Mama’s Broke is a unique and powerful folk duo that both honours and defies tradition with their original compositions. Two strong voices blend to create haunting harmonies, while they artfully juggle fiddle, banjo, guitar and mandolin, and incorporate traditional dance and foot percussion as part of their performance. Drawing from old-time, Quebecois, blues, punk, Celtic, Balkan and doom metal, they create a soundscape that is both familiar and new. For a group defined by constant touring, it’s not surprising that the two artists that make up Mama’s Broke, Lisa Maria and Amy Lou Keeler, met on the road. As Lisa remembers it, “Amy was driving her old Mercedes from Montreal to Nova Scotia and I was looking for a ride. We spent the 17 hours in the car talking almost exclusively about music. By the time we reached Halifax we started playing together, and within a week or two became a band.”
Alpha Yaya Diallo & Bafing
Alpha Yaya Diallo (prounounced “jallow”) is a revered Guinean-born guitarist, who has a longstanding relationship with the Harrison Festival ever since he first performed here with worldbeat group Fatala in the very early 1990s. His style draws on a range of West African guitar traditions, and reflects his own Foulani background along with other cultures and traditions of Guinea, Senegal and even the Caribbean and Cape Verde. The fluid melodic lines of his guitar playing, both acoustic and electric, are complemented by an echo of the balafon, kora, ngoni, bass and drums to create a West-African sound that is both nomadic and generous. Since settling in Vancouver he has primarily led his own bands and has been awarded multiple Junos.
Mimi O’Bonsawin
Mimi O’Bonsawin is a contemporary roots singer-songwriter born in Northeastern Ontario of mixed French Canadian & Abénaki heritage, and is a member of Odanak First-Nation. Through her rhythm, story-driven songs, and generous spirit, Mimi’s music embraces the beauty of the land. The ethereal quality of her music whisks you away with uplifting melodies and introspective lyrics that weave pop sensibilities with acoustic instruments. The layers of percussion and surprising harmonies make you feel the music rather than just hear it. She performs with her husband Ryan Schurman on drums and percussion.
Lache Cercel & The Roma Jazz Ensemble
Originally from Bucharest, now in Vancouver, violinist Lache Cercel has created the new musical genre Roma jazz, by merging Eastern influences with western musicology. In celebration of his multi-cultural influence in music, this unique collaboration features a selection of highly regarded musicians, singers and dancers. He plays with the outrageous virtuosity found in contemporary European Roma recordings, and adds his own vision to this deeply rooted tradition, revealing the history of tragedy, struggle and ultimate survival that is part of Roma music.
Jeremy Ledbetter Trio
Forged in a cauldron of raging, inspiring, contemporary jazz, the Jeremy Ledbetter Trio pushes the boundaries of jazz and world music, providing an undiluted display of rampaging energy and captivating musicianship. Jeremy has been creating genre-bending original music since forming the Caribbean Latin jazz outfit CaneFire in 2004. Since then, he has worked closely with an international array of artists, including Harrison Festival alumni Eliana Cuevas and Okan. With his trio he has achieved new levels of recognition for his outstanding musicianship, winning Best Jazz Album at the 2025 Juno Awards. With Grammy-winning drummer Larnell Lewis (Snarky Puppy) and renowned electric bassist, Rich Brown, the trio creates a type of jazz that is incredibly groove-oriented, accessible, and emotionally captivating.
