SIDETRACKS & DETOURS 2nd August 2026: Songwriters & Invisible Angels, Chapter 3 by Peter Pearson & Norman Warwick featuring Kate Wolf and Julie Mathews & Christine While + another annual festival in our Island Life

Songwriters Chapter 3 part 1

KATE WOLF – AN UNFINISHED LIFE

by Peter Pearson

When Kate Wolf succumbed to leukemia in 1986, at the age of 44, her star was on the rise. The previous year she had returned from a short sabbatical (to spend more time with her family, after 12 years on the road and in recording studios) to appear on a nationally syndicated Austin City Limits (ACL) TV special. The much coveted in concert special raised her national profile several notches above the level she had already achieved from radio appearances, regular touring and a spate of large scale benefit concerts.

The PBS ACL performance, featuring Kate on guitar and vocals, Nina Gerber on guitar, mandolin and harmony vocals, Ford James on bass and harmony vocals and Randy Sabien playing violin and mandolin, was recorded and issued as a DVD and CD under the title An Evening In Austin (right). It features some of her finest material. Sadly it does not include the song Across The Great Divide but at that time Kate would not be aware that this song would come to define her to folk fans outside and to some extent even inside the States.

Her rise to fame in the States had been achieved on the folk circuit and preceded the boom that was just developing in the female singer songwriter fusion of folk and country, spawning the careers of the likes of Nanci Griffith and Mary Chapin Carpenter, and promoted under the banner of Americana.

Kate was born Kathryn Louise Allen in San Francisco on January 27, 1942 and began her musical training at aged 4 with piano training from her grandmother. She played until she was sixteen but stopped in high school because she felt shy and self conscious. However, she continued her musical education, listening to country artists such as the Carter Family, Merle Haggard and Lefty Frizzell, whilst developing an interest in folk music via The Kingston Trio and The Weavers

At 19, she met Saul Wolf, a UC Berkeley architecture student and married two years later. Son Max was born in 1964 and daughter Hannah in 1967. Encouraged by friends, Kate began to write songs and decided her future lay in music. The marriage ended amicably in 1970 and she moved to Sonoma County with the children, where she worked on a newspaper while singing in bars and restaurants in the evenings.

After a couple of years she formed a band, The Wildwood Flower, (left) with guitarist and harmonica player Don Coffin, who would become her second husband. One of her sidelines was hosting and singing on country music shows on local radio and through this she was offered funding for an album.

After seeking advice from well informed sources she set up her own record label, Owl Records. The album, Back Road s(1976) was a Wildwood Flower band project and included the original versions of some of the most enduring songs in her repertoire. The song Emma Rose was self written but favourites Red Tail Hawk and Telluride were cover versions of artists she knew and felt should be recorded.

The second album, Lines On The Paper (1977) again featured the Wildwood Flower but was augmented by a number of other musicians and marked the point where she started to establish herself as a songwriter. Recorded live in a bunkhouse the album became pivotal in her transition from covering other artists songs to establishing herself as a solo singer songwriter of melodic story telling songs. It was at this point she became involved with a fledging record label, Kaleidoscope Records, who would continue to issue her albums for the remainder of her career.´

An early Wildwood Flower performance greatly influenced a young west coast musician, Nina Gerber.

“Kate Wolf was the reason I became a professional musician” says Gerber. “The first time I saw her perform with her band, The Wildwood Flower, I was so profoundly moved that I knew that night I would become a professional musician and would someday play in Kate’s band. I followed her around until she finally hired me and we worked together for 8 years until she passed away in 1986. She was my boss, my mentor, my hero, my friend. Every note I play has a little bit of Kate in it.”

1979 marked Wolf’s split from Don Coffin and Wildwood Flower and the issue of her first true solo album,  Safe At Anchor. A collection of  self composed beautiful poetic love songs, it still stands up today as one of her best and established the template for all her albums to come. It features Nina Gerber (left, with Kate Wolf) on guitar with  backing vocals from the Cache Valley Drifters, whose bass player Bill Griffin produced the album and would continue that role for the next eleven years.

It was followed in 1981 by Close To You, widely regarded as her masterpiece. It contains the sublime Across The Great Divide as well as Like A River and the evocative Eyes Of A Painter, a remembrance of her grandfather. It also featured the prophetic song, An Unfinished Life. This was the first album she recorded with what became her regular touring band-Gerber on guitar, bassist Ford James, augmented by Bill Griffin, the great bluegrass guitarist and vocalist Tony Rice and pedal steel player Peter Siegal.

She began to tour nationally. On her east coast dates future Nanci Griffith Blue Moon Orchestra guitarist, Pete Kennedy, stood in for Nina Gerber. Kennedy was impressed by Wolf’s command of the audience. Referring to one of her earliest dates on the tour, at The Birchmere, Kennedy remarks recalls how “Everyone knew her song Friend Of Mine because it had been played on the radio a lot. She had this very strong charisma, a connection with the crowd from the very first note.”

In 1983 Kate issued a double live album, Give Yourself To Love. The album is as good a starting point as any for those wishing to explore her catalogue. Whilst her own compositions form the core of this release, there are superb cover versions of  the Jack Tempchin/Eagles song, Peaceful Easy Feeling, John Stewart’s Some Kind Of Love and Sandy Denny’s Who Knows Where the Time Goes.

1984’s Poets Heart proved to be her last studio album. Many of her colleagues regard this as her most complete artistic statement. The title track and the song Brother Warrior are replete with personal statements.

By 1985 she had a secure national reputation in the folk world, certainly in the States, perhaps not so much in Europe. In those pre Spotify days it was essential for U.S artists wishing to extend their horizons outside the States to tour Europe, promote their music and sell their product at the merchandise table, otherwise fans would only learn of them via fanzines and be forced to pay a fortune for import albums. Kate’s legacy has been secured purely on performing in the States and being championed outside the States by fellow artists, most notably, Nanci Griffith, Emmylou Harris and Tom Paxton.

In the next several months following her Austin City Limits debut, she experienced a notable drop in her energy levels and was eventually diagnosed with leukemia. Even while hospitalised she did manage to compose a song The Wind Blows Wild in honour of her folk singer friend  Wavy Gravy‘s 50th birthday all star benefit concert and curate tracks for a double retrospective album, Gold In California.

She experienced temporary remission through chemotherapy and was optimistic about returning to performing again. However she took another turn for the worse after an ineffective marrow transplant and refusing further surgery, she started planning for the end.

Whilst Kate had secured her place in the folk music world in the States by the time of her death it was not until the release of Nanci Griffith’s folk cover album –Other Voices Other Rooms(left 1993), that the wider folk music world became aware of her. Kate’s song,Across the Great Divide was the lead off track on the album and its impact was such that a whole new audience began to explore Kate’s catalogue.

Nanci Griffith was a great champion of Kate Wolf’s music and by 1993 had become an established recording and world wide touring artist. Her professional connection to Kate started long before the Other Voices album and goes back to early in her career in 1985. In that year Nanci, a great admirer of Kate, invited Nina Gerber to sit in with her at the Vancouver Folk Festival. Thereafter she continued to sit in with her and the Blue Moon Orchestra anytime they were in the same town.

In 2023 Nina Gerber released her own tribute album-Time Is Funny That Way. In the album notes Gerber explains “the album is to honour a few of my good friends who have passed away but left some wonderful songs to live on”. The album features Kate’s unreleased song,  and-together with tracks by amongst others, Sarah Elizabeth Campbell and Nanci Griffith. Elaborating on her choice of Nanci Griffith’s song Ford Econoline for the album Gerber recalls that when Kate Wolf was diagnosed with leukemia in 1986, Kate asked Nanci to take the gigs that she couldn’t do. Nanci invited Gerber to accompany her on those shows. Gerber features on Nanci’s Other Voices album and was present on the US leg of the tour, including the recorded TV special and subsequent DVD.

There was little similarity in voice or stage presentation between Nanci and Kate. Kate Wolf had a voice like warm velvet and lyrics that aimed close to the heart. Her songs were almost pure acoustic in performance with percussion virtually none existent. Her stage presence compelling but serene. Nanci was typically Texan in voice and strident stage presence with percussion often to the fore.

Through the years since her passing, Kate’s significance in folk music history has become increasingly apparent. Kaleidoscope label manager,  Jeff Alexson, feels that had she lived, her work would have achieved mass popularity.

When Kaleidoscope Records collapsed, Rhino Records acquired her catalogue. They have issued a number of post humous recordings-notably The Wind Blows Wild, Looking Back At You and the double album-Weaver of Visions. Meanwhile, her family continue to honour her legacy via their website Kate Wolf.com. The site has a treasure trove of information, digital downloads of her albums and previously unreleased live performances of her songs. Nina Gerber curates a subscription series called Kates Tape Archives, consisting of digitised recordings of reel to reel and cassette tapes from Kate´´s concerts, radio shows and living room sessions, many featuring songs previously unreleased.

In June 1996 the Kate Wolf Retrospective Concert was held to celebrate her music. Friends, family, and a sold-out crowd had such a wonderful time that it became an annual event. The festival, like many more in the post covid world, started to become unviable and the 25th and final one ended in 2022.

A superb aptly titled tribute album, Treasures Left Behind, was issued in 1998. The 14 track album features fourteen of the finest singer songwriters of Kate’s generation interpreting her songs.

Kate Wolf left a treasure trove of music behind her. Some gorgeous songs and recordings that stand the test of time. Its tragic that her life was cut short by illness.

              It’s an unfinished life

              that I find lies before me;

              an open-ended dream

              and I don’t want to wake.

              I’ve crossed so many rivers

              in search of crystal fountains;

              I’ve found the truest paths

              always lead through  mountains.

              I’ve  seen water on the sky,

              and fire burning on the lake.

sidetracks & detours recommend Songwriters & Invisible Angels, chapter 3 part 1: KATE WOLF & friends & influences

all songs recommended by sidetracks & detorus were availabl on Spotify

Mary Chapin Carpenter I feel Lucky

Laurie Lewis

the carter family wildwood flower

haggard & nelson silver wings

lefty frizzell,

if you´ve got the money,

I want to be with you

always late

don´t stay away

if you can spare

mum and dad´s waltz

I love you

look what thought did

the kingston trio scotch and soda

the weavers goodnight Irene

kate wolf & wildwood flower

it ain´t in the wine

emma rose

the red tail hawk

r

telluride

kate wolf

I don´t know why

lines on the paper

you´re not standing `

picture puzzle

the heart trumpet vine

I never knew

amazed to find

everybody´s looking

the lilac

midnight on the water

lay me down easy

safe at anchor

across the great divide

leggett serenade

like a river

unfinished life

friend of mine

love still remains

eyes of a painter

here in califfornia

stone in the water

close to you

give yourself to love

wind

peaceful easy feeling

the ballad of weaving

green eyes

the hobo

hurry home

some kind of love

who knows where the time 

cornflower blue

picture puzzle

far off shore

agent orange

these times we´re living in

sweet companion

medicine wheel

pacheco

emmylou harris friend of mine

tom paxton the last thing on my mind

kate wolf

poet´s heart

caroline pines

muddy roads

all he ever saw

brother warrior

crying shame

slender thread

in china or a woman´s heart

see here, she said

laura mccan the wind blows

kate wolf

lately

sitting on the porch

goodbye babe

tequilla and me

legend in his time

oklahoma

going

back road

tish hinojosa river

eric anderson close the door lightly

iris dement when love was young

steve goodman the water is wide

nanci griffith across the great divide

INVISIBLE ANGELS chapter 3 part 2

JULIE MATTHEWS & CHRIS WHILE (right)

sightings of invisible angels by Norman Warwick

What a fabulous weekend, Port Fairy Folk Festival is like a master-class in how to run a BIG festival but still manage to make it feel friendly, inclusive and accessible. To the army of friendly volunteers, the stage crew and technicians, the stall holders and food sellers, right up to the festival management who work all year round in putting on such a major event – you are all amazing. Thank you, thank you, thank you, for the beautiful stages, fabulous accommodation and for making us feel so welcome. To the audiences that sought us out, supported our gigs and went out of their way to tell us their stories and memories of seeing us at Port Fairy over the last three decades, you made us feel very loved indeed. Our deep gratitude and love to you all.

We had the honour once again of being part of ‘Women Out Loud’, a very special concert in celebration of international Women’s Day, an idea that was conceived many years ago by former PFFF director Jamie McKew and is always a highlight of the weekend. This year we were blown away by the incredible talent on stage with us…Grainne Hunt, Jules Stewart, Mary Coughlan, Felicity Urquhart, Emily Wurramara, Nico Paulo and hosted by Sarah Carroll and Matilda Hassall. So much diversity and two hours of wall to wall woman power, check them out! Thank you PF for including us once again in this incredibly special event.

Musical highlights for us this weekend include

Blair Dunlop with Holly Brandon, Robbie Cavanagh, Grainne Hunt with Jules Stewart, Liz Stringer, the unstoppable force that is Mary Coughlan and Felicity Urquhart and Josh Cunningham. Now that’s a playlist worthy of any road trip!

So, a few days off in Melbourne now before we head up the glorious Blue Mountains and to yet another wonderful festival. We are so blessed!

SIGHTINGS OF INVISIBLE ANGELS

Julie Matthews & Christine While

by Norman Warwick

Please note this review first appeared in 2025 IN UK AMERICANA

all photographs are attributed to Marc Dinnage

The review wsas beautifully created by Graeme Tait, a child of the sixties, eldest of three, born into a Forces family. Keen guitar player since his teens, (amateur level only), Graeme has a wide, eclectic taste in music and an album collection that exceeds 5.000. He currently resides in the beautiful city of Lincoln.

all photographs are attributed to Marc Dinnage

Making the relatively short, thirty-minute journey from my home in Lincoln, towards the county’s premier americana music venue, the Town Hall in Kirton in Lindsey, I was constantly distracted by the setting sun as it slipped towards the horizon. The hands on my watch created a perfect vertical line, while the knowledge that in just a few hours the clocks would be going back and by this time tomorrow it would be dark, provided a stark reminder that winter is on its way. However, all negative thoughts were immediately banished by the pending excitement of seeing the undisputed queens of British folk music, guaranteed to brighten up the darkest corners of the world, whatever the season.

Chris While and Julie Matthews have been one of the leading forces in the British singer-songwriter scene for over thirty years. During that time, they have played over 3,000 gigs, appeared on over one hundred albums, written hundreds of original songs, and reached millions of people worldwide. Last September, they celebrated their incredible thirty-year collaboration by releasing their thirteenth studio album, the highly acclaimed “Days Like These”. Together, they have been nominated no less than ten times in the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards in the ‘Best Song, Best Duo, and Best Live Act’ categories, winning ‘Best Duo’ in 2009. In addition, they have individually built an extensive solo body of work, as well as being members, recording and performing with both Daphne’s Flight and St Agnes Fountain. Tonight, they were making their long-overdue debut upon the hallowed boards of the stage at Kirton’s town hall.

Having extensively toured to promote the release of their latest album during the last few months of 2024 and the early part of 2025, tonight saw the duo’s set draw from a broader selection of their back catalogue, and as they took to the stage, side by side, with guitars in hand, they immediately connected with the local congregation with the opening song ‘Seventh Wave’. The following number, ‘Crow’, like the previous song, had originally appeared on the 2022 album “Woman Of The World”, with Matthews now seated at the piano as While took the lead vocals on a track that was apparently initially inspired by a rather cheeky jackdaw. Despite transport issues a few days earlier that had resulted in the duo having to cancel an intended gig in Portsmouth, both While and Matthews appeared in good form, as well as good voice, with their exquisite harmonies excelling on ‘Gone Girl Gone’ and ‘Lucky Today’, a song from last year’s release written by While for Matthews. Next up was a wonderful rendition of ‘Carved In Stone’, the oldest of the original songs from tonight’s set, having first appeared on the 2010 album “Hitting The Ground Running” and featuring some delightful mandolin playing from Matthews.

Having intended to take the summer off and enjoy a well-earned break, the duo found themselves performing at seven different festivals throughout the season. In addition to this, they were also invited to participate in the BBC Radio 2 series, ’21st Century Folk’, a program that pairs songwriters with individuals whose lives have remarkable stories to tell. While and Matthews were paired with Tom Yeo, who was born out of wedlock to Irish Parents in 1965, and was just two weeks old when his birth mother left him in a waiting room at Reading Station. Needless to say that in the hands of such skilled songwriters, While and Matthews took Yeo’s story and turned it into a simply sublime, heart-rending song which they would perform on both the BBC’s ‘The One Show’ and ‘Jeremy Vine’s Radio 2 programme’. This evening, they shared the song with the Town Hall’s attentive audience, recounting the story behind the writing and the nerves of performing it for Yeo for the first time.

In truth, most of While and Matthews’ songs come with a story, whether it be from their own personal experiences, or, very often, stories from history that require re-telling. The next two songs from the first set were classic examples of the latter, with both inspired by the ‘Child Migration Programme’ that took place between 1920 and 1970, where as many as 130,000 children were shipped for a so-called “better life”, mainly to Australia or Canada. Instigated by charities such as Barnardo and the Fairbridge Society, along with both the Anglican and Catholic Churches, these children were often told they were orphans, with many being separated from their siblings on arrival in a new and foreign land. One can only imagine the distress and heartbreak they had to endure. ‘With Small Cases, Full Of Big Dreams’ and ‘Pinjara Dreams’, While and Matthews showed all their craft and wisdom, creating two songs that perfectly captured the sense of hope and despair, delivered with genuine, heartfelt empathy, which resonated around a hushed hall.

There was just time for one more song before the obligatory interval, with the title track from last year’s album “Days Like These” closing the set with a burst of positive energy, which included some enthusiastic audience participation, sending everyone off to the merchandise stall, or should that read emporium, as well as the bar with a spring in their step..

Two more songs from the “Women Of The World” album got the second set underway, including the title track, inspired by the plight of young girls in Afghanistan under the rule of the Taliban. The second number, ‘Starfish Thrower’, has fast become a crowd favourite with its uplifting message delivered by Matthew’s delightful and impassioned vocals, which were matched by While’s on the melancholic ‘Long Lost Friend’ that recounted her school days growing up in her hometown of Barrow. Next up was ‘Nothing Yanks My Chain (Like You Do)’, a co-write with the equally fabulous singer-songwriter Charlie Dore, that bristled with attitude, verve, and just a little hint of sass in the vocal delivery from While.

At this point, the duo deviated from songs recorded under their own names to perform a track they recorded as part of Daphne’s Flight’s most recent album, “Favourable Light”, released early this year. The quintet had intended to tour to promote the album, but due to founder member Melanie Howard’s ill health, plans had to be changed, and though the tour went ahead with the remaining four members, it was announced as a farewell tour. While and Matthews were visibly moved as they explained to the town hall audience the gravity of Howard’s condition, but also the emotional pride that Howard had given the remaining members of the band her blessing to carry on as a unit. With that, they delivered one of the high points of the night, and a truly emotive version of ‘Ballad Of The Seven Sisters’ that resonated around the hall with a reverence that felt almost anthemic. The intensity was immediately contrasted by the following number as While sang with just minimal accompaniment on the sublime ‘Our Corner Of The World’.

One of the standout songs from the duo’s latest album was ‘Kalamazoo’,  that told the story of the female workforce that worked in the legendary Gibson guitar factory between 1942 and 1945. Having built nearly 25,000 guitars from rationed materials during this period, including the highly prized ‘Banner Guitars’, the Gibson hierarchy tried to eradicate these women from its history once the war was over. However, John Thomas, an American journalist, uncovered this extraordinary act, revealing all in his book “Kalamazoo Gals: A Story Of Extraordinary Women & Gibson’s Banner Guitars of WWII”. While and Matthews have taken this story and, doing what they do best, turned it into one of the finest songs of recent years, high on energy with the most infectious chorus, it has fast become a fan favourite and a staple of their live set. However, this evening’s rendition came with an added bonus, as just before starting the song, Matthews broke a string on her guitar, and to fill the void while the culprit was changed, While delivered a fabulous version of the 1952 vocalese song ‘Twisted’ originally sung by Annie Ross, who had also written the lyrics.

With that, it was time for the final number, with ‘Pride’ proving the perfect closer, offering the local congregation the opportunity to join in with the chorus, their vocal contribution throughout the evening proving a hit with the duo on stage. Unsurprisingly, the demand for an encore was almost deafening, with While and Matthews finishing with their distinctly unique version of the classic song ‘Tennessee Waltz’, which again encouraged audience participation, though singing proved difficult with the hilarious antics being delivered by the duo on stage. As the final notes of the final song of the evening’s show were played, the crowd rose as one, offering a well-deserved standing ovation for a truly fantastic performance from the true queens of the British folk singer-songwriter scene. Long may they reign.

Now back in th UK, Julie Matthew and Chris While have recently enjoyed a fabulous weekend at Trowbridge Festival in beautiful Wiltshire.

Their comments are not only testsament to their love of the music community.

What a great festival, so friendly and relaxed, great sound crew and helpers and warm appreciative audience. We had a great concert on Saturday and we’re delighted to have Miranda Sykes join us for the whole set. What a star she is, a joy to be around on and off the stage and great to set up camp together for a whole weekend along with her beautiful family (and by extension, ours) Dan and Wilfie. Big thanks to Wilf for raising the rainbow flag in all the right places when we sang ‘Pride’ . Home now with full hearts and great memories.

sidetracks & detours have collated a comprehensive playlist of songs by Julie Matthews and Chris While: Songwriters & Invisible Angels, chapter 3 part 2: JULIE MATTHEWS & friends amnd influences

all songs arerecommended by sidetracks & detours and were available on Spotify at date of pubñication

grainnie hunt dance

john stewart naked angel

mary coughlan god bless the child

emily wurramara

black smoke

Imenda

wake up

ngayuwa

stomping ground

blue moon black sea

nico paulo learning my ways

daphne´s flight

lay fallow

how glad I am

goodness of man

emmylou harris son of a rotten gambler

gregson & collister for a dancer

chris while, kellie while

give me wings

Mississippi

talk to me of mendocino

While & matthews

my mother´s eyes

westward

shadow of my former self

walk the line

generation game

distant as the poles

even the desert bears a seed

piecework

seven years of rust

steady breathing

perfect mistake

on my way

thorn upon the rose

starting all over

class reunion

kalamazoo

I will carry you

trusted mistrusted

king of sheds

come to me

days like these

lucky today

like the sun

our corner of the world

blood red moon

thirty years along

girl gone wrong

class reunion

love has gone to war

the devil in me

hard to be the way

the weight of loving you

starting all over again

from this wood

I can´t stay

shot through the heart

the fool on the hill

the leaving

the jewel in the crown

blue songs on a red guitar

angels walk among us

digging holes

lonely morning blues

find my way back home

tyre tracks in the snow

the heart may be right

white water running

only one man

I only want to be with you

circle round the sun

separate lives

the waiting room

charlñie dore pilot of the air waves

julie matthews

such is life julie

the devil in me

love me or not

blue songs on a red guitar

colours of love

love can build bridges

nothing you can´t be

nothing you can´t be

girl gone wrong

love is abandoned car

jewel in the crown

shot through the heart

the light in you

train

angels walk among us

crashing to your knees

pat shaw & julie matthews

down in the tall grass

ball, anchor and chain

all the way

storm damage

road to eden

go north

the moon & st christopher

turning point

til all the people

the thorn upon the rose

sound of time

bridge of hope

while matthews sykes pulling weeds 

sugarcane jane alabama

Julie Matthews all around the world

julie matthews The unspoken word

LENDANEAR to Island Life

Festival Time

by Norman Warwick

Lanzarote´s Teguise Ayuntamiento (council)  has invited residents and visitors to take part in this year’s Las Nieves Festival (right), one of the island’s oldest and most cherished religious and cultural celebrations.

Running from 29 July to 5 August, the festivities honour Nuestra Señora de las Nieves, whose links to Lanzarote stretch back more than 300 years. The celebrations combine religious devotion, traditional music, sporting competitions and community gatherings at the Santuario de Las Nieves.

Nuestra Señora de las Nieves was declared Lanzarote’s first patron saint by the island’s General Council in 1725, after local representatives made a solemn vow seeking her protection from drought and other hardships. Three centuries later, the annual festival continues to draw thousands of people, reflecting its enduring place in the island’s cultural identity.

Cabildo president Oswaldo Betancort said preserving traditional celebrations also means preserving the memory of those who shaped Lanzarote.

“The festival is part of our shared heritage that unites us as a people and deserves to be passed on to future generations,” he said, adding that the island council remains committed to supporting events that strengthen Lanzarote’s cultural identity.

Pilgrimage and Traditional Music

As in previous years, a large marquee will be erected beside the Ermita de Las Nieves to provide a meeting place for residents and visitors throughout the celebrations. A food stall will also be available, with the venue hosting many of the festival’s musical performances and activities.

The programme begins on 29 July with the traditional envite tournament: sidetracks & detours have been told that this is a competition  of bet, stake, , bid or offer, depending on context. Envite is a traditional Canary Islands card game ( el envite ), being a team-based game of strategy, secret hand signals, and raising stakes across three played hands per round. See left for typical cards found on Lanzarote.

This will be followed by a truco tournament on 3 August. Truco, originally from Valencia, is a card game, also popular in The Balearic Islands, South America and Italy, in which tricks are gathered. It is usually played by. two people or two teams of two or three players each.

The official opening ceremony takes place on 31 July, featuring a proclamation by Santiago Ramírez Curbelo, followed by a performance from the group Calicanto.

Calicanto  group,  shown left performing at the magnificent Convento snata Domingo theatre, in Teguise,formed more than ten years ago by a group of women in love with folklore but eager to explore new musical genres, have a new album out called Song To The Love Of A Decade  which includes a selection of its most endearing songs that capture the essence of love in all its forms, from joy to heartbreak.This all-female musical group from Lanzarote, now known for its unique style that blends traditional rhythms with genres like jazz and pop. Calicanto has released several albums and performed at numerous festivals and music events both in Spain and abroad. They have received numerous awards and accolades for their work, including the Canary Islands Popular Culture Award in 2019.

One of the festival’s most anticipated events, the popular pilgrimage to the Ermita de Las Nieves, takes place on 1 August. Hundreds of pilgrims are expected to make the journey before presenting offerings to the Virgin, accompanied by performances from Altaja and the Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe folk group.

Altaja  state that their aim is to  rescue, disseminate and promote traditional Canarian folklore. I find that very laudable because I think the island´s folklore is held in its heart and is passed down from generation to generation. It is a huge part of our tourist attraction and these songs seek the root and the route taken by the Lanzarote diaspora.. 

The evening concludes with a major folk music festival featuring Los Gurfines, Son los del Puerto, Son del Norte, and Los Valles.

Los Gurfines are a well-known traditional music group from Lanzarote, officially called Parranda Los Gurfines they are specifically linked to maritime areas such as Puerto Naos or Arrecife. They play traditional Canarian music, providing entertainment at patron saint festivals, parranda gatherings (as strolling troubadours of old)  and are popular events throughout the island

 because of their active participate in local festivities, pilgrimages and nights of celebration throughout the different municipalities and neighbourhoods of Lanzarote,

Among other groups appearing at the festival  Son los Del Peurto, a musical duo and flamenco group formed by two brothers from Málaga, Spain, known for singing in the streets and at private events.

Son del Norte  a group from the island of Lanzarote, . play various types of music including Cumbia, a popular musical rhythm and folk dance style that originated on the Caribbean coast of Colombia. They aslo  blends African rhythms, iIndigenous instruments, and Spanish melodies. They also deliver Ranchera music, a popular genre of music from Mexico that takes its name from the ranch lands on which the style was originally performed. Although the music embraces rural themes, its popularity spread during Mexico’s Revolutionary to urban center all over the country. Mexico´s history is intimately tied to a sense of national identity that emerged from the ashes of the Revolution, which ended almost 30 years of dictatorship. Under Porfirio Diaz, Economic growth was a great success and hailed in the world as an example to follow but at the same time massive lands were dispossessed with landholdings privatized and sold.

This conflict between rural poor and economic success created the imbalances in society that would cause the Mexican Revolution. The end of the Mexican revolution brought new job opportunities to Mexico’s major cities. The music that Mexicans from rural areas brought with them, helped new communities of workers recall the familiar earthy sounds of a country life left behind.

Ranchera songs are characterized by dramatic emotion and topics of love dominate poetic lyrics. Sentimental ranchera singers, their voices charged with a contagious emotion, are often capable of moving to tears even their most hardened listeners. Waltz, polka and bolero inspired rhythms accompany the singer along with sudden cries of emotion that highlight the singer’s sorrowful mood. Beginning in the 1930s, Mexico produced hundreds of comedias rancheras, films that presented the nation with a studio packaged vision of rural life along with the humour and music. By 1950, ranchera music had become the most popular music genre in Mexico.

There will also be the indie-folk band, Valles,  performing at the festival, who will provide another examples of the tides that transport music from continent as it creates new communities of immigration and emigration.

.Festivities continue with the torneo de ronda on 3 August, before reaching their climax on 5 August.

Following the traditional breakfast of hot chocolate and churros for pilgrims, thousands are expected to gather at the Santuario de Las Nieves for religious services, culminating in the solemn Mass at midday and the traditional procession.

SIDETRACKS & DETOURS SUNDAY 9^th AUGUST

a year as poet laureate

featuring

SAMMY WEAVER

SIDETRACKS & DETOURS SUNDAY 16^th AUGUST 2^nd 2026

Michael: a film about art for arts´sake ?

SIDETRACKS & DETOURS SUNDAY 23^rd august 2026

Buddy Mondlock is a songwriter !

SIDETRACKS & DETOURS SUNDAY 30^th AUGUST 2026

Too Darn Hot: live jazz

SIDETRACKS & DETOURS SUNDAY 6^th SEPTEMBER 2026

Canary Cruising,…cool

SIDETRACKS & DETOURS SUNDAY 13^th SEPTEMBER 2026

secretly recorded live gigs legitimised on line?

SIDETRACKS & DETOURS SUNDAY 20^th SEPTEMBER 2026

Waiting For Godot and Music At Lunchtomes

SIDETRACKS & DETOURS SUNDAY 27^th SEPTEMBER 2026

r.i.p. David Alan Coe, songwriter and unreliable narrator