The wait is finally over.
The Jasper Folk Music Festival announced its Saturday night headliner: solo artist Harry Manx.
Blending the rhythm of blues with classical Indian music, Manx is known for a distinct sound that has earned him numerous awards and nominations over his storied career.
“I think my music is kind of a hybrid style of Indian music meets blues music,” said Manx.
“I fell in love with blues when I was young and later on I studied Indian music, so the two got mixed up in my head and now we have this style.”
As a 15-year-old, Manx started working with bands as a roadie before eventually becoming the regular sound man at El Mocambo, a well known music club in Toronto that once hosted the likes of the Rolling Stones, Elvis Costello, Bon Jovi, the Ramones, Queens of the Stone Age and U2.
“I first got into a club when I was 15 on Yonge Street to see Buddy Guy and it left a huge impression on me. The whole blues scene was so magical,” he said.
He described working at El Mocambo as a personal awakening.
“I think I got my blues education just watching bands and seeing what it is that moved them. I wasn’t learning any licks because I wasn’t playing much guitar, but I was feeling the groove of it all and I think later on, when I decided to play blues, that groove was imprinted in me already.”
In his 20s he travelled to Europe and Japan and worked as a busker before eventually making his way to India where he spent 12 years unlearning most of what he knew about playing a slide instrument.
“Busking was good in the 80s in Japan,” he said, “One could get rich pretty quick if you had a decent act.”
During his time in India, he met Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, the inventor of the 20-stringed Mohan Veena, which has become Harry’s signature instrument.
To learn to play it, Manx had to first relearn how to play a slide instrument and shed old habits.
“We pick up habits when we learn and sometimes those habits are good and sometimes they limit what you can do, so I had to lose all my old habits. I was playing more like Hawaiian style and he shut that down,” said Manx.
Under Bhatt’s guidance, Manx learned eastern scales and ragas—extremely complex and regimented musical patterns that form the basis of Indian music.
Years later, Manx decided to blend Indian ragas and blues scales, which eventually led him to his indo-blues style.
“I really wasn’t sure people would like that kind of music, but I was surprised people do enjoy it and I think a lot of people have a connection with India and when I play that resonates with them.”
Manx moved back to Canada in 2000 and now lives on Salt Spring Island in B.C.
“I think Harry is going to help draw in a crowd that is going to be fully appreciative of what he offers,” said Matthew Cushing, the music coordinator for the Jasper Folk Music Festival.
Playing before Manx on Saturday is Doug McNearney, Joal Kamps, The Whisky Jerks, Folky Strum Strum, Matt Patershuk, Birds Of Bellwoods, The Wardens, The Pick Brothers Band, Samson’s Delilah and a Battle Royale winner.
Friday night’s headliner is Tequila Mockingbird Orchestra, and the evening includes performances by Red Haven, Sam Spades and a Battle Royale winner.
“I’m super excited about the new acts we have, as well as the acts that are returning,” said Cushing.
Early bird tickets cost $75 and are available online at www.ticketweb.ca, just search “Jasper Folk Music Festival.”
Paul Clarke [email protected]
