Edmonton is alive with the sound of music! And if you don't believe me, just go to any of the many nightclubs and lounges and be an audience to the wide variety of homegrown talent. Bands and solo artists, rock and jazz, swing and pop, folk and country -- Edmonton is the home to some very talented musicians.
Captain Tractor is a local band that recently had a huge national hit witht he song "Up the Hill." Their fusion of rock, folk, and celtic are winning them fans the country over. But no matter how far they roam, the band is always proud of their Edmonton roots. In fact, they even shot one of their videos at West Edmonton Mall.
Splendourbog is another band with a bright future. Although often labelled as a Christian band (which, in fact, is true -- they are considered the "house band" at the yearly Harvest Moon Christian music festival in the city), the band's lyrics deal with a wide variety of topics, from the profound to the quirky. A major coup for Splendourbog was getting the opening slot at a gig with Great Big Sea, the Eastern Canadian celtic band.
In another musical genre altogether, Pro Coro Canada is one of Canada's few chamber choirs. Founded in 1980, Pro Coro consists of 25 voices and will soon announce their new artistic director.
Finally, no feature on Edmonton's music would be complete without mentioning kd lang. Now a major star world-wide, kd lang had her beginnings right here in the city, playing at small country clubs and honing her act until she hit the national spotlight and beyond. Since hitting the big time, however, kd almost never graced the city with her presence -- all the more reason her appearance at the Edmonton Folk Music Festival a couple of years back was so widely publicized.
Edmonton has many other talented local stars -- and you'll meet more of them next week!