Ottawa BluesFest Rock!

Our delegates are off for their family weeks, so we will likely not be hearing from them for sure for at least the next 7 days. But when they come back boy, they'll be itching to get on this blog...a mom can only hope right?

So, let me tell you about my Ottawa adventure so far this summer instead.

1. Explore Program Student Homestay. Yup! We put Luca on the plane on June 30 at 12 pm and by 9am on July 1 we had committed to hosting a student from Madrid, Spain for 5 weeks in our home...more specifically in Luca's room! His name is Gonzalo, he is 16 years old and a very nice kid. I get to practice my Spanish while he learns English.

2. BluesFest. What a great line up this year and what a great venue we have now in Ottawa at Lebreton Flats near the war museum. It is an easy bike ride from our place and the stages are well laid out. A quick summary of the shows we have seen so far:
- Van Morrison - vantastic! I quickly got over his lack of personal connection with the audience cause his musicianship was amazing. Good tight band and what a voice!
- Bob Dylan - hey, I was able to make out the words this time! One of the best Dylan concerts I have been to. He looks great, sounds good...all relative, I know. I didn't like where we were standing for this show - very packed and too close to the beer tent and entrance. I felt like a rock in the middle of a stream during spawning season for people!
- Soul Jazz Orchestra - super! We saw this band at Confederation park on Canada Day and were quite impressed. They are musicians from Ottawa and Mexico and have a Latin funk with a message thing going on. Definitely grooving music!
- Femi Kuti - wow! Quite a show. Beautiful colours, drumbeats resonating deep in your belly and dancers who can really shake their bootys! More political protest music, this time with more of an african flavour. This show was the River Stage - a lovely setting by the river where the sun sets! We left before the end of the show, because we had Noa and Mateo with us and Noa had an early date with a soccer field the next morning.
- Jetplanes of Abraham - these guys were great! Peter, a consultant friend of mine has a daughter in this band which is how I heard about it. Noa and I caught the last five songs of the show at the Blacksheep Stage and we were both impressed. I love violins in a funk band. I'll be searching out this CD for sure.
- Sara Harmer - I don't think I have ever heard Sara Harmer live and I am not familiar with a lot of her music but I am hooked now! What an amazing voice and her songs are intensely personal yet completely accessible. She was on the main stage and we set up in a secluded little fenced in area right behind the entrance (the museum side) and in front of the gold circle area. It was great for the kids to play around in and we had a perfect view of the screen and the stage.
- Michael Franti and Spearhead - I have heard great things about this guy, but he just doesn't do much for me. Good enough quality show but no draw. I fooled around with the kids in our personal soccer zone while Jeff and Gonzalo went to check him out.
- Manu Chao - I knew nothing about this guy until a few days ago. He came highly recommended by some music gurus we know and he has a latin, reggae sound, so how bad could it be? He was unbelievable! We were set up really close to the stage with our chairs and Noa, Mateo and Gonzalo in tow! How Noa managed to fall asleep in my arms and sleep through most of his show will remain a mystery for many years! I haven't seen this kind of energy and love from a performer ...well maybe never. I imagine Bob Marley might have come close. Manu Chao is a political activist with a phenomenal vehicle for getting his message out - the stage and his band! A lot of the music was grunge, punk, head banger music (now remember my age!) but it was so accessible I instantly fell in love with it. When the flamenco guitar came out - my love grew deeper. We were surrounded by obvious fans who sang along to every song. He was definitely not what I expected but I can now be counted among his fans for sure!

That's all for now. White Stripes tonight...but only if the rain lets up!