Now in its seventh year, Wu Woom Festival gathers together performers of all ages from around the community to raise money and send Tla’amin Nation citizens to participate in the Vancouver Sun Run.
“Wu Woom” means singing, and the performances will showcase talented individuals from Powell River and Tla’amin, as well as many different cultures and age groups, according to Tla’amin citizen and event organizer Cyndi Pallen.
“We have many performers who attend every year,” said Pallen. “We have a Scottish piper, local drummers and singers and a couple of church choirs.”
To begin the evening, Tla’amin drummers and singers will lead a procession to open the event with traditional songs of the Tla'amin people. Singers from Lillooet and Squamish will also be joining and sharing their songs, said Pallen.
The idea for the festival came to Pallen after previous funding to attend the annual 10-kilometre race, which takes place in Vancouver in mid-April, was no longer available.
“We have been attending the Vancouver Sun Run for 15 years now,” said Pallen. “We used to have it covered by Tla’amin health services, and when they stopped doing that we started fundraising on our own to go.”
The event was originally scheduled for Saturday, March 3, but will now take place the following Saturday, March 10, starting at 6:30 pm in the Tla'amin Salish Centre. Pallen said event organizers are still looking for performers.
“We are still seeking artists who wish to share their cultural background through songs or traditional dance, or simply share any song or play an instrument,” she said.
Other performers include African drummers, a Danish folk singer and a country music duo.
Julie Froekjaer-Jensen performed Scandinavian songs at the event last year, not long after having moved to Powell River, and may perform again this year.
“I was really new to the community, and it was really heartwarming to see an evening celebrating cultural diversity across all cultures and interest in sharing musical traditions,” said Froekjaer-Jensen. “That was a very welcoming thing to experience.”
For those who would like to just be part of the audience, tickets will be available at the door.
“It’s an evening out for people,” said Pallen, “and it’s a lot of fun.”
