All three will perform sets of around 20 minutes to delegates at Band on the Wall at 25 Swan Street, Northern Quarter, Manchester, M4 5JZ on the morning of Friday, 14 October.
Katy Spicer, Chief Executive and Artistic Director of the English Folk Dance and Song Society, said: ‘As a founding partner of EFEx, EFDSS is delighted to be showcasing artists alongside the main EFEx/Manchester Folk Festival programme. We focus on emerging artists, and artists who are developing a new band or forging a solo career, or developing a new sound. Our showcase at English Folk Expo is a strand of EFDSS’ Artists’ Development Programme which also includes the Alan James Creative Bursary programme and showcase platforms at Sidmouth Folk Festival and Stage4Beverley Festival.’
Marie Bashiru
Hailing from south-east London, Marie Bashiru is a singer/songwriter whose music resembles a melting pot of folk, soul and indie rock. Though hard to pin down to a single genre, Marie’s biographical writing talents paired with her soulful melodies have seen her selected by The Independent as one of the Artist Spotlights of 2020 and one of BBC’s Tom Robinson’s Fresh Finds.
Marie has also featured on BBC Radio 4, Radio London, BBC Introducing and Reprezent radio. With a nationwide tour in 2022, Marie’s unique sound, earnest and time-honed artistry points to a new and fresh generation of singer-songwriters in British music.
In 2020 Marie received a bursary from the English Folk Dance and Song Society as part of the Alan James Creative Bursary programme, to research the perennial power of folk music within the English music landscape, particularly considering the experiences of people of colour within the tradition of English folk music and British Empire rule and society. In 2021 Marie was awarded a creative associate bursary from the English Folk Dance and Song Society to develop her research and writing further.
Oliver Cross & Eleanor Servanté
Oliver Cross and Eleanor Servanté met through their love of collecting, arranging, and playing traditional music. They sing and play music from the North on fiddle, hurdy-gurdy, and harmonicas. Their repertoire includes folk tunes and songs of historical events, or great tragedies, that still resonate today.
In 2019 Oliver Cross was awarded a bursary from the English Folk Dance and Song Society as part of Alan James Creative Bursary programme to research material relating to aspects of his family history and to develop his performance repertoire. His work was presented on video at the English Folk Expo in 2021 and will be returning this year to make an in-person performance.
Owen Spafford and Louis Campbell
Owen Spafford and Louis Campbell met as members of the National Youth Folk Ensemble. They have performed across England, from Cecil Sharp House to Sidmouth Folk Festival. Their debut album ‘You, Golden’ will be released in November 2022. “Brave, brilliant, deeply musical and creative” – Martin Simpson.
Owen has previously performed at The English Folk Expo in 2018 as part of the trio Nidd, alongside fellow National Youth Folk Ensemble members Kerran Cotterall and Ellen McGovern.
