To many Canadian baby boomers growing up in the 1960s and the early 70s, folk, rock music, and outdoor festivals were a part of their life experiences.
Ottawa-born Paul Valdemar Horsdal, a Canadian folk singer better known as Valdy, was a mainstay of that experience – playing outdoor concerts and festivals across the country.
Fifty years later, Valdy continues the tradition with his appearance at the Willoughby Community Park Amphitheatre for Langley Township’s Summer Festival Series.
This free concert is another installment of Langley Township’s Summer Festival Series. The initiative, kick-started by arts and culture director Peter Tulumello, is a chance for locals to come out and enjoy live music.
The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Famer will take to the outdoor stage in the 7700 Block of 202A Street at 7 p.m. on August 8.
Co-organizer Peter Luongo said Valdy will be of the highlights of this years Summer Festival Series concerts.
“Audiences young and old are going to love and appreciate Valdy’s music, and I am positive the reception he receives will be outstanding,” Luongo said. “We are very fortunate to have a singer/songwriter of this stature performing here.”
This will not be Valdy’s first performance in Langley. In fact, the community contributed to one of his greatest and most known hits – “The Rock and Roll Song.”
Three and a half months before the Woodstock music festival was held, a group of young people organized Canada’s first outdoor rock music festival in Aldergrove.
The Aldergrove Beach Rock Festival was held on the May long weekend and drew more than 25,000 people.
Valdy, who was in his early 20s and gaining experience as a solo artist, claims the inspiration for “The Rock and Roll Song” came soon after playing the Festival.
An amplifier malfunction forced the folk singer to relocate to the rock and roll stage where Valdy said the audience was not appreciative of his genre.
“That won’t be the case on August 8,” Luongo said.
Fifty years after playing on the wrong stage at the Aldergrove Beach Festival, Valdy returns to the Township of Langley, now with 18 albums, four gold records, and two Juno Awards under his belt.
Read More: Violinist asks Langley to come to concert ‘ready to participate’
For more information on the Summer Festival Series, including a list of upcoming performances, people can visit www.tol.ca/summerfest.
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Email: ryan.uytdewilligen@langleyadvancetimes.com
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