OTTAWA, CA (CelebrityAccess) – RBC Bluesfest organizers announced this week that they will be launching the first-ever ‘Come See & Hear the World’ festival during this year’s annual Winterlude event.
The festival will take place on February 15 and 16 and will focus on celebrating Canadian diversity through music. Featured artists include William Prince, Gabrielle Shonk, Tanya Tagaq, Antibalas, Sudan Archives, Harry Manx & Steve Marriner, Fateh, and more.
Commenting on the inaugural event, Mark Monahan, the festival’s executive and artistic director, said: “Staging the ‘Come See & Hear the World’ festival gives us an opportunity to showcase Canadian and international artists who are performing and creating important music that celebrates their cultural identity. We are extremely happy to be partnering with Winterlude for this event, which we hope will become an important annual musical celebration.”
Monahan also spoke to the Ottawa Citizen, saying, ““I think the concern around Winterlude is weatherproofing the event because it’s so unpredictable. … They wanted an indoor musical component, and this is the result. We’re going to kick it off and hopefully gain some momentum to see what we can make of it in the coming years.”
Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism, added: “Our government is delighted to partner with the Bluesfest team, whose brilliant initiative perfectly reflects Winterlude’s new vision to celebrate our inclusive society, which is strong in its diversity and proud of its cultures. Come See & Hear the World is an invitation that unites us and celebrates our country’s rich multicultural mosaic. If music is food for the soul, this new festival is sure to fill your appetite for culture!”
The inaugural Come See & Hear the World festival will take place at four Ottawa venues―Southminster United Church; Ottawa and Fourth Avenue Baptist Church; CRAFT Beer Market at Lansdowne Park and Industria Pizzeria + Bar at Lansdowne Park. The latter two events are free for the public.
Full event passports and individual tickets will be available at www.ottawabluesfest.ca as of January 23 at 10 a.m.
