CiTR -- The Saturday Edge

Today's edition features a bunch of great new releases, some new (to me) CDs by my recent "discoveries" at the Vancouver and Mission Folk Festivals, a sneak peek at artists performing next weekend at The Rolls Royce Of Canadian Folk Festivals (Edmonton), and a few extra special personal favourites to celebrate my birthday (tomorrow). Also a very sad RIP to Irish singer songwriter Glen Hansard, who lost his life in a motorcycle accident last Wednesday.

Coming to you from The Mission Folk Music Festival (well, the show was mostly inspired by this year's festival lineup!) Some fabulous songs and tunes from a wide variety of artists who are either performing at Mission or at next month's Edmonton Folk Music Festival, with songs from Mali, Niger, Mauritania, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Cuba, India, Taiwan, Ukraine, Persia, Montreal, and Vancouver - and that was just in the first hour!! Then we headed off to Louisiana, Kelowna, Kaslo, PEI, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Alberta, and back to B.C. before taking in songs and tunes from England, Scotland, and Ireland! I peppered the selections with some little anecdotes and a bit of (I hope) slightly more useful information. Canada's folk festival season: the best music in the finest surroundings - with wonderful people!

New music from the latest issue of Songlines magazine, the latest Putumayo Discovery CD - Cuban Connections - and a whole bunch of artists performing at this weekend's Vancouver Folk Music Festival - and next weekend's Mission Folk Music Festival. Researching these shows has been a real journey of discovery for me, and I hope you enjoy my selections! Also new music from veteran rockers Rolling Stones and 17 year old blues prodigy Jake Soberlak, from Kamloops BC - plus new songs from Pharis & Jason Romero, Honeybear the Band, and Ireland's Caroline Keane and Tulua, as well as music by some of the incredible performers coming to The Rogue Folk Club over the next few weeks.

Many of the performers at the VFMF this year are complete unknowns to me, so probably complete unknowns to most of our listeners. I unearthed music by a lot of these performers to get an idea of what we might expect next weekend in Jericho Beach Park. Also continued to spin tracks by artists we heard on our recent Irish tour, and there were some amazing new releases from all around the planet this week, too.

No celebration of the US 250th, just a couple of protest songs, and a big feature on new Celtic music, a look back at our recent Irish tour, and some tasty new releases from Lai, Senegal, France, Eire, and Canada

Exciting new music from Mali and Senegal, a feature on Cape Verde (who are still in the World Cup!), a bit of Greek music for Vancouver's Greek Day (this Sunday), a look back at a few highlights of our recent trip to Ireland (we got back on Thursday), a look ahead to some amazing concerts coming to town, and a whole bunch of Canadiana to mark Canada Day (this coming Wednesday)

All kinds of coincidences and related tunes / songs (and seemingly unrelated ones, too!) Starting with Senegal's Ablaye Cissoko and two collaborations - one of them Canadian; and the link between the recently-deceased Toto La Momposina and the Anglo-Colombian groovers Sidestepper. A sneak preview of The Rogue Folk Club Fall Season, a tribute to Martin Carthy - who recently retired from public performance, and some music by Irish trio Socks in the Frying Pan, with whom we spent a week on tour in the west of Ireland earlier this month.

New releases from across Canada and beyond. Also a look back at some past favourites and ahead to future favourites coming to local concert halls and festivals.

82 years since D-Day turned WWII, so snuck in this little reminder. Hitler cannot "win" 8 decades after his death. Or can he? Starting to look like it, isn't it? Quite a lot of Canadians, and a bunch of new releases and concert previews too.

This show first aired on June 1st 1985, so this is the 41st Anniversary edition. Sprinkled a few of my favourite artists from these many moons, amongst some stirring new releases from Ireland, Africa, Scotland, B.C., Nova Scotia, Quebec, New Brunswick, Alberta, Spain, England, and the USA. It's always a marathon four hour show, but somehow it never feels like there is enough time to fit in all the tunes I want to play and hear!