NEWS RELEASE
MARIPOSA FOLK FESTIVAL
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On March 15, the unpredictable, roller-coaster winter weather will be pushed out of mind by a night of musical sunshine, courtesy of the Mariposa Folk Festival’s third and final concert of its 2024-25 season.
That night, award-winning Indigenous singer-songwriter Amanda Rheaume and folk-pop trio School House will be taking to the St. Paul’s Centre stage to sing away any late winter blues.
“Both Amanda Rheaume and School House were crowd favourites at the Mariposa Folk Festival in July and this March concert will reprise their unique musical stylings and bring us all a little Mariposa sunshine,” Mariposa Folk Festival President Pam Carter said.
The concert is on Saturday, March 15, at St. Paul’s Centre, 62 Peter Street North, Orillia. Doors open at 7 p.m. Show starts at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $35 (all fees and taxes included) and are available at the Mariposa Folk Festival office, 10 Peter Street South in downtown Orillia, or online at this link.
Amanda Rheaume
Recipient of the 2024 Spirit of Folk Award, 2023 Canadian Folk Music Award for Indigenous Songwriter of the Year and the 2023 Capital Music Awards’ Album of the Year, Amanda Rheaume’s rootsy, guitar-driven ballads introduce crucial dimensions to the world of Heartland Rock.
In a genre characterized by anthems of underdogs, assumptions and unfair advantages, Rheaume’s sound and story radically expand the boundaries, both geographic and cultural, to make space for new perspectives on resistance and resilience. A Citizen of the Métis Nation, and an active and proud member of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, Rheaume’s music is indeed from the heart, and the land.
First a songwriter, Rheaume comes from a long line of tireless, transformational organizers and activists. She carries this lineage forward in her ever-growing role as a crucial builder of Indigenous music infrastructure and community. From the International Indigenous Music Summitand Ishkode Records, to the National Indigenous Music Office, the goal of raising Indigenous sovereignty in the music industry drives all of Rheaume’s work.
Rheaume has released 5 full-length albums and four EPs, all while fostering a self-managed career travelling on numerous tours and achieving many milestones. 2013’s Keep a Fire was nominated for a JUNO Award and won a Canadian Folk Music Award for Indigenous Songwriter of the Year. As a follow-up to 2022’s The Spaces In Between, Rheaume is currently writing her next full-length album, set to release in 2025.
School House
2024 Mariposa Showcase winner School House is a folk band from Ottawa. After moving in together in 2021, the three best friends discovered that their new home was a century-old school house — inspiring the name and giving them a dedicated space to create. They were awarded Group of the Year at the 2024 Ottawa Music Awards and their debut release was named Album of the Year by Ottawa Faces Magazine.
Their sound was born around a campfire, taking turns sharing songs and joining in three-part harmony. They combine upbeat singalongs with emotive folk ballads to bring a wise, yet youthful perspective to the Canadian folk music scene. Releasing their debut album in 2023 and an Acoustic EP in 2024; the band has amassed over 350k online streams.
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