ONLINE FIRST MusicFest features plenty of neophyte acts to the three-day lineup

The Island's premier roots and world music festival is here after plenty of planning by organizer Doug Cox.

MusicFest 2008’s acts include Taj Mahal, the legendary Earl Scruggs with Family and Friends, The Weakerthans, the Jerry Douglas Band, Abigail Washburn's Sparrow Quartet featuring Bela Fleck and Rory Block.

Here’s a few that perhaps you haven’t already heard of, but they will leave deep impressions in your heart and soul at this year's MusicFest which opens July 11. Oh yeah, there's some old MusicFest favourites, too.

• Scottish Gaelic singer Maeve Mackinnon

Maeve Mackinnon is one of Scotland's foremost young Gaelic and Scots singers.

Born and bred in Glasgow, with Skye and Swedish ancestry, she is fast making a name for herself  with her fresh and contemporary interpretations of traditional Gaelic and non-Gaelic material.

• Canadian bluesmen Matt Andersen and Morgan Davis

New Brunswick’s Matt Andersen has an enigmatic personality coupled with a larger-than-life showmanship that has been earning him a fervent and steadfast audience wherever he graces the stage.

His sprawling blues, roots and rock musical hybrid with his sorrowing and soulful voice has sparked a phenomenal buzz on the East Coast, and that grassroots word of mouth cannot be contained any longer.

Morgan Davis has been on the road travelling across Canada, the United States and Europe for nearly four decades.

His performances draw from a rich tradition of country blues, as well as his own contemporary songs infused with wit and a large dose of humour.

Davis’ songwriting talent received international recognition when Colin James covered his searing ballad, Why'd You Lie.

• Music from New Guinea-Bissau with Eneida Marta and Band

Eneida Marta has been described as having one of the most beautiful female African voices of present-day artists.

She mixes her spectacular voice with rhythms like Gumbe, Morna, Singa, Tina-flamenco, Afro-beat, etc., and she sings in Mandinga, Fula, Criol, Futa-fula, and Portuguese.

Marta has always been fascinated by the traditional music of her country, Guinea-Bissau.

Its words and music take their inspiration from everyday life there.

The songs celebrate the brief intense moments of life, the traditions of solidarity between people, especially among women, the courage to live through hard times, and the struggle to stand up for love and your dreams.

• Singer-songwriters Enoch Kent and Chuck Brodsky

Scotland-born and now Canada-based, legendary interpreter and songsmith Enoch Kent’s love of traditional music was first inspired by his family. His father played the concertina, and popular songs, Scottish songs and old-time favourites were often sung at home.

Kent's own songwriting craft was further developed through The Singers Club (aka The Critics Group), which he co-founded with internationally renowned folksingers Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger. Since immigrating to Canada in the ’60s, he’s performed in many folk clubs and festivals across the country to wide acclaim.

Meanwhile, Chuck Brodsky returns to MusicFest. This down-to-earth musical storyteller, with his dry, barb-witted social commentary combined with a deep underlying compassion, knows that the best stories are the little things in the lives of everyday people trying to muddle through with some grace.

His great gift as a writer is to infuse these stories with humanity and humour, making them resonate profoundly with his listeners.

His spoken introductions to his songs can be as spellbinding as his colourful lyrics, which he brings to life with a well-travelled voice and a delivery that's natural and conversational.

His groove-oriented strumming and fingerpicking draw on influences from the mountains of western North Carolina where he now lives, and from lots of varied, good old traditional folk-stuff of all kinds.

• New Zealand’s Pacific Curls

This high-energy female trio presents an eclectic and progressive mix of world-roots music with Maori, Pacific and Celtic influences.

Pacific Curls show off their consummate musicianship with their impressive array of instruments, including taonga puoro (Maori instruments), ukulele, guitar, cajon (drum), tambourine, stompbox and the fiddle.

• Elliott  Brood

Elliott Brood has never been an easy outfit to describe. Since forming in late 2002, their sounds have been labelled “death country,” “blackgrass” and even “urban hillbilly” — none of which truly captures the essence or energy of the band.

With Elliott Brood, the storytelling is paramount. The band presents tales from the dustier sides of life in dimly lit rooms with half-empty bottles.

Rhythmic, banjo-led stomps and abusive acoustic strumming are married with an old-time thump to paint the scenes and characters driving the stories.

Elliott Brood has developed a reputation as one of the busiest and most exciting live bands in Canada.

Their energetic and raucous live performances have and continue to captivate audiences everywhere.