Take an Israeli jazz foursome, toss in a Baltimore emcee and let them pump out hip-hop-jazz fusion and you have a recipe for a fan favourite at this year’s Dawson City Music Festival.
At least that’s what producer Tim Jones is banking on.
Coolooloosh is among the 25 acts in the festival lineup, which was boiled down from 600 festival applicants. Coolooloosh joins blues musician Shakura S’Aida, saxophonist Matana Roberts, chamber-folk trio Elfin Saddle and fiddler Boyd Benjamin in Jones’ latest artist announcement.
The band’s Jerusalemite name fittingly means celebration and joy, aspects that are featured in their live performances.
“It has good vibes,” said Ori Winokur, Coolooloosh’s bassist, from Germany where he is currently touring. “It’s also very danceable.”
Band members began their international career three years ago in Stockholm, Sweden, and have since played in the UK, Germany, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France, Croatia and Hungary. They performed at the Montreal Jazz Festival and will be kicking off a Canadian and American tour this summer.
Coolooloosh is very excited to play at the northern festival, Winokur said.
Although this will only be the band’s second Canadian appearance, its genre isn’t new to the festival.
“We’ve had a lot of hip-hop bands a couple times before and it’s been a huge hit and these guys have a really interesting sound,” said Jones.
Earlier performer announcements included Constantines, Elliott Brood, Dan Mangan, Fred Penner and Yukon acts such as A Young Linthead and Sasquatch Prom Date.
“One of my favourite parts of working on the festival is that our audience actually wants to see new things. It’s not necessarily old favourites all the time,” Jones said. “There’s a real thirst to discover things at the festival.”
But only 400 more music lovers can satisfy their craving. Two-thirds of the tickets have already been purchased for the July 16 festival and Jones said there is no reason it won’t sell out again this year like it has the past 31 years.
Tickets for the festival are $120 and are available on the website at www.dcmf.com.
Contact Larissa Robyn Johnston at larissaj@yukon-news.com