CelticFest Performer Bios

This young brother and sister duo have been receiving rave reviews from audiences all the way from Vancouver Island to Cape Breton Island! Born and raised in Victoria, B.C. Qristina and Quinn Bachand come from a family with a strong musical heritage that has deep roots in France & Northern Spain.

Seventeen year old Qristina is a solid & versatile fiddler with an expressive style that is smooth & clean, yet rooted in tradition. Blessed with an acute ear and an intense sense of rhythm, 11 year old Quinn is rapidly establishing himself as a gifted guitar accompanist. Qristina & Quinn consistently deliver a spirited performance that features their enthusiasm and love of Celtic music. Their repertoire includes a wide range of Celtic music including Irish, Scottish, French, Cape Breton, Old-Time & Appalachian!

Individually, they are exceptional instrumentalists, together they bring the fiddle tunes to life!

Just log onto their YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/TheBachands

www.youtube.com/TheBachands

Stephanie Cadman has been performing since the age of four, delighting audiences with her top-notch Celtic fiddling and dazzling footwork. She appeared as a lead in Swingstep, combining her considerable talents as an actor, dancer, singer and fiddler. She then went on to perform in the Mervish Celtic review Needfire, with the Broadway National Tour of 42nd Street and appeared in Anne of Green Gables and Canada Rocks at the Charlottetown Festival.

Stephanie tours the US most of the year with the hit PBS show Bowfire featuring 10 of the top violinists in the county. She also tours with the Celtic dance show The StepCrew throughout Canada and the US.

As a dancer and choreographer, Stephanie is accomplished in tap, Celtic Ottawa Valley stepdancing, ballet and jazz. At the age of 17 Stephanie was awarded the top Female tap dancer at the World Tap Dance Championships in Germany and has won three Canadian stepdancing titles.

She has appeared as a dance soloist and Celtic fiddler with the National Arts Centre Orchestra, the Edmonton, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Seattle and Portland Symphony Orchestras, as well as the Kennedy Center's National Symphony Orchestra. She has also participated in a Canadian Forces show-tour where she performed for the troops at several bases in the Middle East.

Stephanie's latest CD, 'Unleashed' is available at www.stephaniecadman.com

www.stephaniecadman.com

Stephanie Cadman’s Celtic Blaze is a fast paced, energetic and entertaining show that appeals to all ages. The show explores a heritage in Canadian music and dance with a modern creative contemporary edge. The unique performance blends Stephanie’s 20 years of vast performance experience featuring Ottawa Valley Stepdancing, classical and Celtic fiddling, tap, jazz, ballet, musical theatre and a truly powerful singing voice.

Stephanie, a world champion tap dancer, has traveled throughout North America with various groups (including Bowfire and The StepCrew) as well as touring overseas to entertain our troops. Celtic Blaze’s unique choreography brings the whole cast; Mark Sullivan (guitar & fiddle), Rob Becker (bass), Rod Salloum (piano) and Pat Steward (drums) together through music, song and stories.

Created by Stephanie Cadman and Mike Ross.

www.stephaniecadman.com

‘Watch him. He has the makings of a great musician’.
Catholine Butler, Celtic Connection

‘Pat Chessell has a unique style… which is definitely appealing to all music fans’.
Byron James, JRfm Country DJ

Pat Chessell, along with his talented backup band, has made quite a name for himself on the Western Canadian music scene. A native of Vancouver, BC, Pat has opened for such acts at The Town Pants and Brent Lee and has played his own shows in some of Canada’s hottest nightclubs such as The Horseshoe Tavern (Toronto), Dublin Crossing, Doolin’s Irish Pub, The Limerick Junction, The Roxy and many more. Heavily influenced by acts such as The Clancy Brothers, Pogues and Johnny Cash, he has gained a strong, loyal fan base due to his exceptional acoustic guitar playing, warm, passionate vocals and his [often downright funny] stage presence. His voice has often been compared as a mix between Johnny Cash and Bing Crosby and many have seen that Chessell has been gifted with the ability to win over any audience – no matter where the venue might be – by providing them with an eclectic mix of Irish and Canadian folk music, making them feel like they’re sitting in a tiny pub on the coast of Donegal sipping in a Guinness when they may very well be sitting in a huge nightclub on a rainy Vancouver night.

In October 2007, Pat recorded his debut CD: a live album of traditional Irish pub songs recorded at Langley’s Dublin Crossing Irish Pub. The album, which was engineered and produced by Duane Keogh (Town Pants), will be released in the first quarter of 2008. A single Pat recorded – Rainy Tuesday Morning – received airplay on small market stations across British Columbia and was released on a compilation put together by JRfm DJ Byron James of his favorite local roots/country acts. The compilation featured Pat's song next to songs recorded by popular British Columbia bands such as the Cruzeros, Brent Lee and Ken McCoy.

Check out a show so you could you say you knew him when...

www.patchessell.com

Chrissy Crowley is the latest young Celtic musician to emerge from Cape Breton, Canada and she is captivating audiences with a talent that belies her youth. Chrissy is a traditional fiddler and recording artist who has recently released her debut album. Chrissy, born in 1990, lives in the beautiful Margaree area of Nova Scotia, Canada, a place known for it's cherished musical culture. The music of the Céilídh resonates in the majestic mountains and peaceful valleys, incorporating not only the tunes of the Scottish Gaels but also those of the area's Irish and French-Acadians. Christine Crowley is one of the new generation of fiddlers. She is inspired by the traditions of artists who have gone before. Chrissy has embraced the music of her Celtic roots and has made it her own.

www.chrissycrowley.com

Keona Hammond (formerly Mundy) is known for her subtle and inventive flute and whistle playing which brings sophistication and depth to any sound. Her love of Irish and Scottish traditional music is evident in her own compositions, many of which were inspired by her time living in Scotland. Keona was a regular player at the vibrant Irish Heather session and featured on the acclaimed In The Heather CD. She was a founder member of Cleia, a band fondly remembered by Celtic music fans, who released two fine albums. She is currently performing with The Shirleys, a popular Vancouver based singing group. She will be accompanied by her former band mate in Cleia, master Mancunian multi-instrumentalist Neil Hammond, on DADGAD guitar and bodhran."

Kierah is a musical gem from White Rock, B.C. She began playing violin when she was four years old and is currently studying grade nine Royal Conservatory. Kierah received “first class honours with distinction” for her grades four, six and eight conservatory exams. She is a very disciplined and dedicated member of the Semiahmoo Strings Senior Orchestra.

At five years old Kierah was introduced to fiddle music with which she has played with a passion ever since, true to her Irish roots. She has performed at many fairs and weddings and has been a regular busker at Vancouver’s Granville Market for the past six years. Last summer Kierah wowed audiences in Dam Square, Amsterdam as well as in the streets of Nice in southern France.

This fiddling virtuoso began composing music for the fiddle and the piano at ten years old. She creates in a style uniquely her own—west coast style! She has had the privilege of being taught by such fiddle greats as Gordon Stobbe, Daniel Lapp, David Greenberg and Troy MacGillivray.

www.irishmadness.com

Three musical brothers, five big men in kilts, rocking out the high energy Celtic tunes. There’s not a dry seat in the house! Kinship has performed with such talents as Spirit of the West, Leahy, Tom Cochrane, Wide Mouth Mason, Barney Bentall, The Grapes of Wrath, Lace, Lee Aaron and Will Nelson. They provide intense rhythmic Celtic sounds that incorporate melodic three part harmonies, moving bagpipes, funky bass, intense drums, electric and acoustic driving guitars and other Celtic instrumentation like the tin whistle and bodhran drums. By encouraging crowd participation, they leave the audience with an experience they won’t forget.

www.kinship.ca

The Ottawa Sun may have put it best: "J. Knutson is a sonic architect that designs bridges that close the gap between different styles and influences" For the past 25 years Jay has been attracting interest from both fans, and the music industry. As the Toronto Globe and Mail stated "..this is a blessing for those who like traditional sounds with a modern sensibility".

Jay was a founding member of the seminal folk band "Spirit of the West" and went on to work with such Canadian luminaries as Connie Kaldor, Josée LaJoie, Hart Rouge, and Daniel Lavoie. He has been involved in the recording of over 35 albums, has won West Coast Music awards and been part of 5 Juno award winning projects.

Knutson is now an instructor at Simon Fraser University, teaching a music/physics course entitled Logarithm and Blues with Dr. Mike Hayden. For the last 8 years he has been a musical/creative director for The North Shore Celtic Ensemble with Claude Giguere.

Knutson has also maintained a profile in the broadcast community. Since graduating from B.C.I.T. in Broadcast Journalism in 1981, he has worked as a producer for C.B.C. projects in Montreal, Ottawa and Vancouver, and for 5 A.D. Radio in South Australia. He has worked as an announcer for Mountain F.M., Squamish/Whistler and C-FUN in Vancouver, as well as production manager and newsperson for C.K.O.

Jay has also scored music for the National Film Board, Danish National T.V. and the C.B.C.

Knutson's live shows have always been his forté. As the Halifax Chronicle Herald enthused "He puts the soul back into music, fun back into instruments and conviction back into lyrics"

http://www.canoesongs.com

with Special Guest Robert Ford (The Stoaters)

In twenty years of rocking the West Coast, Robert Montgomery's Incognito has earned its place in the upper echelon of Vancouver's sizzling R and B scene. With four CD's and countless touring miles on the clock, this skin-tight blues machine just keeps gathering steam.

Joining them will be Robert Ford of favourite Vancouver Celtic Rock band The Stoaters.

http://www.sonicbids.com/epk/epk.asp?epk_id=8790

http://www.canoe.ca/IndieBands/band1219.html

Caitlan Read has been a force in the local music scene for quite some time. Starting at the age of 5 with a home-made replica of a violin in her hand, Caitlan has played her way through the royal conservatory classical program. She has performed with several different ensembles, and is always focused on the next project and the next tune. Her committed stage presence comes from years of busking on the streets of Vancouver. While she developed her technical capabilities from formal training and ensemble work, it is within her spare time street performances that she has found and developed the urge to create, to improvise, and to write. Studying with Claude Giguere, her influences include traditional Celtic, folk, gypsie, and anything else she can be inspired by. Never afraid of something different, Caitlan has become an extremely well rounded musician; dabbling in all styles and performing with anybody willing to create together. She has been featured on several audio projects and performed to sold out crowds internationally. She is extremely excited to be a part of this event and is simply thrilled to be given the opportunity to share her talent!

Roof Rabbit is a high-energy conglomerate of four fantastic instrumentalists based in Victoria, BC. Adam Iredale, Jude Pelly, Jenny Ritter and Phaedra Kemp are professional musicians in a number of touring bands, but this unique Irish project was founded in the kitchen. The members (affectionately known as "bunnies") connected at jams, parties, and Celtic sessions, and recognized a musical kinship and passion for instrumental Irish traditional music. However, being young folk living on the West Coast, they each are influenced by many styles that go far beyond what is considered "Trad". They play many original tunes (mostly written by Adam and Jude), but also rock the traditionals with a distinctly contemporary and youthful feel. The concept of "Trad-Core" started as a joke, but has since caught on in the West Coast communities. Who knew? Rising from roots planted in bands such as The Gruff, The Backyard Stringband, Banquo, and Fish & Bird, Roof Rabbit is a delightful project that will get your feet stomping and your heart pumping.

http://www.myspace.com/roofrabbitmusic

“Awesome is the word used best to describe the Sabir Sisters”
Peace Arch News

"From the heart of British Columbia's Fraser Valley come these four vivacious Celtic fiddling sensations. Not only are they great fiddlers, but they’re all gifted singers, songwriters, and step dancers." The Sabir Sisters, Sarah, Shamma, Roxanna and Laila, have been performing concerts and festivals, delighting audiences from coast to coast throughout North America for the past six years. They have released two albums and are currently preparing for their third release. Their performances are brimming with boundless energy and a great sense of fun. Their music is a combination of Celtic Folk and Rock. Indeed, they could even be called the Celtic Corrs! Their diverse repertoire finds a niche in the hearts of audiences, transcending culture and age.

www.sabirsisters.com

For over a decade, Tiller’s Folly has been captivating audiences with their music, stories and smoking live shows. From the dynamic vocals, in the pocket acoustic guitar playing and classic songwriting of Bruce Coughlan, through the wild, virtuoso layers of creative colour added by award-winning multi-instrumentalist, Nolan Murray, to the solid, driving, melodic foundation laid down by bassist and vocalist, Laurence Knight, Tiller's Folly is a high-energy acoustic roots music experience like no other.

Tiller’s Folly has released an impressive catalogue of material, covering a broad palette of the finest acoustic music, including six CDs, videos, and a complete DVD/CD package. Their CDs have topped sales charts and both albums and individual songs have been nominated for and received awards and distinctions.

This fall, Tiller’s Folly celebrated their 10th anniversary with the release of their sixth CD, A River So Wide. This CD presents Tiller’s Folly at the top of their game musically and creatively. It features 10 incredible new tunes that will appeal to music lovers everywhere. A River So Wide also features illustrious guests, including Grammy award-winning keyboard player Larry Knechtel (Simon and Garfunkel, Elvis, Dixie Chicks), vocalist John Cowan (New Grass Revival, Doobie Brothers, John Cowan Band) and co-producer, mixing wizard Stephen Drake (The Odds, Tragically Hip, Nelly Furtado), joining the core band of Bruce Coughlan, Nolan Murray and Laurence Knight.

Based out of Greater Vancouver, Canada, Tiller’s Folly continues to shine a unique and colorful spotlight on their Pacific Northwest home.

www.tillersfolly.com

Vancouver has been the home of people singing in Gaelic for more than a century. For the most part, the traditional forms of singing were preserved by individuals at Céilídhs in the home or Céilídh-concerts at the Centre. Unison choirs grew out of this tradition.

The Vancouver Gaelic choir began back in the early 1980's with a small, dedicated group. They decided to change from a unison choir to 4 parts to broaden the choir's repertoire and to compete at the National Mod in Scotland. Some of those founding members are still involved and are the inspiration for all those who have joined since.

They have traveled to the Royal Mod in Scotland for Competition 4 times:

                         1985     Ft. William
                         1988     Glasgow
                         1992     Oban
                         1997     Inverness

With the exception of Glasgow, they have won a trophy every time!

http://www.geocities.com/vancouvergaelicchoir/home.html

The duo VAZZY brings the audience traditional melodies and songs from Acadia, Québec and France. From medieval sonorities with a hint of Arabic and Breton, to lively French-Canadian fiddle tunes and songs from the past and present… embark on a musical voyage in time through the ages, across two continents and an ocean.  VAZZY’s repertoire includes lively songs accompanied by infectious toe-tapping rhythms, and instrumental arrangements. VAZZY’s new CD "Dans Mon Chemin Rencontre" is a collection of traditional songs from French-Canada sometimes accompanied by instrumentals pieces from Brittany.

www.vazzy.ca

Randy Vic is a native of Thunder Bay who moved out to Vancouver in 1992 and quickly caught the Irish music bug. Primarily self-taught, Randy is a multi-instrumentalist who has been active in the Irish music scene in the Pacific Northwest for many years, performing for dancers, concerts, teaching, and hosting a long running traditional session. He can also be heard on the CBC recording, "In The Heather". He has studied with such Irish music greats as James Kelly, Liz Carroll, Mick Maloney. Randy will be teaching at the 2008 Friday Harbour Irish Music Camp. Says Randal Bays, the director of the camp (and a great fiddler in his own right), "Randy Vic has managed to go straight to the heart of Irish traditional music and develop a fine, lyrical style."

Dave Marshall is one of those great musicians who avoids the spotlight, but even so he's been one of the most sought after accompanists in the Pacific Northwest for many years, on guitar, bouzouki, and piano. He has appeared on or produced many fine CDs, including "The Salmon's Leap", "At the Heather", and "Holler".

www.fiddletech.com