The Bluegrass Union Society of Calgary is a new non-profit society established in 2011 and made up of members who each have a minimum of 30 years experience in the music industry.
The first annual Calgary Bluegrass Festival is an event designed for all members of the family who like uptempo acoustic music.
As an added bonus, since this is our very first Festival we are offering free workshops for all who are interested in participating. This is our way of thanking the bluegrass community for supporting the musicians and artists who work very hard to bring you the finest in bluegrass music entertainment.
For those who are unfamiliar with Bluegrass music, it is as defined by Wikipedia:
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and is a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music. Bluegrass was inspired by the music of immigrants from the United Kingdom and Ireland (particularly the Scots-Irish immigrants in Appalachia), and was influenced by the music of African-Americans through incorporation of elements of jazz.
Unlike mainstream country music, bluegrass is traditionally played on acoustic stringed instruments. The fiddle, five-string banjo, guitar, mandolin, and string bass (double bass) are often joined by the resonator guitar (also referred to as a Dobro®) and harmonica. This instrumentation originated in rural dance bands and is the basis on which the earliest bluegrass bands were formed.
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