Squamish music festival spreads the love
Family-friendly Blessed Coast has grown quickly, but stays true to its roots of Indigenous teachings
Now in its third year, Blessed Coast mixes First Nations teachings, yoga and martial arts, and bass — lots and lots of bass.
“It’s a unique gathering in how we’ve incorporated Indigenous teachings and a full schedule of workshops,” founder Kala Siddha said.
Officially established in 2015, the festival began as a casual gathering, said Siddha. “We did two years on the reserve in Squamish, and then it got too big to do it grassroots style,” he said.
The festival is still held in Squamish, but it’s moved to Cheekye Ranch.
The ranch borders the Cheakamus River and is also home to a horse rescue and rehabilitation charitable organization.
Between 1,000 and 1,500 people journey to the 68-acre ranch for the annual festival. (The ranch is named after a passenger station on the Pacific Great Eastern Railway once located on the site.) Siddha said the festival incorporates prayer circles, a traditional drumming ceremony and “opportunities throughout the weekend to go more in-depth with some of the (First Nations) elders in talking circles.”
Blessed Coast also has a yoga component. “I saw so many young people in Vancouver turning to yoga as a means to change their lives and find more purpose in their lives,” Siddha said.
“I saw them become extremely inspired by these practices and wanted to give them an area to showcase that.”
Yoga teachers from studios all over the province come to lead classes at the festival.
The music continues to be the main draw, though.
This year, heroes of the bass and world music scenes such as Deya Dova, Atyya, Goopsteppa, Shimshai, Oakk, and Yaima will perform. The music also includes folk, hip-hop and soul acts. B.C.-based artists include Handsome
Tiger, Alpha Yaya Diallo, Erica Dee, and Buckman Coe.
“We mostly curate the schedule ourselves, keeping an ear on the bass community, world music community and sacred dance community as to what is really inspiring people,” Siddha said.
There are two stages, the Dojo Stage and the Main Stage. The former “looks like a traditional Japanese dojo,” according to Siddha.
There are martial arts in the morning and music starting at noon.
Entertainment on the main stage starts towards evening. Sacred Light Design Company and Fractal Teapot will provide the visuals.
“It’s one of the most unique stages in the world,” Siddha said.
Fractal Teapot maps every contour of the stage “so that the entire stage is mapped for projection visualizations.”
The festival also prides itself on being family friendly and “Canada’s greenest festival.”
Last year, said Siddha, the festival was entirely powered by renewable energy using battery packs supplied by B.C. company Portable Electric.
The festival is all-ages, with a kidzone and activities for families. There is also a family camping area that is further away from the mainstage than the regular campground.
Buckman Coe is a returning performer.
“There’s something just really pure about the people it attracts,” said Coe. “It’s a loving festival.”
The Vancouver-based singer-songwriter released an album, Altar, earlier this year. He has a new one already recorded and scheduled for an early 2019 release.
Coe compares the festival to the early days of something like the Oregon County Fair, which began in 1969 (the 2018 edition wrapped up in mid-July).
“It’s an old, old hippie festival that goes back to the days of the Grateful Dead,” he said of OCF.
“This (Blessed Coast) is kind of a continuation of that with a young generation making it happen.
“It’s like seeing the beginning of something that could become quite established. It has the potential to become legendary.
“Or maybe not. It’s hard to keep things going. It’s a lot of work.”