Blues legend Dalannah Gail Bowen will play the Fort Pub and Grill on Saturday, Jan. 18, through a series hosted by the Fort Langley Jazz and Arts Festival (FLJAF).
With African and Cherokee ancestry, Dalannah has been making music for forty years on the Canadian blues, rock, and soul scene.
“For me, the genre of blues music is the foundation of all western music,” Dalannah said. “My background and life lived has influenced my sound and the stories that I tell by allowing me to have a more expanded viewpoint on my life and the world around me.”
Her style has been described as “Billie Holiday meets Howlin’ Wolf,” while her activism in the downtown Eastside of Vancouver and songs of injustice and inequality have made headlines over the years.
In 2017, she was awarded “The Key to The City” and Dec. 11th was officially declared “Dalannah Gail Bowen Day” by the Mayor and Council of Vancouver.
“My hope and prayer is for governments to create policies that address addiction as a health issue, remove barriers for construction of more accessible housing and limit high end housing and gentrification,” she said of her hopes for 2020.
Dalannah has worked with many of the blues greats, including BB King, Joe Bonamassa, Taj Mahal, Jim Byrnes, Jerry Doucette, Steve Dawson, and others throughout her long career.
The Fort Langley performance, however, is something not only new for her, but the whole community.
FLJAF has been hosting Jazz in the Fort, a monthly concert series to tide music fans over until the festival in July; now, organizer Dave Quinn said after Dalannah’s performance, they’ll be offering a weekly blues show.
“We are excited to announce that this Jazz in the Fort blues show will kick-off a regular Saturday Night Blues at the Fort Pub & Grill every week,” Quinn explained. “We’ll be bringing in the best of the best blues musicians for locals and visitors to enjoy every Saturday night. People will be able to catch blues performers ranging from international acts to local musicians.”
READ MORE: Jazz vocalist Jennifer Scott comes to town with her trio
Dalannah recently produced a new CD called Looking Back, which takes a hard look back at the world and cultures and where the future is headed.
“Looking Back is my fifth recording and at 74 years of age, I wanted to put into songs the way I am feeling about the current state of the world,” Dalannah added.
“We are pleased to welcome back Dalannah, who performed as a guest vocalist at the 2019 All Star Blues Show inside the Fort Langley National Historic Site,” Quinn said. “Dalannah is a powerful, soulful and energetic blues singer that people are going to love to hear.”
Dalannah said she plans on performing new and old songs from her repertoire at the concert.
“I think that after experiencing three strokes and a heart attack, I have a different perspective on my music. It is a joy to share my voice and sing,” she assured.
More information can be found at www.dalannah.com.
The concert goes from 8 to 11 p.m., 9273 Glover Rd.
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Email: ryan.uytdewilligen@langleyadvancetimes.com
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