Archive for category: News

Fiddlers in Regina and area –– rosin up your bow and come down. The Cultural Exchange presents the first National Fiddling Day, celebrating its 30 years of fostering fiddle music in Saskatchewan with a gathering of fiddlers on Saturday May 16 in the Exchange.

The evening will begin with an “open mic” session allowing established or pick-up groups of fiddlers to showcase their music. For the rest of the evening, there will be a wide-open fiddle jam for players of all ages and skill levels to enjoy group fiddling and maybe even learn some new tunes. There’s no charge for admission and the public is invited. The show starts at 7 p.m.

“Fiddlers don’t get a lot of opportunities to gather and play,” said Malcolm McLeod, a fiddler for more than 40 years and the organizer of the event. “There are hundreds of fiddlers in Regina who love the instrument and the music and we hope to see most of them at this fiddle party.”

This spring, the Parliament of Canada gave unanimous approval to a private member’s bill sponsored by Senator Elizabeth Hubley to proclaim the third Saturday in May as National Fiddling Day. The bill took almost a year to be debated and approved by the Senate and then the House of Commons before it was given Royal Assent.

Fiddling has a rich history in Canada and has roots throughout our entire nation. Scottish, French, English, Slavic, Nordic, and Métis music have all influenced Canadian fiddling. Fiddle music connects all regions of Canada and is a delight to all those who play and listen.

In 1985, the Saskatchewan Cultural Exchange Society started the Emma Lake Fiddle Camp. For 10 years, it was the only fiddle camp east of Ontario and it sparked a movement for the preservation of the fiddle music and playing in Saskatchewan.

For more information, please contact the Cultural Exchange at 306-780-9494 or Malcolm McLeod at 306-527-6547.

There’s no one quite like Harry Manx out there, and if anyone wants to try, they’ve got some catching up to do.

It’s not just the discography reaching back to 2001, when he put out his debut solo album, Dog My Cat. It’s the years of experiences that led into that album and the dozen that followed. The UK-born, Canada-raised and –based artist played and traveled a lot as a younger man, going through his home country, Europe, Japan, and India. He picked up not only influences but also new instruments and techniques while out on the road.

Chief, or at least the most unique among them is the Mohan Veena, a 20-string Indian guitar. It encapsulates part of Manx’s music, a blend of Western blues influences with styles he picked up in India. You can be sure to here it live and on his new album, 20 Strings and the Truth, which came out in February.

Harry Manx plays the Exchange on Friday, May 8. Doors at 7:30 p.m. Show at 8:30 p.m. Advance tickets are $35 plus service charges and are available at Bach and Beyond. Tickets available at the door barring a sell-out. All ages and licensed.

The Cultural Exchange is pleased to announce that John Kennedy is now the Interim Executive Director of the organization. John has years of experience in the Saskatchewan arts and non-profit community and is a valuable addition to the team.

The Board of Directors and staff of the Cultural Exchange are all excited to work with him and see what his knowledge and impressive set of skills brings to the role. Welcome, John!

The Cultural Exchange would like to extend hearty congratulations to the League of One, the winner of this year’s Queen City Rocks. For the past three years, 104.9 The Wolf has held a huge battle of the bands in the Exchange, hosting Regina and area bands for great nights of local music. At the end, the winning band receives a prize pack that’ll hopefully help the group take their music to the next level.

The League of One joins past winners Indigo Joseph and the Dead South. Again, way to go! We’re excited to see what’s next for you. Thanks to the Wolf for six weeks of great music in the Exchange, and to all the bands who played this year and made it such a wonderful and fun experience for all involved.

The Cultural Exchange is pleased to announce the next show in its New West Concert Series. On Wednesday, May 20, Vancouver indie-rock group the Gay Nineties will return to the Exchange with Edmonton rockers Zerbin.

The group previously came through the Exchange, touring with their EP Coming Together. Now, they’re coming back around with a new one, Liberal Guilt, continuing with the energetic, hook-filled rock sound they broke out with.

Advance tickets are $10 and will be available at Vintage Vinyl. Keep an eye on our website for more information on this and other upcoming shows in the Exchange and the Club.