V.I.F.'s at The C.F.M.A.'s (Very Important Folks at the Canadian Folk Music Awards).

Canada means folk music.Folk music means fun, philosophy and cultural fulfillment. It all conjoined in Toronto on the first weekend in December with the celebration of the annual Canadian Folk Music Awards. I was only on the listening periphery this year because of a commitment to my band's gig on the night of the traditionally glorious gala award show. But I got some alt.- proximity to a few scenes worth sharing.

Retiring Yeoman Of The Folk Vanguard Andy Frank grabs some Hugh's Room bar time with perspicacious artist and reporter Shawna Caspi 

and the venerable songwriter, James Keelaghan.

I finally met up with the esteemed Elage Diouf, an orbital favourite, who was nominated in the World Solo Artist Of The Year category.

The Small Glories got large in a matinee situation with exuberant high spirits and rhapsodic harmonies.

From the intro by David Newland, Contemporary Singer & Aboriginal Songwriter Of The Year nominee, William Prince delivered 20 solid minutes of charm, grace and emotional truth to earn a  standing ovation. Serviettes were full of mascara and every phone in the room was dark. 

Comforting each other after the emotional high tide of William Prince's set, Sarah Jane Scouten provides an empathy refill for pivotal Radio Boogie host, CIUT's Steve Pritchard.

Sunday night's finale brought all the award winners together on the Isabel Bader Theatre stage for Bruce Cockburn's classic Wonderin' Where The Lions Are.

Mike Bourgeault's photo.

Playlist For Show Of 18 March

Commissioner of Selection: Paul Corby

( Brought To You by Aqua-Furnaces, Lake Defects & H2-Ronto, )

Guests: Heino Nielsen of Common Thread Chorus, Bob Isenberger of Water Docs, Anne Walker. and Elage Diouf

5-7 p.m. Fridays online http://www.radioregent.com/ and at tunein.com .  

Canadians in Asterisk’d RED. 

5:00 Turbulent Elements

* Mimi O'Bonsawin ~ Brave ~ Mimi

Sounds Of Blackness ~ The Pressure Pt.1 ~ The Evolution Of Gospel

*Steven Page ~ Hole In The Moonlight ~ Heal Thyself PT.1: Instinct NEW DISK

* Common Thread Chorus ~ Never Turning Back ~ performing Thursday @ Water Docs Film Festival March 22-26, for Canada Water Week / Interview with Heino Nielsen & Bob Isenberger  http://ecologos.ca/water-docs-2016/

Van Morrison ~ And It Stoned Me ~ Live At Montreux

5:30 Close Walker

* Anne Walker ~ Parlour Days ~ Down The Horseshoe Valley Road NEW DISK  / Interview / Bless Your Heart (live) / You Shoulda Been Mine (live)

*Dana Sipos ~ Road To Michigan ~ Roll Up The Night Sky NEW DISK  @ The Burdock tonight

6:00 Rockin Wolof

Elage Diouf ~ Sankara / Batola ~ Melokaane NEW DISK / Interview ~ @ Massey Hall Monday 21 March with Johnny Reid

6:15 Vertical Journeys

* Avataar ~ Infinite Open ~ Petal NEW DISK ~ CD Release Thursday, 30 March @ Lula Lounge

* Lenka Lichtenberg & Fray ~ Wine Of Life ~ Live In America EP ~ @ Small World Music Center Sunday 20 March 6 p.m.

* Melissa Laveaux ~ Tiptoe ~ Camphor & Copper ~ @ Berkeley Street Theater Friday & Saturday for Célébration De La Francophonie

Lucinda Williams ~ Blessed ~ Blessed @ Opera House Thursday & Friday 24-25 March

The California Honeydrops ~ All Day, All Night ~ Like You Mean It 

* Sonia Collymore ~ It Takes 2 To Play The Game ~ WYSIWYG ~ @ Water Docs 22-28 March

6:40 Precipitent Percipience

* Rough Trade ~ Stranded ~ Rough Trade Live (Umbrella) 40th Anniversary Concert @ The Phoenix tonight

Marshall Crenshaw ~ The In Crowd ~ Miracle Of Science 

* Christa Couture ~ In The Papers ~ Long Time Leaving NEW DISK~ CD release @ The Burdock 28 April

Steve Coleman ~ Contemplation  ~  Drop Kick / Toronto Music Listings 

* Corin Raymond ~ Hard On Things ~ Hobo Jungle Fever Dreams NEW DISK CD Release 30 March @ Lula Lounge

Heads In Like A Line Dance And Tails Out Like A Lambada

These Canadians have been busy in hibernal seclusion, organizing and fermenting Spring music, and the results are by turns sprightly, sincere and celebratory. Many hands make the lights work. 

Big tunes for the brightening weeks to come. I will be continuing to feature them as they roll in wave upon wave.

#Elage Diouf, # Bentall Taylor Ulrich, #Modern Space, #The Bills, #Christa Couture, #Federal Lights, #Rebecca Binnendyk, #Lynn Miles, #Steve Dawson, #Steven Page, #Matt Patershuk, #Donovan Woods, #Sundar Viswanathan & Avataar, #Mike Janzen, #Anne Walker, #Jordan Klassen, #Corin Raymond, #neema, #Amanda Tosoff, #Quincy Bullen.

Live performances of these northerly endemic envisionings are currently underway across the country. Check your local listings, or tune in to Corby's Orbit Fridays 5:00-7:00 on Radio Regent at tunein.com., supported in Winamp, Windows Media Player, Quicktime, Itunes, VLC, Flash