This year’s Vancouver Folk Music Festival will feature more than 45 musical acts whose roots go back to more than 15 countries. One of the international highlights will be Grammy winner Dobet Gnahoré, who was born in Côte d’Ivoire.
She will be the first performer on the Main Stage at ʔƏY̓ALMƏXʷ Jericho Beach Park at 6 p.m. on Friday (July 19). Gnahoré be followed on the Main Stage by Moontricks, Leif Vollebekk, and traditional Maori Priestess Māmā Mihirangi and the Māreikura. (The festival website has the full weekend schedule.)
Gnahoré is the daughter of famous Côte d’Ivoire percussionist Boni Gnahoré. She has released seven studio albums, including this year’s Zouzou. The title means “Angel” in French and Gnahoré has dedicated it to youths who will define the future. The recent release coincides with a new orphanage project that Gnahoré is developing in Côte d’Ivoire.
She has moved back to the country of her birth after performing for many years in France. Gnahoré shared her 2010 Grammy for Best Urban/Alternative Performance with India.Aire.
Watch Dobet Gnahoré’s video for the title track from Zouzou.
Gnahoré will share stage with 47Soul
Another international band to watch is the Palestinian collective 47Soul, which formed in Jordan in 2013. Musicians Tareq Abu Kwaik, Ramzy Suleiman, Walaa Sbait, and Hamza Arnaout pioneered what’s called “shamstep”. According to the Vancouver Folk Music Festival website, this integrates the Levantine folk dance dabke with hip-hop, reggae, and electronica.
47Soul will perform on the West Stage at 2:50 p.m. on Saturday (July 20). The band will also be at Magic Carpet Ride along with Gnahoré and other acts at 12:35 p.m. on Sunday on the West Stage.
Meanwhile, the final act on the Main Stage on Saturday will be Etran de L’Aïr, a four-piece desert blues band from northern Niger. They hail from an urban centre, Agadez, which is renowned for musical production.
According to the Sahel Sounds website, Etran is a family collective.
“Formed in 1995, an eternity ago in the Sahara, Etran was founded by member Aghaly Migi,” the website states. “Over the years, he taught his younger brothers to play, and integrated them into the group.”
In addition to closing out the festival on Saturday, Etran de L’Aïr will also perform on Saturday at Guitar Mayhem at 1:30 p.m. on the West Stage and at Ancestral Roots at 5:05 p.m. on the South Stage.
The Vancouver Folk Music Festival runs from July 19 to 21 at ʔƏY̓ALMƏXʷ Jericho Beach Park. For tickets and more information, visit the website. Tickets are also available at the gate each day. Follow Pancouver on X (formerly Twitter) @PancouverMedia and on Instagram @PancouverMedia.
