A string of Lucky News:


May/12 - Tannis is now part of a wonderful new collective vocal ensemble called 'Essentia'

Sept/09 - 'The Road To Baleya', the documentary film about Tannis and friends' trip to Mali, West Africa, is now available on DVD and can be purchased by contacting Tannis. See below for recent Globe & Mail review.

Aug 5/09 - 'Road To Baleya' the documentary film about Tannis and friends' trip to Mali, West Africa, gets a review in the Globe & Mail:
"Cliché as it sounds, the language of music really does transcend boundaries and cultures. This documentary details the enduring friendship between Malian musician Mansa Sissoko and a quartet of Canadian musicians who travel to Mansa's home village of Baleya for recording sessions, which are orchestrated by Canuck Lewis Melville. Post-recording, the group of friends journeys to some remote villages in Mali's hill country, where malaria has taken a deadly toll in recent years. A remarkable, touching film."
(See March 11/08 below for more about this film)

June 28/09 - Malian friends Jah Youssouf and Abdoulaye Kone have arrived in Canada and will be staying until September, playing festivals and shows with The Woodchoppers Association

June 17/09 - The song "Edmonton" from Lucky Blue was chosen as CBC Radio3's Track of the Day

June 13/09 - 'Harry Helps Sue' fundraiser for Sue Richards is a huge success! See photos of Tannis, Harry Manx and Brenda McMorrow et al.

Jan/09 - Tannis' trip to Africa: " Road To Baleya", the documentary film about Tannis and friends' trip to Mali, West Africa, premiered at the Montreal World Film Festival in August/08 and was shown at the Peterborough International Film Festival (Jan/09). The shorter TV version also airs occasionally on Bravo! (Keep watching here for rebroadcast date!) (Read more about trip to Africa)

Dec 4/08 - More sweet news: Tannis has been honoured with her second 'Porcupine Award', this time the 'Golden Quill' award for Songwriting. The first Porcupine Award was given for 'Oak Lake'

Nov 23/08 - Tannis has won the 2008 Canadian Folk Music Awards Contemporary Vocalist of the Year. (Ceremony held in St. John's, Newfoundland)

March 11/08 - "Road To Baleya", the documentary film about Tannis and friends' trip to Mali, West Africa, was aired at 9:00 pm on Bravo! Channel (More details).

This one-hour documentary by award-winning filmmaker Bay Weyman follows a group of Canadian musicians who journey to Mali, West Africa, to record local musicians. Equipped with a portable sound recording facility to make quality recordings available to the African musicians, they embark on a remarkable journey that takes them from the dusty streets of Bamako, the capital, to the remote villages of the rugged south-west hill country. In the process, the documentary examines issues of basic education, private sector development, communication and music as a catalyst for human rights, democracy and good governance.

Canadian and Malian musicians come together in an extraordinary journey of musical collaboration in West Africa. Emphasizing music as a cross-cultural communication form, Road to Baleya travels into the rich traditions of one of the world’s poorest countries. Road to Baleya, produced in association with Bravo!, premieres Tuesday, March 11 at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT. Trekking from the crowded streets of Bamako to the remote village of Baleya, the musicians accompany African Kora player Mansa Sissoko as he returns to his village for the first time since childhood. His return triggers three days of music, dance, and celebration steeped in local ritual.

Award-winning Canadian filmmaker Bay Weyman is best-known for Spirits of Havana, a profile of jazz flutist Jane Bunnett. Weyman has 20 years experience in writing, producing, and directing documentary films with his production company Close Up Films. Weyman has explored his parallel interests in social issues and popular culture through a wide variety of productions, ranging from social and history docs, to music, arts, and performance films.

March 4-8/08 - Tannis tours with The Pomelos for an International Women's Day Songstress Celebration. Here is a Youtube video of part of the concert.

March 2/08 - Toronto album release concert (double bill with Malian griot Mansa Sissoko) at Hugh's Room was fabulous! Part of the movie 'Road to Baleya' was previewed. Here is a great review of the concert.

January 19/08 - Guelph album release concerts at the Guelph Christian Church were a blast! Apologies to those who couldn't get tickets because both shows were more than sold out. Pictures are still coming in, but here is a sampling from the amazing Kate Vanderhorst and here is a video of the pages of an incredible hard cover book she put together. For a view of the 'Lucky' entrance to the concert, see the January 21st post on Blog Guelph (almost half way down the page)!

December/07 - Lucky Blue's first cut "Ernest, Charlie & Allan" wins 2008 Independent Music Award for best song!

October/07 - Lucky Blue is nominated for 2008 Independent Music Award album finalist and Lucky Blue's first cut "Ernest, Charlie & Allan" is nominated for 2008 Independent Music Award Song finalist! (Winners will be promoted throughout 2008)!

October/07 - Lucky Blue's producer Lewis Melville nominated for "Producer of the Year" Canadian Folk Music Awards!

Bluegrass compilation North To Ontario 2007 wins a Gem of Canada Porcupine Award! (Tannis contributed one of the 18 tunes on this CD)

~~~Missed a lot of good news here~~~

Sept/04 - Tannis received the 2004 Suzanne Sprowl Community Service Award

July/04 - Malian friend Mansa Sissoko and band Kabarata release 'N'tomi'. 'N'tomi'. 
Mansa plays concerts in Canada.

May-June/04 - Tannis and musical friends Lewis Melville, Dave Clark and
Dale Morningstar, and film maker Bay Weyman travelled to Mali for a
wonderful musical adventure.

May 15/03 - Tannis was the recipient of Guelph's YMCA/YWCA 2003 Women of Distinction Award for Arts and Culture.

February 7/03  -  Tannis will be showcasing at the 15th Annual Folk Alliance Conference  in Nashville, TN (February 6-9, 2003)

December 22/02 -Tannis will be featured on CBC Radio One's Fresh Air (from 8:30 - 9:00 am). The show was taped on Dec 6 (see below).

December 21/02 - Tannis will perform live on CHML AM 900 on the "Daisy Moore on Gardening" show (10:00-10:00 am)

December 12/02 - 'Oak Lake' wins a 2002 Porcupine Award
(Link to the Oak Lake page to read the citation).

December 6/02 - Tannis was the musical guest on CBC Radio's Fresh Air at the Open House in the Glen Gould Studio in the CBC building on Front Street in Toronto.  The show was taped for broadcast on December 8th (from 7:30-8:00am and 8:30-9:00am on CBC Radio One) and December 22. 

Sept/02 - Tannis' song "Play All Your Aces" is now being used as the theme song for "Daisy Moore on Gardening", a 2-hour gardening show on Saturday mornings 9-11 on CHML AM 900 in Hamilton and CFPL AM 980 in London.

July/02 - Tannis was chosen as a finalist in Vermont's Solarfest 2002 Songwriters Competition for "There's A Lift".
              
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