Music News Digest: Honey Jam's Ebonnie Rowe, Musicians Mike Stevens and Donnie Walsh Receive Order of Canada Honours

A large group of notable Canadian musicians and music industry figures were honoured as new Order of Canada recipients named by Governor General Mary Simon on June 30.

Mike Stevens has been made an Officer of the Order. He's described in the citation as "a virtuoso harmonica player, composer and author. For more than 40 years, he has entertained audiences nationally and abroad and won acclaim at the world-famous Grand Old Opry in Nashville. His music tours in Canada’s north are the subject of three documentaries that showcase his philanthropy and prodigious musical gifts.” Stevens is founder and head of the highly regarded charity ArtsCan Circle, and that work earlier landed him the Slaight Music Humanitarian Award.

Honey Jam founder Ebonnie Rowe has also been made a Member of the Order of Canada. "She has been shaping the Canadian music industry for 30 years by supporting emerging female artists through her non-profit multicultural, multi-genre development program," the citation states. "An esteemed mentor in her field, she provides artists with performance and educational opportunities, as well as a safe space to be vulnerable and build confidence."

Also named a Member is veteran blues star Donnie Walsh, described in the announcement as "the father of Canadian blues music. This co-founder and leader of The Legendary Downchild Blues Band has been an instrumental figure on the national blues scene for over half a century. His music has inspired generations of acts, including international pop culture icons the Blues Brothers."

Others named Members include Acadian music booster Ronald Bourgeois, opera vocal coach and pianist Michael McMahon, baroque music performer and teacher Michel Cardin, and promoter of Czech musical heritage Miloš Krajny.

See the full list of appointees here. 

Festivals News

Aided by fine weather over the weekend, the free annual It's Your Festival at Gage Park in Hamilton, Ontario presented four days of high quality music from an all-Canadian lineup. Headliners included The Spoons, The Northern Pikes, Junkhouse, Jay Douglas and Goddo. We caught the thoroughly entertaining Junkhouse set on Saturday night, witnessing hometown hero Tom Wilson in full flight. He reminisced that this is the 50th anniversary of his first ever professional gig, a festival appearance at the same location. Junkhouse has now expanded to a six-piece, and they added fresh life to the band's '90s rock radio hits like "Out Of My Head," "Jesus Sings The Blues" and "Shine." The latter song is now a real Hamilton anthem, and prompted a crowd singalong.

Later in the fest, we also caught another local legend, Edgar Breau, of Simply Saucer fame. That band, an international cult favourite, just celebrated the 50th anniversary of their historic Hamilton gig at Jackson Square. Breau's set concentrated on his eloquent folk-inflected solo material.

Industry News

MusicOntario and Ontario Creates are returning to MaMA Music & Convention in Paris for the fourth year to host a delegation of Ontario artists and music companies. The event runs Oct. 14-17, and the trade orgs will be presenting an Ontario reception and showcase, as well as organizing supporting business activities at the Canadian Embassy in Paris with targeted French music professionals. Set annually in Paris, MaMA Music & Convention is one of France’s leading conferences, hosting 7,000 delegates from 52 countries. Apply to participate here by July 5.

– Founded by ArtHaus and rooted in the experiences of South Asian creatives in Canada, the South Asian Music Accelerator (SAMA) offers an artist-driven approach to professional development mentorship. Programming for the inaugural edition will take place online in October, followed by in-person sessions in Toronto in November. The deadline to apply here is Aug. 15.

– The VENUExVENUE Music Festival and Conference returns to London, Ontario, for its third edition, Nov. 6-8. It will feature showcases from 50+ artists from across the country, plus networking and career-focused programming. Applications to perform at the event are now open here, with a July 11 deadline.

– On July 18, Toronto theatre company Soulpepper presents the world premiere of its new production, Six String: A History of the Guitar. Set in a concert format, it traces how one instrument shaped music history — shaping genres, soundtracking movements and fuelling social change. A-list performers featured include Michael Occhipinti, Kurt Swinghammer, show co-creator Beau Dixon, SATE, Joanna Majoko, Talis Schlanger, Derek Downham and Jesse Barksdale. Tickets here.

Artists News

Prolific veteran singer-songwriter Ron Sexsmith is prepping the Aug. 29 release of his upcoming album Hangover Terrace, and a second advance single, "Cigarette & Cocktail," has just come out. Sexsmith says "this record speaks of the hangover I feel from the last few years of pandemic and life knocking us around." Stream the new single here. Dates for an extensive North American tour in the fall have been announced, and they include 15 Canadian shows, Oct. 19 to Nov. 16. Check that itinerary here. Sexsmith also plays Redstone Winery in Beamsville, Ontario, on July 3 (info here), Base 31 in Picton on July 4 and the Mariposa Folk Festival in Orillia, July 6.

– Ukrainian-Canadian singer Marichka is a winner of the Amnesty International Prize and former lead singer of globally acclaimed Toronto world music ensembles Balaklava Blues and Lemon Bucket Orkestra. She is now leading the music/human rights project, Daughters of Donbas — Songs of Stolen Children about "more than 20,000 children have been illegally taken from occupied Ukrainian territories" since Russia's war with Ukraine. Her just-released new single and video, "4.5.0." depicts a mother sending a song to her stolen daughter to console her and tell her that they’ll somehow be ok and get through this — even as the mother is falling apart herself.

Some of the other songs on the project are based on testimonies of what happened to the small group of children that have been heroically rescued. Marichka has been visiting Ukraine to meet some of those children, and she is working on a date to present on this issue at The Hague in the Netherlands — home of the International Criminal Court — as Putin has been issued an arrest warrant there for unlawful deportation and transfer of children from occupied areas of Ukraine to Russia.