RIP Cris Derksen and Totó La Momposina
Sad farewells to indigenous Canadian cellist / songwriter Cris Derksen, who was killed in an automobile accident last week, and to Colombia's principal musical matriarch Totó La Momposina. The singer and bandleader died this week aged 85. She was one of my perennial favourites. I first saw her at the Edmonton Folk festival over 3 decades ago where she and her band were extremely memorable! New releases from La famille LeBlanc (NB), Celtic Colours Festival Live (both 2024 and 2025 were released this year), young Scottish fiddler Ryan Young, Mali's Fatoumata Diawara, and Dervish. Plus features on Mary Gauthier (performing June 10th at the QE Playhouse) and Canadian prairie songwriter Cara Luft, who performs this evening at The Rogue, and has a superb new CD - and a new band.