Fun for the Whole Family
at Festival du Bois
By GWEN KALLIO
COQUITLAM - It's a well-known secret. You don't have to be or speak French, or have any hereditary connection to francophone culture to not only enjoy, but enthusiastically revel in the music, dance, craft, food and other entertaining activities at Maillardville's Festival du Bois.
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| YVES LAMBERT, the co-founder of Québec supergroup La Bottine Souriante, has regrouped with with the Bébert Orchestra and will perform at this year's Festival du Bois. |
Fans of Celtic music fit right into this festival's pocket, and can prepare themselves for a rollicking good time. The whole family can find something fabulous to stimulate the ears, the mind, the heart - and, with an array of delicious food on offer, the stomach!
Music is at the core of the festival and this year's event, which runs over the weekend of March 3 and 4 at Coquitlam's Blue Mountain Park, offers a showcase of some of the finest Québécois, francophone, world and folk music artists performing today.
Fans of Québec supergroup La Bottine Souriante will be thrilled with the appearance of co-founder Yves Lambert with some new cohorts, the Bébert Orchestra. New to festival audiences, Marco Calliari blends music from his Italian roots with cosmopolitan Québécois world beat - and the result is bellissimo!
The six energized singers, musicians and storytellers of Les Tireux D'Roches (Stone Throwers) fuse African, Balkan and other influences with traditional Québécois tunes; and Newfoundland guitarist Duane Andrews incorporates his own musical style with Django Reinhardt-inspired gypsy-jazz.
Galant, tu perds ton temps bring the neglected repertoire of traditional Québécois women's music to new and glorious life; and Belzébuth are sure to electrify festival audiences with their devilishly-inspired Québécois world music. Joining these out-of-towners on the festival's Mainstage (Grand Chapiteau) are local rhythm and music dynamos, Masabo Culture Company.
In the Children's Tent (Petit Chapiteau), kids and their parents will sit mesmerized by the music, stories and other antics of artists Nova, Isa et Chou, Jean-Pierre Makosso and Sand Northrup, along with some talented young choirs and dance troupes from around B.C.
This year, the Festival introduces the Tente des Ateliers (Workshop Tent). It's a special place where festival artists and special guests tell stories, share knowledge and even teach the fine arts of spoon playing and traditional Québécois foot percussion.
Festival-goers can wander the site to learn about local settler history, play games and shop. They can also treat themselves to a range of culinary delights including maple taffy, tourtière and poutine. Great music, food and fun - whatever language you speak, Festival du Bois needs no translation.
Festival du Bois runs March 3-4 at Blue Mountain Park, Coquitlam. For more information, visit: www.festivaldubois.ca, or call (604) 936-0039.
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