An accomplished guitarist, a mythical forest spirit and an artist painting on stage - all are to be found at the entertainment event known as MusicFest Vancouver.
The event will showcase the talents of three Coast artists, among many others, during the Aug. 16 to 19 array of 40-plus concerts in classical, jazz and world music. Virtuoso Brazilian guitarist, percussionist, multi-instrumentalist and composer Celso Machado has been performing on concert stages internationally for 40 years. Fans have heard him play at local festivals and have come to understand that his music is rooted in Brazilian rhythmic and melodic styles, though it also reflects his fascination with world music traditions. He finds similarities, for example, between the music of southern Italy and northeast Brazil - interesting international comparisons that music fans will appreciate - and he incorporates these influences into his own sound.
He has been nominated for four Juno awards and is the winner of a Canadian Folk Music Award for World Solo Artist of the Year (2008).
Machado's Music Fest performance is at the Pyatt Hall at the VSO School of Music in Vancouver at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 12. The concert, titled Guitar Encounters, is with Ed Henderson.
Sechelt's John Conway is a storyteller and clown extraordinaire who has been performing for 25 years. He's also known as The Green Man and it is in this persona that he captures the imagination of his audiences with stories inspired by his deeply spiritual experiences.
Conway first approached the Coast's Waldorf School to give a performance because his daughter attended there and he had the idea of developing a character that he had seen in a dream, the Celtic forest spirit known as The Green Man. It was a hit.
"I always wanted to put a character on stilts," he said, and the gentle giant is now almost three metres tall, making him a stirring spectacle at an event.
"So many people want to have their picture taken with me, it's difficult to move," he laughs.
With a bit of the Irish in his blood, Conway has taken the mythical man to such venues as the Vancouver Children's Festival and the Celtic Festival. The Green Man has appeared at Sechelt's Canada Day and will make an appearance during the October Sechelt Arts Festival.
"My stories appeal to ages four through 97," he said. He will perform at the MusicFest's BMO Family Day, Sunday, Aug. 19, starting at 11 a.m. in Van Dusen Garden. Conway has recently heard that he may be appearing with the Kerplunks, children's entertainers. There's nothing planned, but as he said, "They're so zany it doesn't really matter. It'll be good."
Artist Mardi Ahmed, who lives on the ancestral lands of the Squamish Nation near Roberts Creek, will be painting live on stage to the music of Stravinsky's The Firebird during the Turning Point Ensemble on Sunday, Aug. 12, at 8 p.m. at the Vancouver Playhouse.
Audiences from last year's Sechelt Arts Festival will remember that she was completely at ease on stage during a previous performance, creating an image inspired by the music. She is a self-taught, multi-dimensional, internationally selling artist working in canvas, fibreboard and glass. Nature and the energy patterns hidden within are her inspiration. Ahmed began painting in 2003 but has developed at an accelerated pace. Her bold, expansive works engage themes of balance and energy.
See more about the festival's schedule and ticket availability (many lunchtime events are free) at www.musicfestvancouver.ca.
