…Blues and Roots.

Way back in May when I started on the farm, my new found fellow employees where already talking up the Roots and Blues music festival which was coming to Salmon Arm at the end August. By the time August rolled around excitement was at a fever pitch and everybody you ran into would ask “are you going to the roots and blues”. All the proud locals where gushing about how great this festival was and “such a great line-up this year”. I received tips on how to go about maximizing the experience from many camps, advice varied but all where in agreement that it was going to be huge. So by the end of August my expectations where so high I had lost track of them all together. I think I was looking forward to it, but was actually terrified that I would not enjoy it as much as was expected of me, as a visitor to this lovely valley.

And… I was not disappointed. In fact as high as they where, my expectations came in a clear last place behind the beauty of the setting, the atmosphere and excitement and the variety and quality of the musical talent. This festival is quite unique (I think) because the artists all mix together over the course of the weekend. So you can end up seeing say African drummers playing with a Canadian Blues artist, or an Indian tabla drummer playing with an Afro Reggae groover. Man it was so amazing to see all these cultures mixing and jamming.

There were individual concerts too. Some of the musicians that played were Richie Havens, Corey Harris, K'Naan, Feist, Bedouin Soundclash, Sarah-Lee Guthrie (ooh lah lah!), Apache Indian and the Reggae Revolution, and millions and millions more. Three days and nights of solid music. It was truly amazing.

Well i guess you just had to be there.