Performers 2019

Brothers Brían and Diarmuid Mac Gloinn grew up playing music together around their hometown of Carlow, a small town in the southeast of Ireland. After moving to Dublin in 2012, more〉〉

Equally at home with folk, gospel and rock music, Will Kimbrough is an Alabama native living in Nashville, he zig zags the world singing songs and playing guitars, often solo, more〉〉

Master Australian musician Lindsay Martin brings sensitive strings and velvet vocals, while New Zealand’s songstress Victoria Vigenser delivers driving rhythms and lyric with a truly magnificent voice.  Musical twins and mavericks more〉〉

The Water Runners hail from South Coast NSW and play a high energy blend of original contemporary blue grass infused folk. They combine youth and experience to take you on more〉〉

The Sweet Valentinos create music inspired by the beautiful songs of Michael Hanlon. Their music is an exciting fusion of melodies and rhythms inspired by the eclectic and diverse musical more〉〉

Canadian Roots powerhouse duo The Small Glories are Cara Luft (Wailin’ Jennys) and JD Edwards. With soaring, interwoven vocals on various combinations of stomping clawhammer banjo, guitar and harmonica, and more〉〉

Maggie Carty, banjo player and singer from the West of Ireland moved to Australia in 2017 and has been performing widely here at festivals including Port Fairy Folk Festival, National more〉〉

Winner of the 2019 Folk Victoria Graham Squance Memorial Award for her contribution to Folk Music, Suzette Herft has a sublime voice, heartfelt, soulful, original songs, a joyful sunny countenance more〉〉

All the way from Co. Clare, Ireland, the prodigiously gifted Susan O’Neill’s soulful & husky-voiced performances are truly something to behold. With a striking attitude, guitar, harmonica, trumpet and a more〉〉

Taiko means drum in Japanese. Stonewave Taiko means Bega Valley’s own taiko group. Experience the explosive, high energy, earthy rhythms of Stonewave Taiko in this special performance featuring local Cobargo more〉〉

STARTIJENN (energy in Breton) draws the necessary energy out of its roots to create a powerful, efficient, and contemporary sound. Since its creation in 1997, when the founding members were more〉〉

Skorba presents the magnificence of the history of the Maltentese Islands in beautifully composed and played songs and thrilling visual images. Lutes, cello, voices, wind instruments and percussion combine in more〉〉

Hot festival favourites, Shortis and Simpson are a Canberra-based cabaret act that specialise in shows related to history and politics. Their shows are noted for their humour and poignancy, deep more〉〉

The Passionate Fools (Wendy Jackson and Peter Hisco), who have made Cobargo their home, have recently been having too much musical fun with the ‘Executive Team’ of Zena Armstrong and more〉〉

O’Neill’s Folly are late musical bloomers, singing and playing Celtic and Americana music on guitar, mandolin, fiddle and banjo. They sing songs of love, death and history in multi-textured arrangements more〉〉

Narrownecks are an old time string band with unique style that incorporates contemporary virtuosity and arrangements.

And another Cobargo favourite, Mike Martin is perhaps best known for his passion for traditional Australian bush music its’ roots and history. So for many, the release of his debut more〉〉

Winner of 2018 Folk and Roots Album of the Year (The Age Music Victoria Awards) and named for one of the top 10 Songs of 2018 (The Australian Newspaper), Michael more〉〉

Mica Lynnah is a locally based dance teacher, artist, and performer. She has trained in many styles of dance and movement within Australia and abroad, and her work is informed more〉〉

Maypole with Molly interactive dance sessions encourage children and adults to dance around the maypole or play percussion. Dancers will learn how to make a Barber’s Pole, a colourful Weaving more〉〉

Martin is renowned as not only a marvellous satirist but also as a wonderful poet, musician, singer and author. He regularly performs at every major folk music festival and folk more〉〉

House of Song is a one-woman show which charts Marcia Howard’s 30 years as a singer/songwriter including her years as a member of the iconic Australian band, Goanna. Over the more〉〉

A powerful show of stunning contemporary Māori music, dance, instruments, language, stories and costumes. The queen of live loops is back in force after a break from touring and this more〉〉

Luke Plumb and Kate Burke share a love for 1970s Irish folk revival music, having obsessively absorbed the music of the era – in particular Planxty’s revolutionary treatments of traditional more〉〉

Lillian McVeity is a brilliant young singer/songwriter/guitarist. She delivers with sophistication that is well beyond her years. Lillian writes captivating lyrics and accompanies her vocals with exquisite guitar. Lillian also more〉〉

New to Cobargo and with a ‘strong yet gentle voice, an art for weaving beauty and truth into the words of each song, Khristian Mizzi reaches the hearts of audiences. more〉〉

Kerryn Fields’ thoughtful and powerful songs, baritone brilliance and unassuming string-plucking virtuosity leave audiences transfixed, crying, hysterically laughing and dipping their fingers into all the layers of the universe – more〉〉

Now based in sunny Scotland, indie folk & blues songsmith, Jenny Biddle, returns to Australia to launch her 7th album! Feisty guitarist, poignant lyricist and recovering chocoholic, catch this seasoned more〉〉

Scottish duo, The Jellyman’s Daughter, lands squarely in the middle of an intriguing crossroads between Bluegrass, Post- Rock, Folk and Soul.Mixing their unique vocal harmonies with wild and visceral cello, more〉〉

Jan ‘Yarn’ Wositzky was a Scots-Czech emigrant kid who came in 1956 and finished up discovering Australia, its songs and stories. Beginning in 1971 as a Bushwackers founder, Jan combines more〉〉

Jackson State are a fast emerging Far South Coast band that play an eclectic farm-fresh blend of soul infused R&B and funky roots music with generous overtones of folky Hickster. more〉〉

Ivy Lucille is a wild, theatrical songstress based in Melbourne. Drawing from the depths of the Great Mother Earth to the Spiritual Sky, Ivy has cultivated her own distinct sound more〉〉

Making another welcome return to our festival are Gina Williams and Guy Ghouse. Winner; Best Indigenous Act – 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018 – West Australian Music Industry (WAMi) Awards, more〉〉

Fran’s passion is to share her enthusiasm for dance so that others can feel the joy that it brings to mind, body and soul. She’s been a long term supporter more〉〉

Great to see young artists graduate from our Crossing Youth Stage onto the main Festival program. Felicity Dowd is a Singer Songwriter from Bega, NSW. In 2018, she was accepted more〉〉

Australia’s favourite festival duo. Top shelf entertainers with three decades of songwriting and the best of accompaniment. Superb new album Kitchen Ballads released in 2019.

Eleanor McEvoy is one of Ireland’s most revered singer-songwriters and is making her first visit to our Festival. Originally a session musician, Eleanor has been a staple of contemporary Irish more〉〉

Élisabeth Moquin, Thierry Clouette and Élisabeth Giroux offer a very dynamic and modern vision of Québec traditional music. The musical arrangements are shaded with influences of folk, progressive rock and more〉〉

Members of our program team spotted these guys doing a blackboard gig at the National Folk Festival last year. Doc & The Delegates are a street music string band from more〉〉

Of interest to all musicians and others, Dave teaches the Alexander Technique and has performed as guitarist and banjo player in many bands, including Lolo Lovina, and Tapestries of Sound. more〉〉

There’s nothing CJ Shaw can’t do! The folk all rounder, award winner and ABC Radio regular is the can-do performer of any event. With incredible word play, intricate finger picking, more〉〉

Ahoy me hearties! Canberra Shanty Club is a community singing group that runs traditional singing sessions in Canberra. They love a good sea shanty, but will sing almost anything with more〉〉

Lead by the indefatigable Ray Mulligan, these morning sessions are hugely popular. Bring along your instrument to play tunes at a reasonable pace. The session is intended for people who more〉〉

Dance the night away to the hottest band this side of the Murrumbidgee. The Burnt Roast Band are a fine collection of seasoned musicians arising from the ashes of the more〉〉

Another Cobargo favourite – guitar virtuoso Bruce Mathiske’s unique style, playing bass rhythm and melody, simultaneously captivates audiences around the world. Inspired by diverse musical styles and Latin flavours and more〉〉

Long time Cobargo favourites, it is fitting to have this duo back for our 25 th anniversary. Well-known as Stringfiddle in Heritage and Scottish dance circles, Bob and Jane enjoy more〉〉

Formerly singer with Opera Australia, Ami Williamson has earned herself an enviable reputation as one of Australia’s leading Folk Singer/Songwriters impressing none other than Judy Collins who nominated her her more〉〉