Daron Letts
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (July 01/05) - Yellowknife's Ceilidh Friends will wrap up a series of performances at the World Expo in Aichi, Japan, this weekend.

From June 21-July 3 Dawn Lacey, Steve Lacey, Moira Cameron and Steve Goff are playing traditional and modern folk music on a circular wooden bandstand in the site's global commons.

"This has been an amazing experience," Steve Lacey said.

The musicians described their mostly Japanese audiences as warm and very attentive. About 40 to 100 people watch their sets each day and they expect the numbers will be increase this weekend.

"When Moira and I look out from the stage to make eye contact with the audience, we see some wonderful expressions," Dawn Lacey said.

Last week the Friends played with German and French musicians during a multicultural party.

They've seen demonstrations by Cameroon dancers, Japanese drummers, Bulgarian bagpipers and singers and dancers from Morocco and the Ukraine.

Main stage performance

Ceilidh Friends will play on the main stage in the centre of the Expo grounds on Canada Day.

Dozens of Canadian artists are participating in the cultural program, including Ann-Marie MacDonald and Alanis Morissette.