B.C. musicians in the Big Easy for international folk music showcase
Artists from more than 40 countries in New Orleans to perform and network
A hand-picked collection of musicians from B.C. are in bayou country to show off their talents at an international folk music conference in New Orleans.
Folk Alliance International is an annual event where folk musicians and industry professionals come together to perform, network and learn from each other.
From Jan. 22 to 26, more than 2,000 delegates from 47 countries took part in performances, juried showcases, professional development panels, and the occasional Louisiana feast.
Participating Vancouver artist Jordan Klassen is pretty jazzed on the prospect of the latter.
"Hopefully I'll get to eat some jambalaya," he said on The Early Edition before heading to the airport to fly south.
The singer, whose dreamy folk-pop tunes have garnered almost 10 million streams worldwide, feels both honoured, and a bit intimidated, to be among the five B.C. acts selected.
"It's a little bit daunting at times, everyone is there to try and make something happen in their career," said Klassen. "It's kind of like the who's who of the folk industry from all over the world."
But Klassen's career appears to be in fine shape already. He is currently completing a new record due this year and recently gave fans a preview with the release of a music video for Virtuous Circle, a single that will be on his new album.
The other B.C. artists joining Klassen in the Big Easy include: Bob Sumner, Naomi Shore, Blue Moon Marquee and Sam Lynch.
Keynote speakers at this year's conference include American artists Ani DiFranco and Mavis Staples.
To hear the complete interview with Jordan Klassen on The Early Edition, tap the audio link below:
With files from The Early Edition