- Mose Allison Trio - Fusing rustic blues and jazz with gifted and often humourous lyrics Mose Allison has had a long and well respected musical career. An anticipated EFMF debut.
- Beautiful Joe - Fronted by Jane Hawley, Tim Leacock and Steve Pineo and anchored by Danny Patton and Ross Watson, there is a great buzz about this Alberta-based band.
- Blue Rodeo is Canada's premiere roots band, known for their unique synthesis of rock, folk and country.
- Bill Bourne - No stranger to the EFMF, Bill Bourne's brilliant songwriting and musicianship have made him a festival favourite.
- Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown moves adeptly from acoustic and electric blues to bluegrass, country, cajun and swing. Clarence is a musician's musician.
- Greg Brown is one of the best and most prolific of American songwriters. His music is an intricate mix of insightful lyrics revealing powerful images painted on a canvas of gospel, blues, calypso and jazz.
- Chubby Carrier & The Bayou Swamp Band - Chubby Carrier is nicknamed "the Jimi Hendrix" of the accordion. Joined by the Bayou Swamp band, this group will bring infectious dance music to this year's festival.
- Dee Carstensen - Singer/songwriter and musician, Dee Carstensen makes her EFMF debut with an acoustic trio. Playing classical harp, her songs transcend musical genres.
- Susan Crowe - Quiet, elegant and understated, Susan Crowe's music possesses a poet's sensibility and a precise musicality. She will be accompanied by John Reischman and Brent Gubbels.
- Iris DeMent - This gifted singer/songwriter makes a welcome return to the festival. Her songs touch the heart and engage the mind.
- Dervish - Ireland's Dervish has received critical acclaim and is considered one of the most important of all emerging Irish traditional musical groups.
- Jerry Douglas is one of the best dobro players. As player and as producer he has won numerous awards and has brought his distinctive talent to countless bluegrass, country and new acoustic recordings.
- Lucky Dube - South African reggae artist Lucky Dube has become one of the most important voices in international music. His songs which chronicle the struggles, hopes and issue of his homeland have made him a legend in Africa.
- Maria Dunn has been singing and playing accordion and guitar with Edmonton folk groups over the past five years.
- Fred J. Eaglesmith - Juno award winner Fred J. Eaglesmith is joined by Willie P. Bennett and Ralph Schipper. His music is unearthly and haunting with roots in country and energy in rock and roll.
- Edward II combines breezy Caribbean dance rhythms and raw English country dance tunes. Massive funky brass sound, nectar-drenched soul vocals, ringing African guitar riffs and pumping melodeon blend to make this band one of the most highly regarded in live roots music.
- Lorne Elliott - A keen observer of today's trends and a unique performance style have made this Montrealer a master of comedy totally original, entertaining, foolish and uplifting.
- Joe Ely Band - Joe Ely sings of distance, about rivers and ranches, of smoldering passions and sad laments, of faraway longing and unrequited love. Returning to the EFMF with his full band, Joe will bring his unique country lyricism and rock energy to the festival audience.
- The Festival House Band - Amos Garrett (guitar) returns with Kit Johnson (bass), Ron Casat (piano), Rusty Reed (harmonica) and Dave Babcock (horns).
- La Galvaude are literally the youngest faces on the traditional French-Canadian music scene. They'll bring audiences to their feet, dancing and begging for more.
- Dick Gaughan is Scotland's top singer/songwriter. His album Handful of Earth was voted top album of the decade by UK's prestigious Folk Roots Magazine.
- Great Big Sea are a rollicking Celtic Folk band from Newfoundland who has been making waves in the Canadian music scene. Uplifting and lively...be prepared to dance.
- John Hiatt - Singer/songwriter John Hiatt twists rock and soul; blues and R&B into rhythmic shapes that echo the deep and surprising way in which he sees things.
- Ron Hynes makes his EFMF debut. His songs strike responsive chords and have been recorded by dozens of artists including Emmylou Harris and Mary Black.
- Imagination Market - Show off your creative side with the re-use of wonderful and unusual reclaimed discards at the Imagination Market.
- Colin James - One of Canada's most respected blues artists, Colin will showcase his mastery of acoustic blues during his EFMF debut.
- Marc Jordan - Take a quick look through liner notes of any number of best selling albums and the name below the song could very well be singer/songwriter Marc Jordan.
- Connie Kaldor - Multi-talented Connie Kaldor makes a welcome return this year to EFMF. Her music has been described as "unflinching views of both the brighter and darker sides of love, her songs are fresh and clear as a prairie sky."
- Alias Ron Kavana Band - Voted top live band by Folk Roots, the Alias band returns this year to deliver a lively mix of traditional Celtic and R & B.
- Luann Kowalek - Her sensitive instinct for imagery, melodies and honest lyrics make this Edmonton native a festival favourite.
- Colin Linden will be joining Colin James on Sunday's mainstage. Colin is well known to festival audiences as a top class singer/songwriter and guitarist.
- Stewart MacDougall - Singer/songwriter and performer Stewart MacDougall has been associated with many well known groups from Ian Tyson and the Chinook Arch Riders, k.d. lang and the reclines, Laura Vinson's Red Wyng as well as Great Western Orchestra.
- Mahlathini & The Mahotella Queens - Nobody cranks out mbaqanga, Africa's hardest driving music with frisky riffing and a knockout downbeat, with more showmanship and verve than Mahlathini & The Mahotella Queens.
- Mara! - From Australia, Mara! performs a unique blend of traditional vocal and instrumental repertoire from a variety of countries. Their music, ranging from medieval songs to powerful East European dances has received acclaim world-wide.
- ¡Maracujah! - After experiencing Maracujah's pure musical delivery and frenzied stage performance you'll understand why the group takes the name of the Brazilian passion fruit.
- Del McCoury Band recently collected six International Bluegrass Music Awards including "Entertainer of the Year", quite simply this is the hottest bluegrass band around.
- Jimmy McCracklin is a blues survivor-an old-timer with the right credentials for a living blues legend.
- Brian McNeill played the EFMF a few years back as a member of the Battlefield Band. He is a gifted songwriter, fiddler, and collector of traditional tunes.
- Wendy McNeill - Making her festival debut, Wendy McNeill is the winner of the Old Strathcona Singer/Songwriter contest.
- R.B. Morris is a poet who writes emotionally intense songs full of ideas and unexpected word-plays and sings them in arrangements that emphasize the rhythmic interchange between words and music.
- Terry Morrison - Listening to this Edmonton-based singer/songwriter is like listening to someone telling you secrets. She can make you laugh, think and feel all in the space of one song.
- Tim O'Brien - Stunning vocals, fluency in mandolin, fiddle and guitar plus a natural gift for songwriting, makes Tim O'Brien a pleasure to hear.
- Sinéad O'Connor - One of the world's best roots singer/songwriters makes a very special Edmonton debut at the EFMF with a ten-piece band.
- Oysterband - Their finely honed and skillful songwriting coupled with their driving energy, make England's Oysterband one of the most exciting, eclectic bands in the folk world today.
- Niamh Parsons and the Loose Connections - The new diva of Irish traditional music, Niamh is backed by three of Ireland's finest young musicians.
- Fred Penner - Physical stature aside, Fred Penner really has become bigger than life with an impressive ten albums, record sales over the million mark, eight home videos and a popular television program. His love for entertaining families shows no signs of slowing down.
- Mike Plume Band - Mike is a transplanted Maritimer who grew up in Bonnyville. He writes and sings edgy acoustic folk and says he hasn't sung a cover song in over two years.
- John Prine is one of the most talented and gifted songwriters of our generation. His songs touch the heart and the funny bone. John will be bringing his band for a first visit to EFMF since 1988.
- Quartette - One of the most electrifying musical collaborations on the Canadian music scene featuring Sylvia Tyson, Caitlin Hanford, Gwen Swick and Alberta's own Cindy Church.
- Martin Sexton is a rare, formidable talent on the verge of major recognition. His extraordinary writing ability and dynamic vocal range are guaranteed to leave a mark on Edmonton in August.
- Oh Susanna - Her narrative force, incisive and amazingly detailed lyrics and simple musical approach mark her as an artist to watch for.
- Chip Taylor - You've sung along to Wild Thing, Angel of the Morning, Try (Just a Little Bit Harder), or I Can't Let Go. Chip Taylor is the writer behind those and many more classic hits.
- Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir - Linda Tillery's own music reflects both her extraordinarily eclectic interests and her restless inquiries into African American culture. This five piece a cappella gospel group will dazzle.
- Valdy - No stranger to the Canadian folk music scene, Valdy is regarded as one of Canada's most distinctive and successful minstrels.
- Ken and Chris Whitely - These two musical brothers have appeared on over 150 recordings between them and have just released an album of all original blues material.
- Willie and Lobo - You'll hear Salsa, Scottish/Appalachian reels, Middle Eastern chants, Irish jigs, zydeco, Jimmy Hendrix and Tex Mex - sometimes all in the same song.
- Wyrd Sisters - A wyrd, wonderful time is guaranteed by this Winnipeg-based folk trio. As the Globe & Mail says "they sing a mean torch song, the ballads are haunting and the three rich voices are supported by lean, inventive, muscular arrangements."
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