Bluesfest International is Canada's premiere music festival, featuring a robust line-up of blues music, rhythm & blues, rock and blues-rock artists. Launched in Windsor, Ontario Canada in 1995 on the city's Main Street, the festival has since grown large enough to have been split into two events. This year's Bluesfest International will feature performances from Taj Mahal, Ana Popovic, Eric Sardinas, and Roomful of Blues, among others, and will include musical tributes to guitarists Rory Gallagher and Jeff Healey.
Bluesfest Windsor will be held from Thursday, July 10th through Sunday, July 13th, 2008 in downtown Windsor on the riverfront. The sister festival, the 9th annual Bluesfest London, will be held in downtown London, Ontario from Friday, July 11th through Sunday, July 13th, 2008. The London event will be a benefit for the London Abused Women's Centre while the Windsor festival will be a fundraiser for the Windsor Taxi Community Charities.
Bluesfest Windsor Headline Artists
Blues music veteran Taj Mahal is Thursday's headliner. The night also features vocalist/harpist John Nemeth. Rocker Rick Derringer headlines Friday night, following performances by guitarist Frankie Marino & Mahogany Rush and folk-blues artist Richie Havens.
Singer/songwriter David Wilcox tops Saturday night's bill, which also includes the phenomenal blues guitarist Ana Popovic. A tribute to Irish blues-rock guitarist Rory Gallagher with special guest Pete Brown will also be held on Saturday. Blues-rock guitarist Eric Sardinas performs on Sunday evening, as does Steve Burnside & the Marquis.
A tribute to Jeff Healey closes out the festival on Sunday night, with special guests Jerome Godboo, Tony Springer, and others remembering the talented blues guitarist. Other performers appearing during the Windsor Bluesfest International include:
- Rusty Wright Band
- Motor City Josh and the Big 3
- Motor City Women (formerly Detroit Women)
- Reverend Robert Jones
- Larry McCray
- Stu Heydon
London Headline Artists
Many of Windor's blues artists will also be performing over the weekend in the London Bluesfest International. Taj Mahal headlines Friday night's bill, along with Ana Popovic, and the tribute to Rory Gallagher with Pete Brown. Derringer tops Saturday night, with Frankie Marino & Mahogany Rush and Richie Havens also appearing. Legendary blues band Roomful of Blues will also be performing on Saturday, along with the tribute to Jeff Healey featuring Steve Strongman and Tony Springer.
Canadian blues musician Colin James will be headlining Sunday night's line-up, following performances by David Wilcox and the Motor City Women. The Rusty Wright Band, Stu Heydon, Steve Burnside & the Marquis, and Reverend Robert Jones will also be performing in London over the weekend festival.
Bluesfest International - Notable Blues Artists
Two-time Grammy Award winner Taj Mahal is a veteran of 40 years in the music business. A self-taught musician, the talented Mahal plays over 20 different instruments. The artist's distinctive Afro-Caribbean sound is an inspired mix of blues, jazz, Zydeco, gospel, rock, pop, soul, and R & B.
Blues harp player and vocalist John Nemeth began playing the blues at age 17, and quickly moved up the ranks. Nemeth began performing with the Junior Watson Band in 2002, later joining Anson Funderburgh & the Rockets, filling in for the legendary Sam Myers. Nemeth also began recording in 2002, and released his critically-acclaimed third album, Magic Touch, in 2007.
Guitarist Ana Popovic began playing as a teen, and formed her first band, Hush, at the age of 19. She was soon performing blues festivals in Europe with legends like Junior Wells. An impromptu jam session with Bernard Allison resulted in a deal with Germany's Ruf Records, where Popovic earned a reputation as a fiery and inventive guitarist over the course of three albums. Popovic's most recent album is 2007's Still Making History.
Eric Sardinas discovered the Delta blues at the unbelievably young age of six, when he first picked up a guitar. Spinning ancient 78s, he developed his unique style of playing listening to Charley Patton, Son House, and Robert Johnson before moving on to modern-era blues guitarists like Muddy Waters, Elmore James, and Otis Rush. Throw in a dash of British blues-rock, hard rock, and more than a little Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan influence, and you'll have the unique, electrifying, exhilarating six-string sound of Eric Sardinas.
Honeydripper Special Screening
On the Wednesday night before the start of Bluesfest Windsor, the Windsor Film Festival will take over the main stage to present a special screening of the John Sayles' film Honeydripper, starring Danny Glover, Charles Dutton, Gary Clark Jr., and Keb' Mo'. Check with the Bluesfest International website for more details on the festival, including ticket pricing and availability.
