Yellowknife (May 14/04) - Fifteen thousand dollars a year over the next three years. That's big money with no whammies for the Folk on the Rocks Festival, courtesy De Beers Canada.

It's the kind of cash that will allow Folk on the Rocks to fly in some big-time international talent, says Folk on the Rocks executive director Tracey Bryant.

"This allows us to look at larger international acts with higher costs such as Allakomi, which is all thanks to De Beers," Bryant says.

Allakomi hail from Burkina Faso, West Africa. Seydou Zon, the group's patriarch, transmits his culture through song. His seven sons double as his fellow percussionists in the band.

The diamond mega-miner stepped up where the City of Yellowknife sat back.

During budget debates earlier this year, city councillors voted down a proposal to donate $3,700 to Folk on the Rocks to cover renting equipment from the city.

Councillors also turned thumbs down to a $5,000 boost to the entertainment organizer's $15,000 in core funding from the city.

Folk on the Rocks comment at the time said the lack of added support weakened the festival's ability to survive an event that might bomb because of bad weather.

"We don't want to be a money-grubbing festival with a beer tent open 12 hours a day (to boost revenues)," said festival treasurer Angelo Cocco at that council meeting.

"(The De Beers sponsorship) gives us the freedom to provide the same kind of programming as similar events in Edmonton and Calgary," Bryant says of the diamond knight in shining armour.

For De Beers, it's another way to stay connected to the NWT. "We believe it is important to complement our investment in training and development with support for events such as Folk on the Rocks," said John McConnell, vice-president of De Beers' NWT Projects.

The Folk on the Rocks Festival is set up to benefit Northern performers. Fifty per cent of the performers are Northern while another 48 per cent come from across Canada with two per cent of the performers being from parts outside of Canuck territory.

This year's edition of the Folk on the Rocks festival runs from July 16-18.

Allakomi will also perform at De Beers' Snap Lake Diamond Project, 220 kilometres northeast of Yellowknife, on the Monday following the festival.