In 2009, the Women of Folkways concert was originally conceived as a cornerstone of the Winter Roots Roundup, an Edmonton-based festival celebrating the best in folk, roots, and blues music. While the larger festival format is no more, the Women of Folkways concert itself has grown into a beloved annual tradition within the Edmonton community. The concert remains one of the showcase annual events presented by the Sound Studies Institute, produced alongslide with our partners at the Northern Lights Folk Club and curator/host Dana Wylie, and it represents a key outreach program with the wider community.
As stewards of the Moses and Frances Asch Collection of Folkways Records, the Sound Studies Institute honours the legacy and philosophy of Moses Asch, whose life was shaped by an unshakeable belief in the power of “anything that is sound”.The Women of Folkways concert celebrates the sonic environments and material practices of the diverse range of cultural communities that exist within Edmonton and those represented by the records of the Asch Collection. The concert highlights the cultural contributions of women within a medium traditionally over-represented by men, with an additional focus on women from marginalized communities. For every Pete Seeger, there is an Elizabeth Cotton, a Louise “Miss Lou” Bennett, or a Ginni Clemmens – or, for that matter, a Ruth Seeger.
2025 Women of Folkways concert
Saturday March 8, 2025
Doors open at 7:15pm, Show starts at 8pm
Parkview Community League, 9135 146 St NW
Edmonton, AB
The Women of Folkways concert is a celebration by women of women in the Folkways Records catalogue. The artists will present a collaborative singer-in-the-round concert where they will explore and celebrate the music of Folkways by presenting new interpretations of traditional folk songs as well as their original songs to expand the tradition.
Our Women of Folkways artists this year are:
Natasha Sayer
Natasha Sayer is a Métis songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and music educator who has been teaching and performing in and around Calgary for over 30 years.
Dale Ladouceur
Dale Ladouceur is a musician and leatherworker whose passion finds its way into her work. She is inspired by the natural world, weather systems, obscure childhood references, powerful grooves and courageous acts and melds these influences into her compositions.
Dana Wylie
Dana Wylie is a singer of rare gift and a crafter of deeply felt and sharply observed songs. Praised for being as dexterous with words as she is with her guitar, piano and remarkably powerful voice, she writes with equal parts craft and passion.
Phyllis Sinclair
Phyllis Sinclair, a Canadian Folk Music Award-nominated singer-songwriter, has captivated audiences worldwide with her soul-stirring music that beautifully weaves Indigenous realities with spirituality, astronomy, and mythology.
Capacity is limited and the show is a popular one, so get your tickets early!
To purchase tickets and for more information on the artist please visit https://northernlightsfc.ca/show/women-of-folkways-2025/
Sound Studies Institute 