2017 Past Performers

Born in the UK and raised in Alberta, John Wort Hannam earned a degree in Native American Studies and taught on reserve for five years. Things changed one spring morning ...

Willie Stratton’s show is made up of stories, singin’, and hot guitar pickin’.  In his art, Willie works to preserve and to promote the rich, and nearly forgotten, country music ...

For over a decade, the Acadian trio, Vishtèn, has dazzled audiences with its fiery blend of traditional French songs and original instrumentals that fuse Celtic and Acadian genres with indie-folk ...

Union Duke is a Toronto quintet with a sound that is a mixture of folk, rock, country, and bluegrass.  Blending these sounds perfectly, the group belts out soaring harmonies with ...

Newfoundland’s indie-folk trio, The Once, has collected a trio of Canadian Folk Music Awards, numerous ECMA awards, and the title of Artist of the Year from the Newfoundland and Labrador ...

Diverse instrumentation and soaring, five-part vocal harmonies characterize the distinct, alternative folk sound of the Halifax-based band, The Barrowdowns.  Born in a cold, dark Albertan winter in 2014, the band ...

Suzie Vinnick is a ten-time Maple Blues Award winner, a three-time Juno nominee, the winner of the 2012 CBC Saturday Night Blues Great Canadian Blues Award, and a finalist in ...

Sussex is the brainchild of Michael Emenau and Rob Lutes, two renowned musicians with diverse backgrounds. Michael is a world-class jazz percussionist and composer while Rob is masterful fingerstyle guitarist ...

Hailing from Halifax, NS, Shannon Quinn has been playing music professionally for over 16 years.  In that time, she has performed with Symphony Nova Scotia, with her father, Tony, and ...

Upon hearing the first few notes, audience members are struck by the sheer magnitude of Samantha Martin’s other-worldly voice.  Cigarette-ravaged and whiskey-soaked, her vocals can bring listeners to tears in ...

Rosie & the Riveters are three fiercely talented and sassy dames from Saskatoon, SK, who perform upbeat folk music with a vintage 1940s flair.  Their original songs feature sophisticated harmonies, ...

The Reverend Robert B. Jones, Sr. is a pastor, storyteller, teacher, and activist.  He is also a self-taught multi-instrumentalist who plays guitar, mandolin, harmonica, cane fife, and fiddle.  An award-winning ...

Red Moon Road is a Winnipeg-based trio consisting of Sheena Rattai (vocals, percussion), Daniel Jordan (vocals, guitar, bass, drums), and Daniel Péloquin-Hopfner (vocals, mandolin, banjo, lap steel, keys, and synthesizers). ...

A native of Rustico, PEI, Lennie Gallant has released fourteen albums (11 in English and three in French), has performed with symphonies and for troops in Afghanistan, has participated in ...

Born and raised in North Sydney, Cape Breton, and now based in the Halifax region, Kim Dunn has been working on a successful music career for 30 years now, with ...

2016 was a big year for the musical quintet, Hillsburn.  The group released its critically-acclaimed, full-length album, In the Battle Years, won a Canadian Folk Music Award for New/Emerging Artist ...

After over twenty-five years of performing with her siblings, Heather Rankin comes into her own with A Fine Line (2016), her debut solo record. This is Heather Rankin like you ...

David Francey is a Scottish-born Canadian carpenter-turned-songwriter, who has become known as “one of Canada’s most revered folk poets and singers” (Toronto Star). Born in Ayrshire, Scotland to parents who ...

Dar Williams is considered one of America’s best singer-songwriters.  Born and raised in small towns in New York, she started playing guitar and writing songs at an early age; it ...

Halifax-based singer-songwriter Chelsea Amber brings soul to the stage with passionate vocals, uplifting lyrics, and grooving guitars.  As a songwriter, her goal is to bring hope and a sense of ...

Sisters Cassie and Maggie MacDonald grew up in Antigonish, NS, but now call Halifax home.  Their Celtic background influences their music, but they add an edge all their own.  Cassie ...

Ashley MacIsaac first played Folk Harbour in 1992 as a 17-year-old and made his return appearance 20 years later at our 27th annual Festival.  Fans of his unconventional, hard-driving fiddle ...

Amelia Curran is a Juno-Award winning songwriter, activist, and mental health advocate from St. John’s, NL.  Her music is distinguished by her intricate and evocative lyrics – no wonder she ...

Alan Jeffries is no stranger to the Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival, having accompanied David Myles over the years; Alan also headlined his own band in 2014. This year Alan returns with ...