Pemberton Folk Festival organizer Richard Doucet must have taken this adage to heart.
Taking the stage this weekend will be two staff members from the Pemberton Valley Supermarket: Mario Ines-Torres, meat cutter by day, Flamenco vocalist by night, and Kieta Selina, a check out girl on summer break from college in Vancouver, who will sing with her sisters Leala and Javia.
Moonlighting meat-cutter fans the flames of Flamenco
Ines-Torres – stage name Lolo del Carders – is of Spanish-Rom descent, and has lived in Canada for the past seven years.
Accompanied by guitar player Gerardo Alcala and dancer Afifa, the trio promises a passionate punch to the Saturday evening festival lineup.
They will be playing a form of music that dates back to the 16 th Century – the sounds of the nomadic Rom people, oppressed and enslaved by landed European populations until the mid-1800s.
There are parallels between the history of the Rom in Spain and the American black population confirms Ines-Torres, particularly musical parallels. Spanish musicians were taken with the Roms’ passionate guitar and vocals the way North American musicians took to jazz and the blues.
But like the blues authenticity can’t be bought, it must be felt.
"(The music) is sad," intones the husky voiced Lolo. "It’s about emotions related to the loss of freedom, the loss of somebody you love.
"And it’s got very much its dark side."
But there’s a celebratory side to it as well, he confirms – music sung at births, weddings, and other such events.
And of course there’s the flamenco dancing. The inclusion of Afifa ensures a vibrant visual spectacle to lift the sombre image of a single vocalist and guitar player.
"As soon as you bring in the dancer the visual kicks in and all the passion and the show and the performance is very much there," confirms Ines-Torres.
The Pemberton Folk Festival appearance will be the first local performance for Ines-Torres, a seasoned performer in other locales. He, Gerardo and Afifa are scheduled to take the main stage at approximately 7 p.m. on Saturday evening.
Those inspired by the performance can try their hand at Gerardo’s Flamenco-Guitar workshop on Sunday afternoon.
Selina Sisters sing sweetly together
On Saturday afternoon a few adults may find themselves over at the kids stage to hear the sweet three-part harmonies of the Selina Sisters.
That’s Kieta, 18 years old and the aforementioned college student and Pemberton Valley Supermarket employee, and the younger Selinas Leala (16) and Javia (15), students at Pemberton Secondary School.
Originally from Leeds in Britain, the Selina family settled in Pemberton two years ago, a major uprooting that made the sisters very close friends, notes Kieta.
It’s done good things for their singing. While they still tend to fight like normal teen sisters, the girls’ three-part harmony has benefited from their ability to rely on each other when, in the words of Joan Baez, "the winds of change shift."
Kieta says the trio will perform a variety of different musical styles on Saturday, including pop, country and even a cabaret tune.
Like Ines-Torres’ debut, Kieta says the Folk Festival will be the first local performance for the Selina Sisters.
The girls are scheduled to take the stage in the kids area on Saturday afternoon at approximately 3:30 p.m.
