Algoma Fall Festival scores K'naan for 2010 lineup

SooToday.com received the following news release this morning from the Algoma Fall Festival, announcing that Somalian-born-turned-Canadian hip hop artist K'naan will perform in Sault Ste. Marie during the 2010 festival.

K'naan is scheduled to perform on Tuesday, October 5 at 8 p.m. at the Kiwanis Community Theatre Centre.

Tickets, available at the Community Box Office in the Station Mall starting August 9, are $39 each (plus HST and box office fees).

**************************** K’naan’s hip hop a first for Algoma Fall Festival

SAULT STE. MARIE - (July 14) - The Algoma Fall Festival is stepping up entertainment on fire with one of the hottest artists in Canada, hip hop sensation, K’naan.

The entire festival line-up will feature diverse Canadian and international acts.

“Bringing Hip Hop into the Fall Festival is really a new venture for us and our audience,” says festival president Donna Hilsinger. “And on top of that we are really bringing the world to our community. We have Somali-Canadian K’naan, Cuban-Canadian rock guitarist Alex*Cuba, and coming from the Netherlands are world percussionists Drums United.”

The month-long arts and entertainment festival held annually in October is presenting an even broader range of artistic performances than in the past.

The diversity of artistic genres includes drama, dance, music and a theatrical concert.

The opening weekend will feature Lily Frost and her swing band The Debonairs performing a tribute to Billie Holiday followed by Celtic royalty Natalie MacMaster.

Folk-pop singer-songwriter Lynn Miles will perform as well.

The festival will offer two theatrical presentations: Trudeau Stories, Brooke Johnson’s retelling of her friendship with former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, and The Schumann Letters, which intertwines the music of Robert Schumann’s compositions with the narration of his love letters to his wife Clara.

Kaha:wi Dance Theatre will perform A Story Before Time, an Iroquoian creation story told through contemporary Aboriginal dance.

“The Fall Festival is looking to expand its appeal. So in offering everything from hip hop to classical music to theatre to Aboriginal dance, we know we are reaching more and more of the community,” says Hilsinger. “What is really exciting is that some of these artists will perform in our Festival of Learning outreach program.”

Drums United and Kaha:wi Dance Theatre will reside in the Sault for nearly a week to perform workshops and education concerts.

Former Moxy Frϋvous band member Mike Ford and capoeira dance group Aché Brasil round out the Festival of Learning performances.

Tickets go on sale to members today and to the general public on August 9 at the Community Theatre Box Office in the Station Mall.

For this year’s line-up, click here

****************************