Joining a host of Juno nominees and winners who have set the Roots and Blues stage ablaze, the Souljazz Orchestra has signed on to play the 2014 festival.
Up for Junos in 2011 and 2013 and one of the country’s hardest-working combos, the Souljazz Orchestra, has been perfecting its signature sound for more than a dozen years now – a percussive explosion of soul, jazz, Afro, Latin and Caribbean rhythms, driven by majestic horn-drenched melodies, all backed by an arsenal of overheated primitive keyboards.
The multicultural collective returns with another essential musical odyssey in February 2014 as they released their brand new studio album, Inner Fire.
The new set continues their expansive stylistic journey as they effortlessly fuse intricate Afro beats, Latin styles and spiritual jazz elements into a unique melting pot, creating a fiery soundscape, both far-reaching and highly rhythmic, designed to simultaneously elevate the body, the mind and the spirit.
Their break-through album on Toronto label Do Right! Freedom No Go Die (2006), featuring the single Mista President and Manifesto (2008) set the bar high.
Rising Sun (2010) and Solidarity (2012), their first two albums with Strut Records, were subsequently recognized as landmarks within their respective genres. And both went on to be nominated for Juno Awards.
Meanwhile, as a live unit, years of relentless touring have formed the Ottawa-based combo into an in-demand fixture at venues and festivals worldwide.
A Canadian success story, they are currently charting at number three on the Earshot top 50, the national campus and community radio report.
And there will be plenty more high-octane performers at the festival that plays out over three days from Aug. 15 to 17 at the Salmon Arm Fairgrounds.
Several performers are up for Junos this year: The Sheepdogs, Little Miss Higgins, The Strumbellas and MonkeyJunk. Other hot acts include Doc MacLean, Bellstop, Bill Durst, Black Joe Lewis and Rolla Olak.
Visit www.rootsandblues.ca to see the rest of this year’s stellar lineup and to get your tickets for the 22nd Salmon Arm Roots and Blues Festival.
Earlybird prices are in effect until May. Or, get in and feast on the festival for free when you volunteer.
Call 250-833-4096 to find out how to get involved.
