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TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING? It was my pleasure to introduce the main stage acts, this past Saturday at the 6th Annual Burnaby Blues & Roots Festival. Unlike last year when I was gazing out on a sea of umbrellas, Jah blessed this day with uninterrupted sunshine both from above and in the hearts of the performers. Great sets were turned in by the Wailin’ Jennys, New Orleans bluesman, Mem Shannon, Lhasa and the Neville Brothers. But, most personally gratifying was the opportunity to usher on the Johnny Clegg Band. Quite simply, he was one of the reasons I got into worldbeat in the first place. The English ex-pat turned South African musical statesman was mixing SA rhythms and western pop at a time when, not only was it not yet fashionable … it was downright dangerous to do so. Time has been kind to the man and his music. His performance was as fresh and explosive as ever. Only a few cheesy synth horn shots betrayed the fact that most of the tunes in his set were approaching 20 years old. That got me reminiscing; not about ‘kickin’ it old school’ (contrary to the Diet Pepsi ad, there’s nothing that youthful I wish to experience again); no, it got me thinking back over the blur of global music unleashed on Greater Vancouver fans since the start of the summer. And, I kept asking myself the same question, “Is there such a thing as too much of a good thing?” To recap; following the Children’s Festival and the Alcan Dragonboat Festival, the season really started cooking, June 24th to July 3rd with the TD/ Canada Trust Vancouver International Jazz Festival. Then, disaster struck, July 6th to 10th with the introduction of the Sea Vancouver Festival to the delicately balanced chain of music events. Despite huge media support and promotion, the Tall Ship and cultural music celebration was sunk by dismal attendance. July 9th through the 24th, worldbeaters and folkies on the South Coast leapfrogged from the Harrison Festival Of The Arts to the Vancouver Folk Music Festival to the Mission Folk Music Festival. Then the calendar compressed as events began to overlap. July 23rd and 24th added two days of cultural music as part of Caribbean Days on the North Shore to da mix. Factor in the various stand alone summer concerts at indoor and outdoor venues throughout the city and I think it’s safe to say that by the beginning of August, global music fans had many, many opportunities to satiate their appetite. After all, concerts aren’t the only summertime entertainment to enjoy in Vancouver. Over the BC Day long weekend the HSBC Celebration Of Light fireworks competition continued at English Bay, while the West End celebrated with the Pride Parade. And, this year, wedged somehow between these ginormous crowd pleasers, the Vancouver Multicultural Society decided it was a good time to present a whopping four day Diversity Festival featuring still more local global music performers. According to the society’s press material, “The festival will remind everyone about the contributions of various groups to the city's multiculturalism. It will celebrate our mosaic and send an annual message to the world as to who we are ahead of the 2010 Winter Olympics.” Well, by all accounts, that message didn’t get out to many people at all as potential patrons stayed away in droves. The July 29th to August 1st dates weren’t the society’s first choice either. Originally, they had wanted to host the event over the Canada Day long weekend, during the finale of the Jazz Festival no less! I acknowledge that this is the time of year when our community of talented global artists makes hay but if these events aren’t well-attended, nobody wins. With that in mind, I would like to humbly submit the following observations to potential promoters eager to enter Vancouver’s bloated summer calendar of cultural festivals: 1/ Consider the success of smaller, neighborhood celebrations like the Powell Street Festival for the Japanese-Canadian community, the Chinese New Year Festival with its parade through Chinatown, the Vaisahki Parades in Surrey and the Main Street Punjabi Market, the popular Enchanted Evening Series at the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Gardens and the Latin Summer Fest at Trout Lake Park coming up this Sunday at Trout Lake Park (details below in our world.beats LIVE events listing). A good festival is always a welcome partner in the community it serves before it becomes a universal success. 2/ Nobody ever said a festival has to be in the summertime or exclusively outdoors (the TD/Canada Trust Vancouver International Jazz Festival, with over half a million in attendance this year makes a convincing case for this argument). Have a look at how other promoters have creatively found their own niche in the annual entertainment calendar to host exciting new festivals. Congratulations to Caravan World Rhythms on master-minding the Global Discoveries Festival at the end of April in various venues up and down Commercial Drive (the multicultural heart of Vancouver). Not only is this event community–based and without conflict of other events, it’s a brilliant way to develop emerging global talent. The same goes for the Vancouver Celtic Festival in March which has not only found an audience looking for a little springtime entertainment but has given Vancouver its first bonafide St. Patrick’s Day Parade. 3/ Anyone who’s spent a few years in Vancouver knows that our summer kicks in late and, with the exception of a week or two of soggy setback, the good weather can extend well into October. Why can’t this city play host to an autumn festival like the successful Celtic Colours in Cape Breton each year? I wish our established festival organizers continued success and hope that they feel challenged and compelled to develop and improve their events year after year. This is one arena where quality certainly outweighs quantity. And, to all the aspiring promoters out there looking to make a big summertime splash … I’m sure your heart is in the right place but spread the love a little so we never have to feel like we’re getting too much of a good thing.
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