WinterBites to warm up Comox Valley venues
Vancouver Island WinterBites Festival
Until Jan. 31 | Comox Valley, various venues
Info and tickets: winterbitesfestival.com or 855400- 2882
An international collection of diverse musical styles is coming exclusively to the Comox Valley for WinterBites, a series of intimate concerts being held in multiple venues from today until Jan. 31.
“Music speaks to the soul in a variety of ways — blues, soul, jazz, maybe a bit of boogie woogie” said Doug Cox, executive producer, Vancouver Island MusicFest. “The wonderful thing about this festival is there will be something for everyone to enjoy and performances will be in venues that provide an up close and personal setting with the musicians.”
Artists include Alpha Yaya Diallo, who headlines West African Dance Night on Friday at the Best Western Plus The Westerly Hotel and Convention Centre.
Diallo is a guitarist, singer, songwriter and a true multicultural Canadian artist performing in French, English and his native Guinean languages of Foulani and Souso.
His dexterous acoustic and electric guitar- playing, with its fluid melodic lines and compelling grooves, places him in the top ranks of African musicians.
Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne and David Vest play as Pianorama on Saturday at the Best Western Plus The Westerly Hotel and Convention Centre. Both the players and the audience will be treated to an extraordinary night of blues and boogie- woogie piano.
“We’ve got two of North America’s true piano masters of blues and boogiewoogie teaming up exclusively for a show at WinterBites,” said Cox. “My favourite thing about curating shows is putting together once- in- a- lifetime collaborations of talent for what makes a truly unique event.”
If fiddle is your fancy, the one- of- akind Ashley MacIsaac and his band play Jan. 25 at the Native Sons Hall.
Much has been said about the antics of fiddle music’s enfant terrible, but only because he has had international success and notoriety from an early age and grew up under the spotlight as one of the most dynamic fiddlers from Cape Breton, N. S.
Throughout the 16 days, other performers and concerts include Chilliwack, Barney Bentall, Jim Byrnes and the Sojourners, a double bill with The Grapes of Wrath and The Odds, Blind Boy Paxton, Suzie Vinnick and Cousin Harley.
For a full list of performers and to buy tickets, visit www. winterbites festival. com or call 1- 855- 400- 2882.