CBC MUSIC BRINGS THE CBCMUSIC.CA FESTIVAL BACK TO TD ECHO BEACH IN TORONTO

                        Featuring Bahamas, Patrick Watson, Joel Plaskett Emergency, Coeur de pirate, The Strumbellas, Lindi Ortega, Jenn Grant, Fred Penner, Tanika           Charles, Choir!                

      Choir! Choir!, and CBC’s Searchlight Winner  

      With a special live edition of CBC Radio’s The Debaters  

CBCMusic.ca is bringing the     CBCMusica.ca Festival back to Toronto. This year’s festival, produced by Live Nation Canada, will take place at TD Echo Beach       (909 Lakeshore Boulevard West) on Saturday, May 23, 2015.

      This special CBC event will showcase an exceptional, diverse, 100% Canadian lineup, featuring some of the hottest musical acts from across the country,       including:  

• Bahamas       - Toronto’s own Juno Award-nominated Bahamas came into the spotlight in 2009 with his album Pink Strat. With three albums, mass critical acclaim, and extensive international touring under his belt, Bahamas will take the stage at Echo Beach and perform from his new album,      Bahamas is Afie.
  
  
• Patrick Watson       -This singer-songwriter and his band have performed with Feist, Andrew Bird, Cinematic Orchestra, Philip Glass, James Brown and various symphonic orchestras. They won the Polaris Prize in 2007, have been nominated for Junos and capped off 2014 with four Felix awards. They have had their music featured on shows such as"The Walking Dead” and"Grey’s Anatomy”. With four albums on their resume and many successful toursthroughout the world, the band is set to release their next album in 2015.
  
  
• Joel Plaskett Emergency       - Respected producer, songwriter, singer, and guitar player Plaskett is about to release his new album, The Park Avenue Sobriety Test and tour       relentlessly yet again. He’s been honoured with Juno Awards, East Coast Music Awards, Music Nova Scotia Awards and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond       Jubilee Medal. Plaskett is truly one of Canada’s most celebrated and charming indie artists.
  
  
• Coeur de pirate       - Francophone singer-songwriter Beatrice Martin has been playing the piano since the tender age of three. She released three full-length albums by the       age of 25 and has received international attention for her music, including Juno Award nominations as well as four Felix Awards, one Canadian       Independent Music Award and one Victoires de la Musique Award.
  
  
• The Strumbellas - The six-piece folk-alternative-country band won the 2014 Juno Award for Roots & Traditional Album of the Year for their album     We Still Move on Dance Floors. The band has been extensively touring North America and is currently working on a new album.
  
  
• Lindi Ortega       - Canadian Country Music Award-winner, Juno Award- and Polaris Prize-nominated Ortega has played with the likes of Brandon Flowers (The Killers), toured all over the world and performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and Later…with Jools Holland. Ortega released her latest album     Tin Star back in 2013 to critical acclaim.
  
  
• Jenn Grant       - The folk pop singer-songwriter recently released her fifth full-length album, Compostela in late 2014 to mass critical acclaim and       persistent touring. She’s been nominated for Juno and Polaris Prize Awards, and has won a number of East Coast Music Awards.
  
  
• Fred Penner     —As a two-time Juno Award-winner for Best Children’s Album, Penner has been entertaining families for more than forty years. With an extensive       catalogue of albums, and a staple on CBC-TV (his show Fred Penner’s Place, aired on CBC-TV from 1985 to 1997), Penner will take the stage at       Echo Beach to perform some of his beloved hits.
  
  
• Tanika Charles     —Since stepping out of her role as a back-up vocalist for both Zaki Ibrahim and Bedouin Soundclash to front her own fiery, ‘60s soul and       Motown-influenced band The Wonderfuls, “Mz. Chawls”, as she is sometimes known, has quickly become the most buzzed- about soul singer in Toronto.
  
  
• Choir       ! Choir! Choir!     —Daveed Goldman and Nobu Adilman (a.k.a. DaBu) started Choir! Choir!Choir! as a weekly drop-in, no-commitment singing event in February 2011. Now       happening twice weekly, and open to anyone who likes to sing new arrangements of pop songs, C!C!C! boasts a dedicated and passionate membership of       inspired singers from in and around Toronto. They have performed live with Patti Smith at the Art Gallery of Ontario, Tegan and Sara on the Juno       Awards, at TEDx Toronto 2014, and the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival Closing Gala at Roy Thompson Hall.
  

      CBCMusic.ca’s Searchlight Winner - More information to follow.  

      In addition to the music performances, the CBCMusic.ca Festival will also highlight some of CBC’s exceptional talent. This will include a special live edition of The Debaters hosted by award-winning stand-up comedian     Steve Patterson, Kids’ CBC crafts and activities with entertainment throughout the day including Mamma Yamma, and       appearances throughout the day by CBC Radio 2 hosts Rich Terfry and Tom Power, with more to be       announced at a later date.  

      Tickets for the CBCMusic.ca Festival will go on sale Friday, Jan. 30 through Ticketmaster. General admission tickets will be available for $39.50 (plus FMF and service charges), free for kids 12 and under. Tickets are available at     LiveNation.com, all Ticketmaster outlets and by phone at 1-855-985-5000. The show is all-ages.               CBCMusic.ca                     will have an exclusive advance sale for users on Thursday, Jan. 29 from 10 a.m. ET until 10 p.m. ET. Those who purchase tickets       through the advance sale will receive a CBC Music toque.  

      For more information on the pre-sale and the festival, please visit cbcmusic.ca/festival and follow along       on social with the hashtag #CBCMusicFest.