Countryfest’s heart belongs to Manitoba talent

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This article was published 03/07/2023 (975 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

DAUPHIN—While Dauphin’s Countryfest managed to pull some big international acts this year, the event’s beating heart belonged to Manitoba musicians, who were hard to miss during the first full day of the festival.

When the Sun arrived on the scene Friday morning, Winnipeg-based artist Quinton Blair was already busy entertaining attendees with his band at the edge of the Heritage Campground, roughly four hours before he was scheduled to play at the Bell Hilltop Stage.

Talking to the Sun afterwards, Blair revealed that this is his first time performing at Countryfest since the COVID-19 pandemic began and put the festival on hiatus throughout 2020-2021.

Having finally made his way back to these hallowed grounds just south of Dauphin, Blair said the sense of community amongst his fellow Manitoba artists is what helps it stand apart from other large-scale gigs.

“As musicians, we’re all just one big family,” the seven-time Manitoba Country Music Association award winner said. “So you can just walk around anywhere and see your friends. That’s what we’re here to do.”

Juno-nominated singer Desiree Dorion wasn’t far behind Blair, wandering the Countryfest grounds Friday morning as a volunteer after performing the night before.

Dorion’s ties to Countryfest go back as far as she can remember, having grown up two kilometres down the road near Riding Mountain National Park.

Being so close to this festival gave her the opportunity at a young age to catch country superstars like Waylon Jennings and Reba McEntire perform, which convinced Dorion that a career in music was the right way to go.

Pretty soon, Dorion was biking to the Countryfest grounds during the off season to perform in front of a non-existent crowd and later took part in the event’s talent show at the age of 13.

While the grand prize in that talent show eluded Dorion’s grasp, she remained committed to kick-starting her music career and eventually made it to the Countryfest main stage by 2014.

Having just released her fifth studio album earlier this year, Dorion still holds a special place in her heart for this Westman music festival, since it served as the springboard for her current place in the industry.

“When I think about that, it really has affirmed the power of manifestation for me,” she said.

“Just being able to invest in myself and believe in myself enough to where I’m now at a point where I’m doing what I love is pretty crazy.”

Some other Manitoba musicians view Countryfest as a kind of career benchmark or barometer for their success.

This is definitely the case for 24-year-old artist Mitchell Makoons, who just released his debut single in May 2022 and has been busy producing new music inspired by his Ojibway-Métis heritage ever since.

After all that hard work, Makoons was thrilled to perform at Countryfest for the very first time on Friday, especially since it doubled as a celebration of his recent transition into becoming a full-time musician.

“It feels good,” he said. “I’m spending every day trying to get a little bit better and it just feels like it’s working.”

Emma Peterson came into this year’s festival riding off a similar kind of momentum, having finalized her debut album, “Just for the Record,” last year and just released a new single, “Got It Back,” earlier this month.

This kind of creative output is a welcome change of pace for Peterson, who was on the cusp of truly breaking into the industry before COVID-19 put a lot of her plans on hold.

But now that the Canadian touring circuit has returned to pre-pandemic levels, Peterson feels like her career is swinging back in the right direction, with Countryfest serving at the “cherry on top.”

“Countryfest has been really good about hiring and getting all of these local acts here. A lot of festivals don’t do that,” said Peterson, who grew up in the rural community of Winnipegosis.

“We’re all grateful that they bring us to these stages here. They have thousands of people who come to this festival, and they give us a chance to perform. So it’s very nice.”

JR Charron was similarly excited about being given the opportunity to make his Countryfest debut on Friday, with the current iteration of his band having formed in the middle of the pandemic.

But with no more restrictions holding him back, Charron, who is originally from Binscarth, believes that this year’s Countryfest will serve as the perfect showcase for what he and his fellow Manitoba artists are capable of.

“I think a lot of people overlook Manitoba, but we have a really good product that we can put on the table,” he said. “And it’s just a matter of getting it in front of the population itself.”

Countryfest’s 2023 line-up also includes Manitoba musicians such as Nelson Little, Kris Paul, Becky Lou, Jesse Bandura, Romi Mayes, Brandon Post and The Sean Taylor Band.

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