rogues Gallery Band

Admittedly, we’re mostly interested in this one because of the novelty. Fifty-two-year-old Oscar-winning actor and nominated director Tim Robbins leads a group that includes keyboardist Roger Eno, multi-instrumentalist Kate St. John and musical saw player David Coulter. The band will release its debut album on July 5. Wouldn’t it be amazing if Morgan Freeman made an appearance at the band’s Folk Festival show?

 

Published in Volume 65, Number 27 of The Uniter (June 29, 2011)