NEWS RELEASE
MARIPOSA FOLK FOUNDATION
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The 2023 Mariposa Folk Festival main stage has a very special opening act: The Way We Feel — A Lightfoot Celebration.
The late Gordon Lightfoot once said that songwriting is “15 per cent inspiration and 85 per cent perspiration.”
All that hard work paid off: Over a career spanning 65 years, Lightfoot penned numerous timeless classics, many of which were covered by artists ranging from bluegrass to dance-pop. His unforgettable lyrics — a mix of wit, poetry, and sometimes vicious honesty — paired with hauntingly beautiful melodies make for some of the most compelling songs ever written. Every artist claims to have a “unique” style — Lightfoot truly did.
And what better way to lovingly honour a legend like Gordon Lightfoot than by playing his songs?
The Way We Feel — A Lightfoot Celebration does just that: bringing together Canadian musicians from various backgrounds and styles to perform Gordon Lightfoot’s songs. This multi-artist celebration was first conceived of over 20 years ago and has been an annual event at Toronto’s Hugh’s Room since 2003 (minus a few years), as well as multiple Ontario tours.
The series went on hiatus in 2017 — before being resurrected at the 2022 Mariposa Folk Festival, with Gordon watching from the side stage. Now, the celebration is making its return to Lightfoot’s hometown, at the first Mariposa Folk Fest since the artist’s death on May 1, 2023.
Lightfoot himself was a fan of the project and appeared on stage to join in the music making several times at the Hugh’s Room performances. Over the years, the celebration has featured more than 100 Canadian musicians from roots, blues, folk, jazz and more, including Juno, ECMA, WCMA, Maple Blues and CFMA award winners.
Joining Mariposa this year to honour the late songwriter are artists Matthew Barber, Lori Cullen, DALA, The Good Brothers, Meredith Moon, Kevin Fox, Jory Nash, with an All-Star House Band featuring Burke Carroll, Jason Fowler, Anne Lindsay, David Matheson and David Woodhead with MC David Newland.
The Way We Feel — A Lightfoot Celebration takes the Mariposa main stage Friday, July 7 at 5 p.m. We recommend attendees arrive at the Tudhope Park festival gates with plenty of time; this will be an act you won’t want to miss.
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