CelticFest Performer Bios

Back by popular demand, Ashley MacIsaac is, in a sense, the musical representative of the pre-millenial generation of Eastern Canada. An ardent traditionalist with a penchant, nevertheless, for experimentation, this 29-year-old Nova Scotian native has been taught to play the fiddle the working-class, pub-stomp Cape Breton way: fast, furious and with phenomenal precision.

Alternately considered a rebel, taking the old fiddling conventions in newfangled directions they were never meant to go, or a champion, reforging and recreating Celtic music with an updated, mass-appeal quality, MacIsaac has unarguably put his own spin on the sounds he was brought up with. This headstrong approach has led to MacIsaac working with an impressive array of talent: David Byrne, the Chieftains, Mary Jane Lamond, and others. Already considered something of a local legend and prodigy by the time of his impressive 1992 debut Close To The Floor, it was in 1995 that MacIsaac burst on the worldwide scene with “Hi, How Are You Today?” and scored the kind of coup instrumental artists often dream of. Going triple-platinum in Canada and breaking down radio barriers with the Gaelic single “Sleepy Maggie,” Ashley became an immediate pop icon, rebellious and exuberant, resplendent in kilts, army boots and combat pants.

His ability to cross the boundaries of folk, punk, garage rock, and metal, all bound together by his astonishing fiddle-playing, branded him as an eccentric, an upstart, and in many cases, a pioneer. Additionally, his refusal to conform to a quick and easy "studio image" earned him a solid fanbase. In 1998, MacIsaac released his follow-up to Hi!, How Are You Today?, a more traditional return to form entitled Fine!, Thank You Very Much. In 1999, he again pushed the boundaries of stylistic conformity with the electronic- and ambient-tinged Helter's Celtic. Following a departure from A&M later that year, the fiddler recorded the independently released Fiddle Music 101, an album of traditional instrumentals made with Halifax fiddler David MacIsaac, and he re-released his 1993 album, A Cape Breton Christmas. A move to Decca Records eventually produced 2003's accurately titled Ashley MacIsaac.

In April 2004 Ashley signed to Linus Entertainment, who have repackaged and released special edition versions of all the albums except Helters Celtic and the Decca album, and released his studio album, PRIDE, on September 27th, 2005. Produced by Ron Lopata and John JK Kanakis, the album was seen as a bold step in a new direction - for the first time Ashley abandoned his fiddle in the studio and delivered a remarkable album, emerging as a singer-songwriter with a pop rock edge.

In the past several years Ashley hasn’t slowed down! In 2008, he lent his musical and fiddling talents to the touring show “TAPEIRE” which garnered 5 Star Reviews and electrified audiences around the world with its unique combination of dance, percussion, music and video. He was also invited to perform at the unprecedented second arena concert, in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the East Coast Music Awards, featuring a killer line-up of favourite East Coast artists. His recent projects include a compilation CD made up from his past numerous recordings and a DVD recorded live in Cheticamp with pianist Joey Beaton. Also look out for his new project called Cross-over which will be released in the Spring of 2009.

Ashley's career has taken him all over the world. He has performed at Carnegie Hall six times; opened for Sting at a May Day concert in Rome, Italy; played in Australia at the Melbourne Opera House, and in Gunahuato, Mexico, at BAM in Brooklyn, New York, in Shanghai, China, at Luminato Festival in Toronto and most recently at the acclaimed Celtic Colours International Festival. Ashley MacIsaac is a stunning testament of a singularly talented artist who continues to remain at the top of his game.

www.ashleymacisaac.net

The most vital acoustic music today acknowledges its predecessors and lives in the here and now. For five years now, the Duhks, the band of five skilled, high-energy, tattooed twenty-somethings from Winnipeg, Manitoba, has been riveting audiences and winning staunch fans across North America and around the world with just that kind of music. Since the release of their self-titled, Bela Fleck-produced album in 2005, as well as the consequent re-release of their Canadian debut, Your Daughters and Your Sons, they’ve won admirers as diverse as David Crosby, Dolly Parton, and Doc Watson. This is not surprising, given the band's spot-on fusion of Celtic music with traditional bluegrass, folk rock, Afro-Cuban jazz and soul is so accessible and yet so hard to pigeonhole, and the attack they bring to these interwoven acoustic styles which might as well be called sheer rock and roll. Due in part to a collective musical worldview that knows no boundaries, that evolution led the band to their latest offering Fast-Paced World. Their unique sound has also earned them a Grammy Award nomination in the Best Country Vocal Performance category, a Juno award in their native Canada, two Folk Alliance awards, and an Americana Music Association nomination for Best Emerging Artists.

Fast Paced World was produced by the Nashville-based Jay Joyce (Patty Griffin, John Hiatt), who joins an impressive set of producers (Bela Fleck, Tim O'Brien) before him. Their current single “Mighty Storm” recently reached Top 10 on the Non-Commercial Radio chart. After Hurricane Katrina, they were especially moved by how individuals and organizations stepped up to lend a supporting hand and were able to make a true difference during and since those tragedies.
When writing this album, the band wanted to honour that spirit and continue to shine a spotlight on the importance of the Gulf Coast and the difference that each of every person can make. They were told us about the song "Mighty Storm"--discussing the Galveston Storm of 1900 and felt that would be a way to remind us all that in the most difficult situations, each of us can still find a role in rebuilding and hope. Through their music, the Duhks continually strive to make a difference in people's lives. They believe that music is a universal language that transcends boundaries and bond people even thousands of miles apart.

As the band continues their own musical evolution, Fast-Paced World illustrates just how far the Duhks have come and just how far they're willing to go to challenge themselves artistically. Ultimately though, the Duhks just want to play music that speaks to everybody." Mission accomplished”.

www.duhks.com

"A decade of excellence"
Irish Music Magazine

"Veni, vidi, I was conquered!" in a dozen or more different languages, could well be the catch-phrase of just about every one of the hundreds of thousands of Lúnasa concert-goers over the past 10 years. Now, one of Ireland’s most successful recent musical exports, Lúnasa, has no intention of taking their foot off the Celtic pedal.

In October 1997, Ireland’s all-star quintet Lúnasa released their début CD Lúnasa, a searing mix of concert and studio tracks gathered from their first prolific year together. It was immediately hailed as one of the freshest recordings of Irish music in years, called "moving, pulsating, and thrilling to the very marrow" by fRoots magazine and "a true must-have disc" by The Irish Voice. From the start, Lúnasa met with instant acclaim. Their first album became an immediate best-seller in Ireland, topping Hot Press’ folk charts and nominated one of the year’s top ten by the Irish Echo in the USA.

Since that auspicious beginning, Lúnasa has become one of the most sought-after bands on the international Celtic music scene. The band’s inventive arrangements and bass-driven grooves are steering Irish acoustic music into surprising new territory. On their first American visit, word-of-mouth led to sold-out shows and rave reviews. "A standing-room only crowd in New York confirmed Lúnasa’s reputation" … wrote The New York Times. "This is the hottest Irish acoustic group on the planet."

Lúnasa are redefining Irish music by going right to the heart of its rhythms. With its distinctive use of the upright acoustic bass -- brought front and center by Trevor Hutchinson’s remarkable playing -- teamed with percussive guitar, the group seeks out the essential heartbeat of a tune.

Named for an ancient Celtic harvest festival in honour of the Irish god Lugh, patron of the arts, Lúnasa is indeed a gathering of some of the top musical talents in Ireland. Its members have helped formed the backbone of some of the greatest Irish groups of the decade - bassist Trevor Hutchinson was a key member of The Waterboys, and later, he would become part of the rhythm section for The Sharon Shannon Band. Fiddler Sean Smyth is an All-Ireland champion who has played with Donal Lunny’s Coolfin; Kevin Crawford, considered to be among the finest flautists in Ireland played with the acclaimed traditional group Moving Cloud; Paul Meehan, guitarist and banjo player has played with many of the best in Irish music including the Karan Casey Band, Liz Carroll, Tommy Peoples and Paddy Keenan; and, piper Cillian Vallely (of the same talented musical family as brother Niall Vallely of Nomos), took part in the Broadway production of Riverdance.

Possibly the hardest touring band in Irish music this group continues to tour worldwide including performances in Ireland, the US, the UK, Canada, Japan, Australia, Italy, Holland, and Spain.

www.lunasa.ie

CelticFest is proud to launch Vancouver’s first ever musical collaboration featuring two of Canada’s finest and most celebrated Salsa and Celtic bands: Puro Son and The Paperboys. Don’t miss the dynamic performance and exciting rhythms of these two award-winning bands, performing together on stage for the very first time.

Puro Son is the brainchild of world renowned trumpet player Miguelito Valdes – who performed internationally with Buena Vista Social Club diva singer Omara Portuando. Since their arrival from Havana, Puro Son have had a powerful impact on the local Latin scene.

Under the watchful eye of their Mexican-Canadian leader Tom Landa, The Paperboys' Juno-Award winning music has never stopped evolving. They still include a lot of original Celtic sounds in their eclectic repertoire but there’s so much more than that. Call it 'Guinness with a tequila chaser while listening to an Americana Jukebox'.

We promise you a night of great musicianship boasting a vast range of rhythms with rock solid bass, blazing fiddles and a packed dance floor.

www.myspace.com/purosoncuba

www.paperboys.com/

Born and raised in Prince George, British Columbia, Daniel Lapp learned the joys of fiddle music from his family. This Victoria, BC resident is the winner of the British Columbia Fiddle Championship and has become an in-demand musician in Canada, the USA and Europe.

He was a touring member of the folk rock band Spirit of the West in 1988 and 1989.

Over the past 10 years, Daniel has taught various fiddle styles to dozens of students at workshops across Western Canada and the United States and has also been a guest instructor at the Universities of Victoria and Newcastle, England. In addition, Daniel is the founder and president of The Victoria Fiddle Society.

As a performer, Daniel is not only considered an icon in his home province, he has toured extensively with an array of collaborators including Rickie Lee Jones, and the Canadian super-group Bowfire. His trio, with English accordionist Martin Green and Canadian guitarist Adam Dobres, has become a regular fixture at Glasgow's Celtic Connections Festival and Cape Breton's Celtic Colours.

Daniel continues to conduct workshops and give concerts all over the world, but always enjoys keeping in touch with his western Canadian roots – paying homage to all the great mentors from this part of the world including his fiddling/farming grandfather and 5 fiddling uncles that instilled in him a love for music and the desire to share this passion with others. This ‘family’ passion recently inspired Daniel’s latest project in his hometown of Victoria, opening Daniel Lapp’s House of Music, to share and promote the joy of music.

www.daniellapp.com