TravelNevada
Thousands travel each year to hear performances at North America’s mecca of Cowboy Culture. This year’s gathering is January 26th to 31st, 2015.
Legendary singer-songwriter Ian Tyson and popular Canadian country band Corb Lund and the Hurtin’ Albertans are among the musicians from Canada and the U.S. chosen to perform at the prestigious 31st annual National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, Nevada (east of Reno) this January.
Each year, thousands of fans from across the continent make the trek to Elko to bask in cowboy culture. Elko is at the epicentre of everything we know as the Wild West, and cowboy poetry dates back to the mid-1800s, rooted in the yarns spun, and songs sung, by cowboys around the campfire.
Best known for classics like Navajo Rug, Four Strong Winds, and Someday Soon, Ian Tyson has been covered by many artists from Neil Young to Judy Collins. He is recognized as one of North America’s top singer/songwriters in the western music genre, and a true cowboy in his own right. He sells out each year at this event, and will be joined this year by Corb Lund and other Western Canadian artists recognized for their contribution to this special art form.
Corb Lund was born and raised in Southern Alberta, comes from four generations of ranchers and cowboys and is a mainstay on the Canadian music scene
Eli Barsi is a Western roots singer, songwriter, musician and yodeler raised on the prairies of southeastern Saskatchewan. Barsi has had radio charting singles, Country Music Television videos, and has been recognized with awards from both sides of the border
Southern Alberta's Cowboy Celtic makes the natural connection between traditional cowboy songs, the music of Ireland and Scotland, and the documented Celtic origins of cowboy music. Featuring traditional songs, old tunes with new lyrics, and David Wilkie's original material, the band’s music reflects the real world of the West and the rural Celts
Ed Peekeekoot grew up on the Ahtahkakoop Cree First Nation in Saskatchewan, where his family was involved in ranching, farming and music. Now living on Vancouver Island, Peekeekoot is a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter and storyteller who performs original songs, guitar tunes and foot-stomping fiddle, accompanied by a good dose of Cree humour and philosophy.
The Western Folklife Center, producer of the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, has a long history of organizing cultural exchanges at the Gathering with people from around the globe who work with cattle, horses and other livestock. Enthusiasts come from far and wide to participate in open mic sessions, discussions about living in the modern west, and to see exhibits about cowboy culture in the North American West and across the globe.
“Cowboy culture isn’t just American. Many countries around the world, including Canada, have rich traditions of herding and animal husbandry,” says David Roche, Executive Director of the Western Folklife Center. “The influence of performers like Ian Tyson and all of the Canadian artists we’ve had over the years at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering is testament to how widespread the legacy of the cowboy lifestyle is.”
This year, vaqueros from Mexico’s Baja California Sur will come to share their traditional acoustic music, ranch cuisine, local art, craftwork, lore and humour. After nearly 300 years, these direct descendants of Spanish missionary soldiers still maintain their horseback traditions, using riding equipment patterned after the horse gear of their Spanish ancestors. These ranching families are the living link between Spain and the American buckaroo.
For tickets, information and videos of past performances, visit westernfolklife.org.