SkyHawks

This year is a very special landmark year for the SkyHawks as they celebrate 50 years of performances. Rotary Ribfest organizers were very pleased to learn that the SkyHawks will join us from July 14-16 to delight the crowd with displays of complex parachute maneuvers.

Come on out and see the SkyHawk jumps and demonstrations scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 11 am at Open Hearth Park. (weather permitting)

2022 Canadian Folk Music Awards Young Performer of the Year and winner of Music Nova Scotia’s Folk/Roots Album of the Year, Isabella Samson has been making serious waves in the East Coast. A tasteful glimpse into the mind of a young woman navigating life, love, and the world around her, Samson’s music has been described as a perfect mix of Carole King and Lizzy McAlpine. She has been recognized for her remarkable ability to captivate any crowd with her unique sense of humour and thoughtful lyricism, as well as the sweeping vocals she has become known for. On and off the stage, Samson has always been nothing but true to herself and her Cape Breton roots, guaranteeing a show that will leave you longing for more.

Donnie and Jinks have been performing together for more than ten years. They play: Festivals, concerts, corporate events, restaurants, living wakes, house concerts and nursing homes.

Donnie Campbell has a rich musical pedigree reaching back generations. In the early 1970’s, Donnie was a member of the popular Maritime folk group, Miller’s Jug. He has performed internationally and has shared the stage with artists such as Tommy Makem, Scotland’s Phil Cunningham and the Tannahill Weavers, Ron Hynes, Evans & Doherty and John Allan Cameron. Donnie has also worked at concerts and dances with Cape Breton fiddlers Carl MacKenzie, Buddy MacMaster, Winnie Chafe, Jerry Holland and Kinnon Beaton, to name a few.

Jinks O’Neill played his first paying gig with mid 60’s Sydney rock band The Morticians. Since then, he has performed with many bands, including Moon Minglewood and The Universal Power, The Kevin Head band, and Mississippi Ted Jordan. His bands have shared the stage with Steppenwulf, the Guess Who, Denny Doherty, and Leon Redbone.

At a Donnie and Jinks show, expect to hear a folky funky mix of songs and singalongs from several generations.

Jordan is a hard-working singer/songwriter and a masterful storyteller, writing songs about life and love with pathos and humor in a Folk/Americana style. He sustains a busy touring schedule throughout Canada in support of his third album ‘Around The Fire’ which won him an ECMA in 2021. His sophomore album ‘Old State Of Mind’ (2017) was nominated for a Music Nova Scotia award for best Americana album of the year. Drawing on his own life experiences he writes relatable songs of love, loss and the human condition. A dynamic performer, Jordan moves the audience from laughter to tears and back again. His first album ‘The Pitch’ (released in the fall of 2014) was nominated for 2 Music Nova Scotia awards.  He has toured across Canada many times playing his songs solo and with his band. He has played the majority of the major music festivals in Atlantic Canada such as ‘Stan Rogers Folk Festival’, ‘Cavendish Beach Festival’, Celtic Colours Festival’ and the ‘Evolve Music Festival’.  He also writes, performs and tours with the ‘Cape Breton Summertime Revue’ and ‘Tis The Season’ annually since 2015. 

“JORDAN MUSYCSYN is a great musician and a great storyteller” – ­Alan Doyle, GREAT BIG SEA

Cassidy Riley is a 19 year old vocalist from Sydney, Nova Scotia. Cassidy just signed a record deal with the independent record label HOF Records and has released her first single “Fear of Flying” written by Gordie Sampson and produced by Aaron Lewis and Sheldon Chant. 

Cassidy’s voice is way beyond her years and her love for all genres of music and the talent to sing them all only solidifies the fact that she has a long successful career ahead of her. 

Cassidy Riley is a 19 year old vocalist from Sydney, Nova Scotia. Cassidy just signed a record deal with the independent record label HOF Records and has released her first single “Fear of Flying” written by Gordie Sampson and produced by Aaron Lewis and Sheldon Chant. 

Cassidy’s voice is way beyond her years and her love for all genres of music and the talent to sing them all only solidifies the fact that she has a long successful career ahead of her. 

Matt Minglewood – genre – Northern Rock with a Canadianna feel, a musical hybrid with one foot steeped in the musical roots of blues & country and the other knee-deep in rock. To quote one fan “We had a blast! A cornucopia of awesomeness ” What’s in store at a Minglewood Show – tunes from Matt’s latest release ‘Fly Like Desperados’, and old classic fan favourites, peppered with songs & stories.

Minglewood, known for his high octane shows will have you enjoying his brand of rock as it should be heard, wrenched from the heart, and shot from the hip. For all music fans with a taste for the blues & rock, to witness this band is a feather in your cap. Joining Matt on stage & on his latest release ‘Fly Like Desperados’ is Moon McInnis on drums & vocals, the vivacious and extremely talented Emily Dingwall does the honors on bass and vocals, 19 year old Nick McInnis adds his immense talent on guitar and Jeff Stapleton tickling the keyboards & vocals. The youthfulness in the band has added a fiery spark to their shows. Hope you got the opportunity to catch one of their shows, you won’t be disappointed.

Matt has released 14 recordings and has amassed numerous awards & accolades including two ECMA awards for 2018 ‘Blues Recording of the Year’ and the coveted ‘Fan’s Choice Entertainer of the Year’ awards.

This year is a very special landmark year for the SkyHawks as they celebrate 50 years of performances. Rotary Ribfest organizers were very pleased to learn that the SkyHawks will join us from July 14-16 to delight the crowd with displays of complex parachute maneuvers.

Come on out and see the SkyHawk jumps and demonstrations scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 11 am at Open Hearth Park. (weather permitting)

Cape Breton-raised, Jacob cut his teeth playing live in Halifax’s “The Regal Beagle Band”.  Upon returning home, Jacob has been delving deeper into the writing process and his own experiences to create songs as rich in emotion, honesty, and storytelling as they are in tone and rhythm.

He has also taken this time to polish up his arsenal of cover tunes, exploring folk standards, 70s classics, some Canadiana and a healthy amount of classics from the many talented musicians of Cape Breton. For the last year Jacob has been reacquainting himself to audiences around the island as a solo act and most recently with newly formed band “The Decades”. For an energetic and engaging experience, come check out a show!

Singer-songwriter Elyse Aeryn is known for her fiery and rebellious rock and roll. Her bluesy melodies paired with her bold, warm voice make for an authentic and ageless sound.

For Elyse, a lifelong writer, the words and stories come first. She pens lyrics that tell the truth about her own life in the hope they will illuminate the truth in someone else’s. Hard knocks, dead ends, new beginnings – Elyse writes with heart about the stuff of life. You can practically taste the inner strength and resilience in her music. Its gritty and passionate and real. 

After a decade in the corporate world, music called for a bigger part in Elyse’s life and she’s answering that call with all she’s got. Her live shows are a beautiful exchange of energy, with Elyse creating an intimate connection with her audience. After recently sharing the stage with names like Blue Rodeo, The Crash Test Dummies, Matt Minglewood, and Robyn Ottolini, she is releasing her first full-length album in March 2023. 

Elyse’s rich voice, soulful lyrics, and charismatic guitar riffs are blowing away listeners and audiences. Do yourself a favour and turn up the volume.

Kimberley Fraser was born on Cape Breton Island and nurtured within its rich musical heritage. She first began to impress audiences at the age of three with her step-dancing talents. Soon after that she took up both the fiddle and the piano. Since then, Kimberley has built a distinguished career, travelling and performing all over the world from Victoria to Afghanistan. Dan MacDonald of the Cape Breton Post says about Fraser’s versatility, “She has matured to become one of the stellar players of the Cape Breton fiddle tradition, equally at home at a house party, playing for a square dance or on stage for a concert in Bras d’Or or Boston, Scotsville or Scotland.” Kimberley is also in demand for her piano skills, accompanying musicians at home and abroad.

Kimberley holds a degree in Violin performance from Berklee College of Music and in Celtic Studies from St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia. Education is important to her, reflected in Kimberley’s dedication to teaching Cape Breton music both at home and abroad. A master at the trio of fiddling, step dancing and piano, Kimberley is a much sought after teacher for all three. Her reputation as a teacher has brought her to conduct workshops at many camps and festivals, including Alasdair Fraser’s Valley of the Moon Fiddle Camp, the Swannanoa Gathering in Asheville, North Carolina, and The American Festival of Fiddle Tunes in Port Townsend, Washington to name a few. Kimberley also has experience giving workshops to string orchestras demonstrating how traditional music can be arranged for classical ensembles.

In 2006, Kimberley released her second studio album, Falling on New Ground, a winner of the East Coast Music Award for best Roots/Traditional Album of the Year. This self-produced album reflects on her experiences and growth as a musician since the release of her first studio album Heart Behind the Bow in 2000. Falling on New Ground demonstrates Kimberley’s many talents and versatility.

Aaron C. Lewis, a Cape Breton singer-songwriter, has been a professional musician since he was 16 years old. He was raised in an atmosphere of constant musical opportunities. Today, as a professional vocalist and an established, seasoned, and polished musician, Aaron plays a variety of instruments. He has toured all over the world, including 7 years with The Carleton Showband. Mr. Lewis has shared the stage with such names as Joe Diffie, Alabama, Tommy Hunter, Charlie Pride, Matt Minglewood, Michelle Wright and John Allan Cameron to name only a few. He co-found and performed with the popular Trio called ‘The Three Piano’s’ playing to sold out audiences for 10 years at the Savoy Theatre in Glace Bay and throughout Nova Scotia.

In 2012, as Musical Director for a show at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, Aaron performed as musician and background vocalist for Tommy Hunter, Rita MacNeil, The Von Trapp Family, Johnny Wright and Charlie Pride.

Among the many awards Mr. Lewis has received, he was awarded ‘The Akademia Music Award’ an award dedicated to recognizing excellence in music throughout the world for his single ‘Warm Beer’. In the early 1990’s he received an ‘Honorary Citizen of Newfoundland Award’, his group being the first to receive such an honor by a Premier.

Mr. Lewis has been performing for the Cruise Ship industry in Sydney N.S. for several years as vocalist, piano player and guitarist and in 2010 his show ‘Spirit of the Fiddle” received top Excursion Award for all of Cape Breton by Atlantic Cruise Ship Services.

Aaron has contributed his talents to more than 150 studio CD projects as both musician and back-up singer. He has also produced more than 15 recording projects for other artists.

Today Aaron has his own independent recording label and after years of performing with other artists and bands he released a solo album in 2012 entitled ‘Discovering Gold’. More recently, in 2017 Mr. Lewis’ single ‘Put a Little Love On It’ sold 10,000 copies in three months. Aaron has performed in and produced dinner theatres for Casino Nova Scotia in Sydney for the past 6 years and has been musician and singer with the Christmas Daddies House Band in Sydney for 15 years.

Island Bhangra is a group of dance performers originally from India who have been entertaining audiences on Cape Breton Island for the last number of years.  The group is part of the Cape Breton Influencers, an organization that partners with groups and organizations to cross-share their Indian culture and love of dance. The organization hosts and promotes community engagement activities, all with the goal of bringing people together for cross-cultural experiences.

“RibFest Ceilidh Band” featuring,
Wendy MacIsaac
Mac Morin
Mairi Rankin
Rachel Davis
Darren McMullen 

Wendy MacIsaac, Mac Morin and Mairi Rankin are 3 of the founding members of the band Beòlach, who are coming up on 25 years now. They have toured with the band extensively throughout Canada, the USA, Scotland and Germany and have been invited as the group and as solo artists, to teach and perform for most of their adult lives now.

In 2021, they were invited to perform at the World Expo in Dubai and that same year, were nominated for a JUNO for their album “All Hands” as well as winning 2 Canadian Folk Music Awards a Music Nova Scotia Award and taking home the Fans Choice Entertainers of the Year at the ECMA’s! They have released 3 Beòlach albums and 8 solo albums between them which have also won many awards. They are excited to be joined by Rachel Davis and Darren McMullen for RibFest in Sydney to give some lively Cape Breton tunes!

Since being presented the Tic Butler Memorial Award during Celtic Colours in 2007, Rachel Davis’ music career has taken off. The fiddler and singer from Baddeck, Victoria County was chosen as the 2009 recipient of the Frank “Big Sampie” Sampson award, leading to the release of her debut album that year. She released her second album, Turns, in 2013. Darren McMullen is a highly sought-after multi-instrumentalist whose list of instruments includes mandolin, bouzouki, tenor banjo, whistles, guitar and bass. He has since released three solo albums and been busy touring and recording as a sideman with a wide of bands! Rachel and Darren have been touring and recording together since 2012 with their band Còig, traveling all over North America, Europe and Australia. Còig has released five albums, receiving multiple East Coast Music Awards, Canadian Folk Music Awards, and a JUNO Award nomination in 2018. As a separate project, Darren and Rachel have started work on a duo recording which will be released in the summer of 2023.

Mac Morin is a dancer and piano player from Troy, Cape Breton. Starting out as a talented dancer, Mac became interested in piano as a teenager. He has gone on to tour around the world with Natalie MacMaster and Beòlach while continuing to travel widely to teach Cape Breton step dancing, showcasing those talents as Artist in Residence at the Festival in 2014. Mac has appeared on numerous artists’ recordings including Beòlach, Natalie MacMaster, Yo Yo Ma, The Rankins, and Buddy MacMaster. He has a solo album and Beòlach’s third recording was released while they were Artists in Residence (2019). Mac has hardly missed a year of Celtic Colours and he always has plenty to do to keep him busy during the Festival. This year he will be performing with Beòlach, Howie MacDonald, and in the Close the Floor concert celebrating Cape Breton dancers and dance tradition.

This year is a very special landmark year for the SkyHawks as they celebrate 50 years of performances. Rotary Ribfest organizers were very pleased to learn that the SkyHawks will join us from July 14-16 to delight the crowd with displays of complex parachute maneuvers.

Come on out and see the SkyHawk jumps and demonstrations scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 11 am at Open Hearth Park. (weather permitting)

Mi’kmaq fiddler and singer Morgan Toney brings together the fiery fiddling of Cape Breton Island with the old songs of the Mi’kmaq with brilliance and heart. First Flight, Toney’s award nominated debut album, celebrates language and heritage in Toney’s transformation of traditional songs like the Ko’jua and the Mi’kmaq Honour Song. Watch for this young fiddler from We’koqma’q First Nation

Born and raised in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, music and Keith Mullins, for a quarter-century, have been synonymous with the East Coast Music Scene. His professional career, beginning at the ripe age of 15, has taken him around the world and onto many stages sharing the spotlight with some genuine musical greats such as Matt Anderson, Ron Hynes, Bruce Guthro, Lennie Galant, Gordie Sampson, Jimmy Rankin, Natalie MacMaster, The Mellotones, Garrett Mason and many, many more. In spite of being a largely undiscovered gem, Keith has garnered several industry Awards including two ECMAs and six Music Nova Scotia awards, two of which being musician of the Year. Keith plays over 250 shows a year and is currently touring across Canada to promote his latest album (Onward and Upward). The album, which is available for pre-order, consists of tracks made in collaboration with Matt Anderson, Gordie Sampson, Meaghan Smith and Classified.

“Those Guys”, that’s us, we’re “Those Guys”, Ian Aker, Ron LaFitte and Doug Johnson. And we are pumped to be playing Ribfest! Expect a cool mix of instrumental jazz standards and songs, with a shot of R&B that will have you stylin’ on the dance floor!

Ian, Ron and Doug have been a part of the Cape Breton music scene since the 1970s, covering many styles of popular music in various combinations and groups. They came together as, “Those Guys”, in 2020, to explore their mutual interest in jazz. Audiences tell them their approach to this style makes the music relatable and accessible and, most of all, enjoyable!

For the past 25 plus years Andrew Doyle has been entertaining crowds far and wide with his energetic style and diverse musical repertoire.  Consistently performing more than 220 dates each year he remains one of the busiest entertainers in Cape Breton. Whether it is opening for bands like Aerosmith and Slash, hitting the stage at the local pubs, playing corporate events, or in someone’s living room he is equally at home and provides songs of almost every genre and even a few stories that always bring a smile and a good laugh.  With a veteran band of musical professionals on the stage the music is presented with energy and enthusiasm that is as contagious as the visible great time the band is having while playing. Wherever he and his band are performing you can be sure it will be entertaining, and a great time will be had by all in attendance.