SaskMusic is pleased to present four Saskatchewan artists in Kansas City, Missouri, February 15-19, 2017 for the annual Folk Alliance International Conference, Camp, Show & Awards. Joining together in a partnership under the banner of BreakOut West, Manitoba Music, Music Alberta, Music BC and SaskMusic artists will perform in private showcases for the thousands of international music industry professionals in attendance. Folk Alliance International provides the opportunity to share ideas, network, and celebrate traditional music and dance.
Saskatchewan artists participating this year are Belle Plaine (who is also performing an Official Showcase at the invitation of Folk Alliance), The Karpinka Brothers, In With the Old, and Poor Nameless Boy. Showcases take place at the Westin Hotel in downtown Kansas City. In addition to performing, the artists will attend the Folk Alliance conference and keynote sessions, industry tradeshow, and be able to take advantage of networking opportunities throughout the weekend with talent buyers, festival bookers, radio programmers, record labels and many others from around the world, all oriented on the folk, roots and world music industries.
With SaskMusic fresh off of export opportunities in Montreal (M for Montreal, November 2016), Germany (Reeperbahn Festival, September 2016), the Americana Music Conference (Nashville, September 2016) and numerous others, we are excited to present this business development opportunity for our artists. We will be in Kansas City to assist our artists with promotion of their showcase and network with delegates from around the world, following up on connections we have cultivated at previous events. In addition to assisting our artists while in Kansas City, SaskMusic is working with the artists in advance of the event to ensure they are well prepared for the opportunities it will present.
About Folk Alliance International
Since 1989, Folk Alliance® has served as the headquarters for Folk Music and Dance. With over 2800 members worldwide and an annual conference that is one of the five largest music conferences in North America, Folk Alliance continues to grow and mature while providing a unique range of member services to their community. Over the years, their community has grown to include record companies, publishers, presenters, agents, managers, music support services, manufacturers and artists that work in the folk world. Folk Alliance has five regional affiliates that provide the grass roots efforts in their respective markets. Folk Alliance International exists to foster and promote traditional, contemporary, and multicultural folk music and dance and related performing arts (www.folkalliance.org).
About the Saskatchewan Artists
Belle Plaine Official showcase: Thursday 8:30pm, Pershing South (host hotel)
Belle Plaine is a singer/songwriter raised on the Canadian prairies near the hamlet of Fosston, Saskatchewan. Her brand of roots music combines vintage blues and swing tones of the 1940s with country styles made popular in the heyday of The Grand Ole Opry. Honest lyrics are her constant as she weaves together genres, and though it might not seem to work on paper, when you hear it you’ll know why she reveres artists who defy categorization.
The Karpinka Brothers’ third album since 2008, You Can Count On Me, won Best Album of the year in Planet S Magazine’s Reader’s Poll. They recently returned from two weeks in Montreal recording their fourth album, Talk Is Cheap, with Grammy-nominated musician, engineer, and producer Howard Bilerman (Leonard Cohen, Arcade Fire) at his legendary Hotel2Tango studio. They have shared the stage with songwriters as diverse as Gordon Lightfoot, Andy Shauf, and Tom Wilson. They’ve performed at the Regina Folk Festival, and Gateway Festival, and completed a coast to coast Canada tour, ending with four shows in New York City. They are currently gearing up for a fall 2017 album release and tour.
In With The Old
Northern Saskatchewan's In With The Old seamlessly combines raw talent and prairie camaraderie with a passion and respect for the music from the past. Young and dedicated, they put a unique twist on folk, bluegrass, classic country and strange ‘60s sounds through gifted harmonies, outstanding musicianship, and infectious songwriting.
Poor Nameless Boy leaves a piece of himself on stage every time he performs. His mellow sound is personal, singing honestly about love, life, and our changing hearts in a busy world. His third album “Bravery” has turned industry and music lovers’ heads, debuting nationally at #2 on Canadian folk charts.
