It has been suggested that Mark Monahan be merged into this article or section. (Discuss)

Great Big Sea at BluesFest 2006

Bluesfest 2004 Main Stage

The Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest is an annual outdoor music festival that takes place each July in downtown Ottawa, Canada. While primarily focused on blues, the festival has increasingly showcased mainstream pop and rock acts in recent years. Image File history File links Please see the file description page for further information. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Ottawa Bluesfest. ... Image File history File linksMetadata BinaryRhyme_BluesFest_Great_Big_Sea. ... Image File history File linksMetadata BinaryRhyme_BluesFest_Great_Big_Sea. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Cisco may refer to: Cisco Systems, a computer networking company Cisco IOS, an internet router operating system CISCO Security Private Limited, a security company in Singapore Commercial and Industrial Security Corporation, a statutory board in Singapore Abbreviation for San Francisco, California Cisco (wine) The Cisco Kid, a fictional character created... Motto: Advance Ottawa/Ottawa en avant Location of the City of Ottawa in the Province of Ontario Coordinates: Country Canada Province Ontario Established 1850 as Town of Bytown Incorporated 1855 as City of Ottawa Amalgamated January 1, 2001 Government  - Mayor Larry OBrien  - City Council Ottawa City Council  - Representatives 8...

Since its humble beginnings, the festival has been managed by executive/artistic director Mark Monahan and a small group of full-time employees, including director of sponsorship, Nathalie Laperrière and director of communications, AJ Sauve, adding current director of operations Mike Rouleau in 2004. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Ottawa Bluesfest. ...

History

The festival was kicked off in 1994 at Majors Hill Park with the performance of Clarence Clemons, attracting 5000 spectators. The following year, the festival attracted larger crowds with entertainers like John Hiatt and Buddy Guy. In 1996, 25 000 fans showed up at the Bluesfest to see Robert Cray, Los Lobos and others. It was then that Mitel Corporation became the first major sponsor of the event. Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar). ... Majors Hill Park is one of the most notable parks in downtown Ottawa. ... Clarence Clemons, 2002 Clarence Clemons (born January 11, 1942 in Norfolk, Virginia) is an American musician, best known as the saxophone player in Bruce Springsteens E Street Band. ... John Hiatt (born August 20, 1952 in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA) is an American rock guitarist, pianist, singer, and songwriter. ... George Buddy Guy (born July 30, 1936) is an American blues and rock guitarist and singer. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... Robert Cray (foreground) Robert Cray (born 1 August 1953, in Columbus, Georgia) is a blues musician, guitarist and singer. ... Los Lobos is an American rock band, heavily influenced by rock and roll, Tex-Mex, country music, folk, R&B, blues, and traditional Spanish and Mexican music such as boleros and norteños. ...

In 1997, the festival was moved to Confederation park to provide more space for the increasing number of fans to see musicians such as Dr. John and Little Feat. In 1998, over 80 000 people showed up for the festival, which coincided with Canada Day and featured Ray Charles. Bell Mobility and CIBC Wood Gundy joined the list of sponsors. 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Dr. John is the stage name of Malcolm John Rebennack Jr. ... ...and then I met Lowell George. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... Canada Day (French: Fête du Canada) is Canadas national holiday, marking the establishment of Canada as a self-governing Dominion on July 1, 1867. ... Ray Charles was the stage name of Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004), a pioneering American pianist and soul musician who shaped the sound of rhythm and blues. ... Bell Mobility is the division of Bell Canada which sells wireless services in Canada. ... CIBC Wood Gundy was created in 1988 with the purchase of Wood Gundy Inc by CIBC. CIBC Wood Gundy is a division of CIBC World Markets. ...

In 1999, the festival was moved to Lebreton Flats. Smokey Robinson, Little Richard, and Booker T & the MG's played on the Main Stage and the "Blues in the Schools" program was launched. The Bluesfest became a registered charitable organisation while attracting over 95 000 fans with performers such as Sting, Al Green, Taj Mahal, and Buddy Guy. The Royal Canadian Mint became a sponsor. Cisco Systems became the Bluesfest Title Sponsor in 2001, while the Ottawa Citizen and the National Post became Presenting Sponsors. The festival featured Dr. John, James Brown, Blue Rodeo, and George Thorogood and attracted 140,000 people. Year 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar). ... William Smokey Robinson, Sr. ... Richard Wayne Penniman (born December 5, 1932), better known by the stage name Little Richard, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist, who began performing in the 1940s and recording from 1951. ... Booker T. & the M.G.s is a soul band, most prominent in the 1960s and 1970s. ... For professional wrestler Steve Borden, see Sting (wrestler). ... Al Green in concert at the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, California on July 27, 2006. ... George Buddy Guy (born July 30, 1936) is an American blues and rock guitarist and singer. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Dr. John is the stage name of Malcolm John Rebennack Jr. ... James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933[2] – December 25, 2006), commonly referred to as The Godfather of Soul and The Hardest Working Man in Show Business, was an American entertainer recognized as one of the most influential figures in 20th century popular music. ... Blue Rodeo is a Canadian country rock band formed in 1984 in Toronto. ... This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

In 2002 Bluesfest moved to Festival Plaza in downtown Ottawa. 200,000 fans showed up to see the Tragically Hip, Melissa Etheridge, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, and Colin James. In 2003, the festival expanded to 8 stages to celebrate its tenth anniversary. 220,300 people came to see the likes of Ben Harper, Sheryl Crow, Sum 41, the Allman Brother's Band, and Dan Aykroyd & Jim Belushi. For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... The Tragically Hip is a Canadian rock band from Kingston, Ontario. ... Melissa Lou Etheridge (born May 29, 1961 in Leavenworth, Kansas) is a Grammy- and Academy Award-winning American rock musician. ... Colin James Colin James Munn (born August 17, 1964 in Regina, Saskatchewan) is a Canadian singer, guitarist, and songwriter who plays in the blues and rock and Swing genres. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Ben Harper (born Benjamin Chase Harper on October 28, 1969 in Claremont, California, USA) is an American musician. ... Sheryl Suzanne Crow (born February 11, 1962) is a nine-time Grammy winning American blues rock singer, guitarist, bassist, and songwriter. ... Sum 41 is a Juno Award-Winning Canadian rock band from Ajax, Ontario. ... Daniel Edward Aykroyd CM (born July 1, 1952 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) is an Academy Award-nominated Canadian comedian, actor, screenwriter, and musician. ... James Belushi (also known as Jim Belushi) (born June 15, 1954) is an American film and television actor. ...

George Thorogood kicked off the 2004 festival, which included The Tragically Hip, Taj Mahal, The Mudboys, Bryan Adams, Blue Rodeo, and others. Since its humble beginnings, the Ottawa Bluesfest has grown immensely, becoming the largest blues festival in Canada, and the second largest in North America. shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Bryan Adams OC, OBC, (born 5 November 1959) is a Canadian rock singer, guitarist, songwriter and photographer. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ...

2005 saw the festival diversify its musical offerings even more, reaching out to a younger audience as well as those interested in more than just Blues. Four on-site stages featured headliners such as War, ZZ Top, Kid Rock, Simple Plan, Black Eyed Peas, K-Os, Alexisonfire, India.Arie, as well as performances during the day and on the side stages by The Neville Brothers, Xavier Rudd, Harlem Gospel Choir, Campbell Brothers, Percy Sledge, Neko Case, and one stage dedicated to acoustic and Cuban music. The 11-day event brought over 220,000 people to Festival Plaza to enjoy and appreciate a wide variety of music from around the world. War was a multiracial, multicultural American funk band of the 1970s from Southern California, known for the hit song Low Rider. Formed in 1969, War was the first and most successful musical crossover, fusing elements of rock, funk, jazz, Latin music, R&B, and even reggae. ... ZZ Top is an American blues rock band formed in 1969 in Houston, Texas. ... Robert James Ritchie (born January 17, 1971), best known as Kid Rock, is an American rapper, singer and rock musician most notable for his albums Devil Without a Cause and Cocky and his hit singles Bawitdaba and Picture. ... Simple Plan is a pop-punk band from Montreal, Quebec, Canada—all five members are French-Canadians who were born in the province of Quebec. ... The Black Eyed Peas are an American hip-hop group from Los Angeles, California, who have enjoyed worldwide pop success. ... The correct title of this article is . ... Alexisonfire (pronounced Alexis On Fire[1]) is a Juno Award-winning five-piece post-hardcore band from St. ... India Arie Simpson (born October 3, 1975), professionally known as India. ... Xavier Rudd was born in 1978 and is a multi-instrumentalist musician and surfer from Australia. ...

The 2006 festival saw continued growth with increased crowds and the move of the MBNA stage to Lisgar Collegiate Institute to provide more capacity. The main stage headliners were Great Big Sea, Bonnie Raitt, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Sam Roberts, Blue Rodeo, Live, Etta James, Rihanna, Wilco and KC’s Boogie Blast. Great Big Sea (often shortened to GBS) is a Canadian folk-rock band from Newfoundland and Labrador, best known for performing energetic rock interpretations of traditional Newfoundland folk songs including sea shanties, which draw from the islands 500-year-old Irish, English, and French heritage. ... Bonnie Raitt, (born November 8, 1949) is an American Blues-R&B singer, songwriter, and guitarist who was born in Burbank, California, the daughter of Broadway musical star John Raitt. ... Michael Franti publicity photo Michael Franti (born April 21, 1966, in Oakland, California) is an American poet, musician, and composer. ... Sam Roberts (born October 2, 1974) is a Juno Award winning Canadian rock singer-songwriter, whose 2002 debut release, The Inhuman Condition, became one of the bestselling independent releases in Quebec and Canadian music history. ... Blue Rodeo is a Canadian country rock band formed in 1984 in Toronto. ... Live (IPA pronunciation: , rhymes with five)[2] (also typeset as LIVE) is an American alternative rock band from York, Pennsylvania, comprised of Ed Kowalczyk (lead vocals and guitar), Chad Taylor (lead guitar), Patrick Dahlheimer (bass guitar) and Chad Gracey (drums). ... Etta James (born Jamesetta Hawkins January 25, 1938 in Los Angeles, California) is an American Blues, R&B and Gospel singer. ... Rihanna (born Robyn Rihanna Fenty on February 20, 1988) is a Bajan singer with musical influences from R&B, pop, reggae, rock, dancehall and funk. ... Wilco is an American rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. ...

It has been announced that the 2007 Ottawa Bluesfest will be held on Lebreton Flats as opposed to Festival Plaza. The Lebreton Flats site boasts more room than the previous venue, which would allow for a larger turn-out than in years past. It has also been announced that the new stage set-up will feature twin main stages much akin to the Austin City Limits Music Festival which will allow audiences to transfer between headlining acts with greater ease than before.

External links

• The Ottawa Cisco Systems Bluesfest
• Pictures from the 2004 Ottawa Bluesfest
• The Great Lawnchair Debate
• Bluesfest 2007 Preview

2007 LINEUP

Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest organizers today announced that Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, George Thorogood, Gary U.S. Bonds, Manu Chao, Sarah Harmer, Burnside Style, Steve Marriner, The White Stripes, Joel Plaskett, The Grass, The Flatlanders, Hedley, Faber Drive, George Clinton & The P-Funk All Stars, moe., The Steve Miller Band, Blue Rodeo, James Hunter, INXS, The Cat Empire, Kanye West, Henry Butler, The Rhythm Council, Bela Fleck & The Flecktones, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Ruthie Foster, Janiva Magness, Leahy, Diunna Greenleaf, Leo Kottke, Jonny Lang, Elmer Ferrer, Randy Newman, The Robert Cray Band, Edie Brickell & The New Bohemians, Blackie & The Rodeo Kings, Patrick Watson, Sam Roberts, Candye Kane, Papa Mali, Kid Koala, Toumani Diabaté, The Mighty Popo, Mihirangi, John Rae & The River, Hawksley Workman, Bob Schneider, Ohbijou, Spiral Beach, Final Fantasy, Alejandro Escovedo, Todd Snider, Ndidi Onukwulu, Ten Years After, Tokyo Police Club, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Steve Forbert, Deadstring Brothers, Detroit Women, Femi Kuti, Soul Jazz Orchestra, Mute Math, City and Colour, Shout Out Out Out Out, Buddy Guy, Fiona Boyes, Los Lobos, Chris Duarte, Xavier Rudd, Lucky Peterson, Larry McCray, Metric, Jim Bryson, Danny Michel, John Mooney, Alexisonfire, Watermelon Slim, IsWhat?!, David Maxwell, Samuel Jackson, AlexCuba, the bird and the bee, Matt Anderson, Dave Gunning, Dorit Chrysler, Stephen Fearing, Tom Wilson, Colin Linden, Rick Fines, some of the best gospel acts on the planet (such as Richie Righteous, The Canton Spirituals, Da T.R.U.T.H., The Toronto Mass Choir, Soul Influence, Chorale de la Prophétie, Patricia Shirley, and Ryan Lewis), the Solid Gold Dance Party—featuring Thelma Houston, The Village People, Taste Of Honey, Peaches And Herb, The Trammps, Anita Ward, France Jolie and the Solid Gold Dance Party Dancers & Band, plus many more performers will gather in Ottawa for the 14th annual Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest presented by the Ottawa Citizen, *beginning Wednesday, July 4 and running continuously through Sunday, July 15. A day-by-day list of performers is available at: www.ottawabluesfest.ca.