Photo: Melissa Campbell

FILE-Burton Cummings is performing at this years Roots and Blues festival in Salmon Arm. This was at 2023's Rock the Lake.

Classic Canadian artists will be lighting up the Roots and Blues stage in Salmon Arm later this year.

“For the closing band on Saturday night, I was thinking about classic Canadiana and the artists we’d love to see on that stage," artistic director Kevin Tobin said in a media release.

"I thought of Burton Cummings, one of the greatest rock voices in history, let alone Canadian history, and I could picture what that would sound like and what that would look like, with our mountain backdrop and the crowd coming together.”

That thought became reality with Cummings signing on to be the Salmon Arm festival's headliner for day two of the three-day festival, being held July 25-27.

“This is a very rare opportunity to have a musician of that calibre on our stage," Tobin said.

As the lead singer songwriter for The Guess Who, Canada’s original rock ‘n’ roll superstars, Cummings is known for hits, including American Woman, These Eyes and No Time. By 1970, The Guess Who had sold more records than the entire Canadian music industry combined before breaking up in 1975.

Friday night’s headliner will also be one of nostalgia for many as Los Lobos, of the famous hit La Bamba, performs.

They have this whole history of being influential on the rock ‘n’ roll scene, as well as with other sounds like Tex Mex and world music,” Tobin said.

In a year that’s seeing many turning to the arts and to supporting all that is Canadian—festival- goers can also look forward to Sunday night headliner Colin James.

At a time when the Canadian dollar is not what it once was against the American dollar, the currency of many bands, Tobin said curating a lineup like this year’s called for “being smart" with their choices and responsible with a budget.”

Beyond the main stage, festival-goers will have the chance to experience an eclectic mix of artists and music—from Africa and Scandinavia to string bands, banjo pickers, blues bands, funk bands and so much more, including Indigenous artists on the Plulk’w Place stage.

Festival weekend passes, day passes and camping are available online at rootsandblues.ca or by phone at 250-833-4096.