All that jazz and more for the weekend
Ottawa's festival season has begun and music is wafting through the summer breeze.
From jazz diva to soul sister
Dee Dee Bridgewater is a diva of the first order, with multiple Grammy awards recognizing her vocal brilliance in the jazz standard tradition of Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald.
But when she arrives on the main stage of the TD Ottawa Jazzfest on Sunday night, she's not going to sing any jazz.
"I am Dee Dee Bridgewater, soul singer." said the vocalist, in an interview from her home in New Orleans.
It's all part of a return to her roots, and rediscovery of the music she listened to and loved as a child, the soulful R&B of her hometown Memphis, Tennessee.
" I say, 'welcome to to my party' when I come on stage," said Bridgewater, " I want people to have fun."
"I want to show traditional jazz people they can get up. They can dance, They can move and they can have fun." she added.
Where: Top Shelf Main Stage at Marion Dewer Plaza in front of Ottawa City Hall.
When: Sunday at 8:30 p.m.
Cost: Day passes for the festival begin at $35 for youth, $40 for adults, and Platinum passes are $60 are can be purchase here.
Northern voices
New to the jazz festival this year is the Play North Series, which brings together Canadian and international musicians from polar regions to jam together and share musical styles. The performances include a collaboration between Canada's award winning Inuit throat singer Tanya Tagaq and Norwegian Sami musician Mari Boine.
Greenland's nomadic indie pop ensemble Nive and the Deer Children perform two shows; Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the Tartan Homes Stage and Saturday in the National Arts Centre's cozy 4th stage at 6 p.m.
Free concerts and family fun
It's a day at the beach, where families can cheer paddlers from around the world, and then take in a free concert from Canadian headliners when the stars come out at night.
The annual Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival attracts international racing teams, who arrive dressed in colourful costumes ready for healthy competition and to raise money for charity.
For the kids, there's a giant playground designed like a map of Canada and an arts and crafts activity tent.
The free concerts promise some great music, with Toronto's Broken Social Scene on stage Friday night, followed by Halifax's Wintersleep on Saturday, and East Coast rocker Matt Mays on Sunday.
Where: Mooney's Bay Park, 2960 Riverside Dr.
When: The festival runs until Sunday night.
Cost: Free and free parking is available at Canada Post Headquarters on Riverside Dr. during festival hours.
For more information you can go here.
