The 31st annual Folk Alliance International conference will take place February 13-17, 2019, at Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth in Montréal, Québec, Canada. Just last week they made the announcement of the first round of showcasing artists and its a loooooooooong and impressive list.
The full text of their press release is below, but taking even a quick glance has us excited. Birds of Chicago, David Wax Museum, Emily Mure, Freddy & Francine, Glen Phillips, Hayley Reardon, Jim Lauderdale, Lonely Heartstring Band, Mipso, Parsonsfield, Peter Mulvey, Robbie Fulks, The Ghost of Paul Revere, The Suitcase Junket, Twisted Pine. That is just a short list of some of the artists we have been lucky to see live that line the list of incredible artists. Its a doozy folks.
From FAI:
We are proud to announce the 2019 Official Showcase artists* representing 23 countries (*confirmed to date and subject to change) for the 31st annual conference taking place February 13-17, 2019, at Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth in Montréal, Québec, Canada.
This was an exceptional applicant year with over 1000 artists (a 30% increase over the previous year) from 28 countries applying for 180 Official Showcase slots.
A 21-member international jury made up of festival directors and music industry professionals from the U.S., Canada, and abroad spent one month reviewing and scoring the applications. FAI places a priority on reflecting the full diversity of international folk music, and while scoring applications jurors are asked to consider how well the applicant helps broaden the view and offering of folk music for presenters, industry, and audience.
For the most up-to-date list of 2019 Official Showcase artists* click here.
A platform for luminaries and rising stars, FAI’s Official Showcases are 30 minutes in length and are held concurrently on ten full-production stages throughout the host hotel over four nights. Artists perform for hundreds of festivals and venue bookers, agents, managers, labels, media, and music industry representatives. The curated showcases feature touring and export-ready artists representing a diverse array of folk genres including Appalachian, Americana, Bluegrass, Blues, Cajun, Celtic, Francophone, Global Roots, Indie-Folk, Indigenous, Latin, Old-Time, Traditional, Singer-Songwriter, Spoken Word, and every imaginable fusion.
High profile artists from previous conferences include John Oates, Neyla Pekarek of The Lumineers, Lake Street Dive, Rhiannon Giddens with The Carolina Chocolate Drops, Lhasa de Sela, AHI, Béla Fleck, Sarah Jarosz, The Milk Carton Kids, The War and Treaty, Darlingside, The Stray Birds, Valerie June, John Fullbright, The Wailin’ Jennys, Kaia Kater, The Waifs, and Nickel Creek. Past performances have also included guest appearances by Judy Collins, Billy Bragg, Rita Coolidge, Ron Sexsmith, Ani DiFranco, Archie Fisher, Sara Watkins, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Peggy Seeger, and many more.
Returning to Canada in 2019, the FAI conference theme, The Spirit of Creativity, is an exploration of the artistic process from inspiration to vocation and a collective conversation about innovation, collaboration, and spirituality in art. The 31st annual conference will be held February 13-17, 2019, in Montréal, Québec, Canada which is known for its vibrant music scene and public celebration of the arts. Additionally, the historic host hotel Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth, will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s bed-in at the hotel where they wrote: “Give Peace a Chance.”