ffi*W:; - Mariposa Folk Festival

D6
John Cephas and PhllWlgglns are
maslers of the blues. Ceohas was born
in 1930 in the smalltown of Bowling
Green, Virginia, and learned much of
his intricate guitar style from recordings
by the likes of Blind Boy Fuller and
Gary Davis. From 1973 tol977 hE
worked with barrelhouse Big Chief
Ellis, but after Ellis'death he teamed
up with harmonica player Phil Wiggins,
almost 25 years his junior, and lhe pair
make a formidable duo, combining the
best of the old and nEw blues idioms.
h
Tom Chapln is making his second appearance
at Mariposa. Tall, lanky, and
utlerly charming, he is a songwriter
and performer who still finds that he's
inspired by the creative energy ol his
lale brother, Harry. His five years hosting
the memorablE ABC-TV show
Make a Wishis still the achievement
many listeners remember best, but
once they've experienced the warmth
and humour of his live performance
they become - as thousands of others
have - devoted fans.
Tracy Chapman is suddenly one of
the most talked-about young artists in
North America, and one with a great
rad'o hit, Fast Car. Born and raised in
Cleveland, music was alwaYs Part of
her life (her mother is a singer of bolh
popular and gospel material), and she
learned her craft in small clubs and
coffeehousEs during hertime at Tufts
University in Massachusetts. Her first
album, on Elektra, is likely to go gold in
Canada; her Mariposa visit is her firsl
appearance in Canada. As the Eoslon
Herald gul it: "Tracy Chapman is a rare
and charismatic singer/songwriter who
can grab the altentioh of a listener in a
moment,'
Eldon Cooper is one of the best dance
callers in southern Ontario; be'll be
leading hardy dancers through their
paces in the dance tent at Mariposa.
COUNTRY VAUDEVILLE draws heavily
on the English Music Hall tradition of
the turn of the century using minimal
accompaniment and complex vocal
harmonies to put their point (hoWever
silly it may be) across. Peter and Paul
are veterans of many Celtic music
sessions, pickup groups and country
dance bands (e.9. lnisfail, Flying Cloud
All-Stars, Back Up and Push). They
continue to rely on their grounding in
the British lsles folk tradition when
interpreting their material, however
various its origins, and include
traditional songs and tunes in their
repertoire. They are equally at home in
an a cappella workshop or an
instrumental tune session.
The Cranberry Lake Jug Band is one
of the last of a disappearing species -
a band that plays the cheerful, optimistic,
funny blues-orienled jug band music
of the '20s. BasEd in upstate New
York, the group wield guitars, mandolins,
kazoos, slide whistles, jugs and
washboards with skill and great good
humour. They've been doing this for
wsll over 12 years, and lhey also know
how to call squaro dances, play some
fine old-timey music, and if you want
'em
to try some Quebec liddle music,
they'll do that as well.
Curtls Drledger is a wry, witty songwriter
who built his Toronto-area reputation
as the de-facto leader of the Cee
Dees, an unusual band that makes relatively
few public appearances. His
conlemplative life as a gardener has
allowed him to create sonle of the most
offbeat songs you've ever heard, writlen
wilh a sense of humour that's hard
to categorizs. But it this is Queen
Street dance music, it's dElivered with
a solid beat, and roots that feed on
many diff erent musical_inf luences.
Donovan remains one of the livEliest
reminders ol folk's early days, when,
back in Britain, he was considered Dylan's
rival. Back then - and stilltoday
- he mixes a lantasy world with delicate,
gentle melodies we all know; Mellow
Yellow, Sunshine Superman, Wear
Your Love Like Heaven, and dozens
more. He is also a marvellous storyteller
with alfectionate memories of the
'60s (ask him to recount his adventures
with the Maharishi and the Beatles in
India), good new songs from the '80s,
and a warm, relaxed and thoroughly
charming way of getting audiences involved
in his music.