Buffy Sainte-Marie is returning to the Mary Winspear theatre on July 20 to once again thrill audiences with a vocal style and repertoire that is unique to this iconic international entertainment legend.
Sainte-Marie, who first started entertaining in 1962, made her name during a turbulent era of social change. Her songs reflected both her intense concern for First Nations people and for social justice in general. Along with contemporaries like Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell and Neil Young, she helped shape folk music for decades before leaving the music scene for a sixteen-year recording hiatus.
But in 1992 Sainte-Marie was back, and now travels the world spreading her message of hope.
“I find songs in my head like snapshots of how I feel about what I see and the people I meet. My conclusion, which has always inspired my songs is that life is precious, diverse and worth protecting,” wrote Sainte-Marie.
Sainte-Marie returns to Sidney after performances in July in Ottawa, New York City, Toronto, and the Regina Folk Festival.
Opening for Sainte-Marie is Victoria native, Leeroy Stagger, a Canadian singer songwriter whose recent studio release, Love Versus, has won him widespread acclaim and been called a career changer by Exclaim magazine.
“It’s great to be coming back to Sidney. I was there last November and it’s always nice to return to the coast. And, of course, I’m thrilled to be on stage with Buffy. She’s also been a hero of mine for a long time because of her activism and her art,” said Stagger.
“The world seems to be in a bit of a pressure cooker these days and my latest recording is asking the question of whether love is going to be enough to save humanity. I guess, in a way, it’s the same question Buffy has been asking for a long time.”
Stagger describes his music as falling somewhere between folk and rock but acknowledges that his style is always evolving.
He maintains that, if the world is a pressure cooker, music and art have the responsibility to act as a release valve; a chance for people to reflect and decide to make the world a better place.
“I guess its right that Buffy’s music and my own both have the same sort of philosophy. A lot of musicians will follow the crowd for fear of losing fans. But the status quo has never been that interesting to me. It’s more important to get the message out and make people think about making the world a better place.,” said Stagger.
Information on and tickets for the show featuring Buffy Sainte-Marie and Leeroy Stagger can be found at marywinspear.ca.
editor@peninsulanewsreview.com
