Axis Mundi Harvest’s 11 B.C. homegrown performers

— This sponsored post was created in partnership between Axis Mundi Harvest and the Revelstoke Mountaineer

Eleven reasons to check out Axis Mundi Harvest (Sept 18–20, 2015):

Making up a major slice of the line-up, the B.C. contingent at Axis Mundi Harvest showcases the special qualities that make this province, and Revelstoke’s new festival, one of a kind:

1. Rodney DeCroo

Rodney DeCroo. Photo contributed

From the coast, a performer who Adrian Mack of the Georgia Straight calls “One of Canada’s most sensitive and brilliant singer-songwriters,” comes Rodney DeCroo. His critically acclaimed new album Campfires on the Moon is as beautiful on the surface as a dusk-painted reflecting pool, as shadowy below as DeCroo’s own tumultuous psyche.

2. Buckman Coe

Buckman Coe. Photo contributed

Vancouver’s Buckman Coe bridges the worlds of roots, soul, and reggae. A passionate believer in the power of music to shape the future, Coe is a force of positive inspiration in his own right, using his voice and music to bring more beauty into the world.

3. Tequila Mockingbird Orchestra

Tequila Mockingbird Orchestra. Photo contributed

Acoustic ensemble, Tequila Mockingbird Orchestra, has wandered from the underground of bohemian Victoria, in Canada’s lush west coast, to a new, refined sound crafted by years of constant performing and touring together. Though drawing on flamenco flourishes learned in Spain, on African percussion, on bluegrass and other roots music from across the Americas, TMO has cycled through far-flung influences and youthful forays, into sounds from all over, finding new vistas of creativity that bring them closer to their own beginnings, to the people and places that have shaped them.

4. Severn Cullis-Suzuki

Environmental activist Severn Cullis-Suzuki. Photo: contributed by Severn Cullis-Suzuki

Living in Haida Gwaii, environmentalist Severn Cullis-Suzuki is studying the Skidegate dialect of the endangered Haida language with elders and teaching her children. She is an Earth Charter International councillor, and a board member of the David Suzuki Foundation. Severn believes that science and media communication is important for informing global change, and hopes her pursuit of traditional and scientific knowledge will help her promote a world of diversity, justice and respect.

5. Rachelle van Zanten

Rachelle van Zanten. Photo contributed

Her new album Oh Mother blends Rachelle van Zanten’s socially conscious lyrics with dirty guitar riffs and soulful singing in a way that neatly captures the essence of her northern British Columbia origins … as well as giving voice to all the issues the region currently faces. Of her, National Geographic’s Wade Davis says, “Rachelle van Zanten is our voice, the muse of the North. She writes songs to inspire the wind, give voice to thunder, and fire the hearts of all those fighting to protect the land she loves so dearly.”

6. Sherman TANK Doucette

Sherman TANK Doucette. Photo contributed

Now living in the Okanagan, Sherman TANK Doucette is a soulful singer/harmonica virtuoso — and the real deal — he has the scars and badges to prove it. A former thirty year staple of the Vancouver music scene — host & house band at the legendary Yale Hotel for several years — ‘Tank’ Doucette has enjoyed a very colourful past, sharing the stage with blues icons like John Lee Hooker, Pine Top Perkins, Long John Baldry and Jim Byrnes. Today, with a great new band mixing blues classics and originals with a passion and conviction few can deliver, any one who catches his live show will agree, he’s unforgettable.

7. Les Copeland

Les Copeland. Photo: Jean Erik Arud

Also from the Okanagan and another brother-in-the-blues, Les Copeland is one of British Columbia’s finest blues artists. Primarily self-taught, his unique sound has developed out of a rich mixture of influences including blues, jazz, Spanish flamenco, pop and classical music. Copeland has earned the respect of some of the best bluesmen in North America, including Honeyboy Edwards, Jimmie D. Lane, Sonny Rhodes, Jimmie Lee Robinson and others.

8. Aspen Switzer

Aspen Switzer. Photo contributed

Nelson native, Aspen Switzer’s pure and powerful voice sets her apart and brings meaning to the subtle poetry found in her lyrics. Her influences range from folk to country to bluegrass to rock and jazz — but she has evolved a style that is all her own. Aspen is not just a great singer, she is a performer: effortlessly building a rapport with her audience from the moment she steps on stage, and leaving everyone captivated with her humour, authenticity and humanity.

9. Adham Shaikh

Adham Shaikh. Photo contributed

As a music producer and composer, Nelson’s Adham Shaikh skillfully weaves organic and electronic sounds into global music tapestries that take listeners on sonic journeys transcending time and place. He has released 12 albums and many individual compositions, among them the 2004 release, Fusion, which was nominated for a Juno Award (Canadian Grammy) in the World Music category. Shaikh’s work as both a live performer and a DJ has taken him to international festivals, events, and night clubs, including the Waveform Festival (UK), Envision Festival (Costa Rica), Water Women Festival (Ecuador) Samothraki Dance Festival (Greece), Dakini Nights (Tokyo), Luminate (New Zealand), The Maori Peace Festival at Parihaka (New Zealand), Hadra Trance (France) and Boom Festival (Portugal).

10. Dominique Fraissard

Dominique Fraissard. Photo contributed

Now residing in the North Slocan Valley, Dominique Fraissard hails uniquely from the mountains of Canada’s west and the long hot highways of his native Australia. There is timelessness to this music. His 6- and 12-string acoustic guitars and a potent pen, sing with an earthy lilt and an urban edge, from the good green earth of his 1970s childhood, up through the concrete and steel built on top of it. His work has been heard on independent, college and commercial radio throughout Australia and Canada. It has inspired artists of all codes and boasts a following from early teen listeners to his elders.

11. Greg Hill

Revelstoke mountaineering athlete Greg Hill is known for incredible acts of endurance in the mountains. Photo: Via www.arcteryx.com

Revelstoke’s own, Greg Hill is a man who has a passion for ski mountaineering. Named one of the Top 25 Fittest Guys in the World 2011 for climbing and skiing two million feet in a year, Greg has set records and established many firsts on mountains the world over. Most recently, he pushed his limits on what he called “March Madness”. In March 2014, he climbed and skied 100 vertical kilometres, averaging over 10,500 feet a day for the entire month. To make it more challenging he never visited the same place twice, and summited 11 different mountains along the way. Greg comes to Axis Mundi Harvest as a motivational speaker, sharing his experiences of adventure and endurance.

Axis Mundi Harvest (September 18–20, 2015) is the first event in a biannual festival cycle beginning in Revelstoke, this year. Community, Adventure, Arts & Culture, and Environment are all aspects of the festival’s mandate. Tickets capped at 3,000, with limited day passes on sale now. More info: www.axismundi.ca.