Gordon Lightfoot Forums - Mariposa 2008 and Lightfoot, Mediterranean style-article

From the Orillia Packet & Times:

By John Swartz
Posted By THE PACKET AND TIMES
Posted 3 hours ago

If there is one thing we do right in this city, it's the Mariposa Folk Festival.

Sure, there's always some part the public thinks could be a little better, and some parts the organizing committee tweaks each year, but, on the whole, it works like a Swiss watch.

We know this by the number of musicians who want to come and play here based on what they've heard from their peers about how this festival is run and how good the audiences are.

Mike Hill chairs an artistic committee of four people. It's a job that used to be done by one person, but was changed two years ago. They have lines on some artists they want to invite, but there are many choices to make they didn't even think of.

"A lot of people apply to us," Hill said. "For example, David Essig played Mariposa 30-some years ago and he wrote me a very nice e-mail back in the fall and said, 'Would you consider hiring me again?' I listened to his music and thought, yeah, this guy's good.

"The way this often works is I get a lot of calls from agents and managers saying, 'How would you like to have so and so at your festival?'"

That's how tonight's coheadliner got the gig; he's got a smart agent who sent concert tickets so Hill could evaluate whether world-renowned guitarist Pavlo would fit into Mariposa.

"Pavlo's agent called and I thought, I like his sound and plus he's really a great guy to work with," said Hill.

Pavlo, on the other hand, sounds like the guy, not his agent, who wanted into the show.

"My good friend Gordon Lightfoot has been there and he raved about it and we have the same sound man, Bob McFee. He raves about it -- he said it's one of the best festivals that he does -- so I look forward to it," Pavlo said.

Pavlo is not alone in his assessment of what playing Mariposa means. Each year, musician after musician has said they heard from a friend about the festival and they decided they, too, wanted in.

One of the reasons musicians like to come here is the workshop concept pioneered by Mariposa. There are four stages operating this afternoon and tomorrow, with a constant flow of musicians thrown together -- OK, sometimes carefully placed -- to perform music based around a theme.

Pavlo is doing three workshops. One of them, tomorrow afternoon's "Lightfooted Songs," was really his idea.

"When I spoke to the promoter, I said, 'Wouldn't it be cool to have a Gordon Lightfoot workshop,' just in conversation, and all of a sudden he created one," Pavlo said. "I'm going to come to that workshop with two or three Mediterranean-style versions of Gordon's songs. I'm looking forward to it."

Whoa. Mediterranean style?

Well, if you haven't heard Pavlo's CDs, or seen his PBS concert special, then you should know he plays music with a lot of Greek roots, mixed up with Flamenco and Latin grooves.

That's one of the most ingenious things Mariposa does: presenting acts that are very different from our homogenized pop fare.

Aside from aboriginal, East Coast and Quebec folk acts, they actively search for world music (which is just a nice label for "folk music from somewhere else") artists.

Pavlo is from Toronto, but the family heritage is ingrained and it comes out in his songwriting, which is mostly Greek to you and the person sitting next to you, but still folk music.

"Absolutely," he said. "I think that's exactly what it is, but it's much more complex than that. I call it Mediterranean-style music, but it's definitely the folk perspective.

"It's organic, it's real, it's just the guitar. There's no sampling; there's no Backstreet Boys dancing. It's real music. Folk music to me has always been like that in my mind. It's real life."

Preceding Pavlo to the stage for tonight's 5 p. m. concert are Leela Gilday, Harry Manx, Cheryl Wheeler and Loudon Wainwright III. Following Pavlo is the legendary Taj Mahal.

Sunday night's lineup has John Gorka, Alex Cuba, Connie Kaldor, Yves Lambert et le Bebert Orchestra, Corb Lund and Sarah Harmer.

There are many other artists performing during the day and in the pub in the evenings.

You can find a complete lineup at mariposafolk.comor, better yet, go to Tudhope Park, buy a ticket and discover a different world of music.