Michele LeTourneau
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Aug 18/00) - Since the first flight to Fort Smith yesterday morning to the final flight tonight, Yellowknife musicians have been jetting off to Friendship Festival.

Why?

Because it's as intense a musical experience as any Northern musician is likely to encounter.

You just have to check out Northern Skies' schedule to verify it.

On Friday they play two sets for kids and at least two half-hour sets Friday night. Saturday, there's a performance for elders.

Meanwhile, there's a guitar workshop and a percussion workshop. That's not even getting into jams, house parties ("every other house has a party") and the Super Shaker, the dance to beat all dances.

Ron Kent of Northern Skies has attended the South Slave festival "every year but the first year."

For Kent and his band-mate, Suzette Montreuil, this is the festival of festivals.

"Because you get to play so often, in such a variety of settings. People really appreciate the music. I feel like we've gotten more positive feedback in one weekend..." Montreuil says, her voice trailing off.

Fellow band member Greg O'Neil, a songwriter from Cape Breton, will join Kent and Montreuil for his first Friendship Festival experience. Judging by the enthusiasm the other two show, he's bound to have the best time of his life.

"I've actually gone on stage solo and ended my set with five or six guys playing. They just jump in and start playing. And that's welcome," says Kent.

"You feel like you're among equals and friends who love to make music," continues Montreuil.

Besides the wide variety of musical genres, all ages represented, from youth to elders.

"There's an openness. And there's a total variety of music. Some people think of the Friendship Festival as just country. But there's this core of what I'd call quite adventurous musicians, who do some pretty original music. There's the country stuff, and some of it is very good country. It's a real celebration of Northern musicians."

Kent -- who will be launching his own CD next weekend in Yellowknife -- says the best jam he's ever took part in happened at the Friendship Festival.

The jam was held at the golf course and the musicians, afraid for their instruments, left them behind in town.

"We ended up out there with three guitars, one acoustic, one electric and a bass, and 50 people. We had 50-part harmonies singing all these old rock and roll tunes. Some guy would do a riff. He finish and pass the guitar. Someone else would do a riff and pass the guitar.

"I think we did Mustang Sally for an hour.

"That was the neatest jam I've ever been at. I've never seen one like that before."

The South Slave Friendship Festival takes place in Fort Smith from Aug. 17-20.