I apologize, everybody, for my recent inattention to this blog. That’s about to change. So, here is the complete current Festival Radio playlist as of today (after the break, of course).
Note from woodsmeister - This is a guest article from regular FolkBlog contributor and Australian correspondent Sue Barrett. Published by permission. All rights, credits, plaudits, etc., belong to her alone.
Celebrate Canada – 2011
By Sue Barrett
Be who you are! It’s the best course to take!
Stick to your own kind,
Although your heart may break,
Think of your mother, how it would bring her joy
If you dated a Canadian boy
(Nancy White – ‘Ballad of the Wannabe’, Stickers on Fruit)
When Elizabeth Taylor died earlier this year, American singer-songwriter Rosanne Cash shared a story via Twitter about how the film star (born 27 February 1932) used to send a birthday telegram every year to Rosanne’s father Johnny Cash (born 26 February 1932), which read: “Remember, I’m younger than you!”.
Amongst Johnny Cash’s music is a live album recorded in 1969 at San Quentin State Prison (Johnny Cash at San Quentin), with its intriguing line: ’cause I’m the *bleep* who named you “Sue”. Of course, these days, the bleep has been demystified, courtesy of YouTube (www.youtube.com/watch?v=T678ic45k98)!
Canadian Buffy Sainte-Marie is another *bleeped* performer, with at least one of her singles (‘She Used to Wanna be a Ballerina’/ ‘Moratorium’) affected – *bleep* the war and bring our brothers home.
Some time after Johnny and Buffy released their records, two American performers met at a folk festival in Toronto – Cathy Fink (who had spent a number of years living in Canada) and Marcy Marxer. Later, working as a duo, Fink and Marxer included the Lou and Peter Berryman *bleeped* song, ‘A Chat With Your Mother’ (aka The F-Word Song), on their 1995 album, A Parents’ Home Companion.
Also appearing on A Parents’ Home Companion is Canadian Nancy White’s song, ‘Daughters of Feminists’ (“How do they get so girlie? How come they want a Barbie?”). Nancy White (www.myspace.com/nancywhitemusic) has two musician daughters – Suzy Wilde (StoneFox, Flashlight Radio) and Maddy Wilde (Spiral Beach).
In Canada, at this time of year, there is a series of Celebrate Canada events – National Aboriginal Day (21 June), Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day (24 June), Canadian Multiculturalism Day (27 June) and Canada Day (1 July).
Six musicians from Canada now share their story – Mary Kastle (Vancouver), Annette Campagne (Regina), Little Hawk (Winnipeg), S. Lynn Phillips (Random Order) (Toronto), Faith Nolan (Toronto) and Tanya Davis (Halifax).
Canada has the right idea about many things, including this one – honor your artistic legends while they are living. Bruce Cockburn, along with Kate and Anna McGarrigle, Robbie Robertson & Ginette Reno will be honored with postage stamps in the Canadian Recording Artist stamp series. Alas, Kate McGarrigle did not live to see the day, though the other artists honored are still living. For those who may not be familiar with her, Ginette Reno records mostly in French and has put out over 60 albums.
Just found out that one of my favorite young singer/songwriters, Rebecca Loebe, will be appearing as one of the contestants on the new NBC show The Voice tomorrow night (4/26). So, check the TV schedules in your region. And, so you’ll recognize her when she comes on, here’s a brand new video for her song, “The Bees.”
