Category: Lineup 2023

Blind Joe is back for WhiteStickfest 2023

The rowdy non-stop rebel soul that is ‘Blind Joe’ is as infectious as a night of Jack Daniels and a hoot of country music hits on the jukebox.

Coming from nowhere Joe rose to prominence with his southern charm, power-driven country voice and charismatic stage presence, after dazzling the judges

& worldwide audience on season nine of America’s The Voice, in what he describes as a “truly blind audition”.

Fast fwd a few years of nonstop wowing fans with his dynamic showmanship, Joe is currently one of the most celebrated solo musicians in the North Dakota / Minnesota area.

Joe has shared the stage with numerous top local and regional acts, as well as national recording artists

such as:- David Allan Coe, Craig Morgan, John Anderson, James Otto, Collin Ray,  Buddy Guy, Bret Michaels of Poison, and many more.

Dare you to have a listen to his link below and not be able to resist adding Joe to your fav’ playlist.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCKV5qS8AWA

Brave Caitlin Smith’s Imaginary Band Making the Cane Sexy Again

Whitestickfest 2023 is ecstatic to confirm that we will once again be joined by the exceptional stage presence of singer, songwriter Caitlin Smith.

Forged by our friends across the Tasman in New Zealand, Brave Caitlin Smith’s Imaginary Band is more a ‘bucket list experience’ to be melodiously mesmerised at a live show.

Gifted with an impeccable combination of vivid stage presence, a powerful voice and soul clinching lyrics, Caitlin pours every ounce of her being

into her craft and sensorially guides her audience through her music.

Caitlin is also a big voice activist for ‘blind pride’ and admits to being on a crusade of sorts

to make the cane sexy both in New Zealand and around the world.

For more of Brave Caitlin Smith’s Imaginary Band you can visit her Youtube Channel below.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Brave+Caitlin+Smith%E2%80%99s+Imaginary+Band

The Lucas Haneman Express is back for WhiteStickFest 2023

The Lucas Haneman Express is an award winning Blues band from Canada, often described as a fresh funky powerhouse band

with an expressive and soulful sound but also lending itself to styles as diverse as Funk, Folk, Reggae & Rock, tied together by a pinch of the Jazz.

They have released 3 albums to date, “Welcome Aboard” 2015, “Tearing Up the Rails” 2016, and “Catch the Westbound” 2019, reaching extensive airplay and enthusiastic reviews worldwide.

The Lucas Haneman Express also boasts an impressive resume of performances with musical icons i.e.

Downchild Blues Band, Tal Wilkenfeld, Jerome Godboo, Steve Merriner, blues legend Harrison Kennedy, and the John Butler Trio from Australia (just to name a few).

The countdown is live on our website at www.whitestickfest.org and we can’t wait for them to WOW this year’s virtual stage.

Click on the link and have a listen to be soulfully moved by LHE’s wide range of melodious bluesy tunes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLYHCpiwktE

WhiteStickFest 2023 is thrilled to announce that internationally renowned Nigerian singer-songwriter and Unicef Ambassador,

Cobhams Asuquo will once again grace our virtual stage.

A mix of RnB, Afropop, Soul and Gospel, Cobhams is as gifted a vocalist as he is versatile as a performer.

A global sensation in his own right he is responsible for a string of hits over his lifetime including We Plenti (feat Simi), One Hit and Empty.

Cobham’s is a global ambassador sprouting goodwill and awareness everywhere he goes, we at WhiteStickFest consider him family and couldn’t be more excited to welcome him home for 2023

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtIwFOJOCAI09tAXMNLJRpQ ]

#WhiteStickFest is pleased to confirm that Australian Songwriters Awards Winner and Queensland local Robert Cini will return guitar in hand to grace this year’s 2023 extravaganza line-up.

His soulful melodic voice paired with his guitar gently weeping, merits his place amongst the world’s engaging musical elite.

An accomplished festival performer on the live scene, Robert continues to mesmerise audiences across Australia and globally.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghGK-gymqKI

We are excited to welcome back Albi And The Wolves for another exhilarating performance at WhiteStickFest 2023

New Zealand based Albi And The Wolves: featuring Chris ‘Albi’ Dent (guitar), Pascal Roggen (violin), Micheal Young (double bass), has a simple philosophy – no limitations

This enigmatic trio pride themselves on their ability to fill a dance-floor using only their string instruments.

Beyond that, it’s the combination of; time-honoured folk styles, modern indie, soul and pop song structures that set Albi And The Wolves apart from other genres.

You can listen a preview of their undisputed talent on their recent youtube link below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzMjfBeVk9A

Baluji Shrivastav, Victoria Oruwari  and the Innervisions Orchestra

International Music Royalty Baluji Shrivastav returns for WhiteStickFest 2023 alongside the Inner Vision Orchestra

WhiteStickFest is thrilled to confirm that we will again feature another highlight performance by the one and only Sitarist to the Stars, Baluji Shrivastav and the Inner Vision Orchestra!

Baluji Shrivastav OBE, a master in; Sitar, Surbahar, Dilruba, Pakhavaj and Tabla, is one of the greatest multi-instrumentalists India has ever produced.

Baluji also has his own Jazz ensemble ‘Jazz Orient/Re-Orient’, and recorded a number of albums with a wide range of contemporary artists including;

Doves, Stevie Wonder, Massive Attack, BT, Annie Lennox, Oasis, Kaiser Chiefs, Guy Barker and Andy Sheppard.

Blind from birth, Baluji has spent his life challenging the stereotypes around the blind and is one of the industry’s leading and most respected musicians.

Among many noted accomplishments, he established the Baluji Music Foundation in 2008 – an organisation which aims to support visually impaired musicians, then in turn founded The Inner Vision Orchestra in 2012 – the world’s only professional ensemble of blind and partially sighted musicians.

An inspirational highlight of Baluji’s career was a monumental performance with The Inner Vision Orchestra alongside The British Paraorchestra and Coldplay at the Closing Ceremony of the  2012 London Paralympic Games.

To hear Baluji and The Inner Vision Orchestra’s exquisite instrumental sound have a listen below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmlvwffloOg

4 years of WhiteStickFest 4 Years of Vernon Barnard

Our favourite South African songster has been with us since the beginning and we couldn’t be happier to have him as an ambassador for what we are hoping to achieve here at WhiteStickFest.

In case you never heard, Vernon stole hearts during his unforgettable 2016 audition on The Voice: South Africa.

Vernon chose The ‘Story Of My Life’ by One Direction as his audition song because he said that he could relate to the song.

He was barely 30 seconds into the song when judge Bobby van Jaarsveld turned his chair around and soon after burst into tears in captivation of the talented young man before him.

Many years on and multiple albums and accolades later Vernon returns to grace our WhiteStickFest stage for another awesome performance on October 15th 2023.

Can’t wait?

Check out his YouTube channel Playlist below

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR6VMqcylL_x2Asd4kGKAFQ

Murphy Returns for WhiteStickFest 2023

From Murphy’s journey of self-discovery starting on a peer busking in Baltimore Maryland, to his international popularity of fame today, Murphy (Blind Boy Music), returns to perform his distinctive style of folk, soul, rock and roll for WSF 2023.

Murphy instantaneously became a fan favourite on AMERICAN IDOL 2021, with his soft-spoken nature, his beautifully written and performed lyrics and his positive outlook often accompanied by a warm smile.

He has brought together millions of fans from all over the world since his debut single, "The Painted Man," was released in early 2022, and is excited for what new journeys lie ahead as he continues to tour playing his music, sharing his songs, and making a difference in the lives of those who made a difference in his.

See below for more of his story on Studio 1 on vision Australia radio  (WhiteStickFest partner)

https://omny.fm/shows/studio1/murphy