Vancouver Festival Afloat - Jericho Beach

An paddle powered, on-the-water floating concert!

SATURDAY
August 14, 2021
7:00pm Pacific - Jericho Beach
DesireeDawson

Desirée Dawson

Desirée Dawson is a recording artist, songwriter, producer and yoga teacher. Desiree was born, raised and is currently residing on the, occupied, traditional, unceded lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ilwətaɁɬ / sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations (also knows as “Vancouver BC”) and can often be found sharing her music internationally. Desirée is of mixed ancestry, her mother French-Canadian settler ancestry from "Ontario '' and her father is of African descent from "South Carolina ''. Desiree is very passionate about music’s role in collective healing, by encouraging listeners to find a connection within themselves and the people and land around them. A CBC radio favorite, Desirée's music has been featured on numerous CBC programs, has her songs on regular rotation and won the CBC Searchlight contest in 2016. Over the last couple years, Desirée has been chosen for numerous high profile opportunities across the industry, whether as a songwriter in the Discovery Song Camp with Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, participant in the Allan Slaight JUNO Masterclass, artist in the Vancouver Folk Fest,juror in the inaugural Black Canadian Music Awards, or various sync placements. Desirée passionately supports her community through a variety of music-based workshops and gatherings. Whether performing solo with her baritone Ukulele, in harmony with her band or leading sound healing workshops, Desirée’s music is made to get us feeling and healing. 

Newest release: Meet You At The Light EP, August 13 2021.

You are invited...

Summer is here, and the ocean is calling. After a challenging year of separation and uncertainty, we’re so excited to invite you to a Festival Afloat! 

On Saturday August 14th, RAVEN is presenting a unique, pandemic-friendly Floating Concert in the waters just off Jericho Beach. Featuring soul songstress Desirée Dawson, paddlers will surround the Providence, a gorgeous wooden sailing ship that will serve as the ‘stage’ for the evening’s performance. 

This socially distanced, on-the-water concert offers all of us a way to come together in a creative, safe, and supportive way, and at the same time  stand in support of First Nations’ access to justice, to level the playing field so that Indigenous rights and stewardship values can be upheld by the courts.

 

Get tickets: https://fundraise.raventrust.com/event/festival-afloat-vancouver/e349034

 

Bring your canoe, kayak, stand-up paddleboard or rowboat to launch at Jericho Beach, or paddle over from Spanish Banks, Kits Beach or False Creek. It’s summertime parking, so plan to arrive early  and go for a swim or paddle before the 7:00 pm start time. We’ll have facilitators helping load and unload boats and direct traffic. 

No boat? Watch from shore at Jericho Pier!

This promises to be a joyous community gathering to raise funds for Heiltsuk Nation’s “Step Up for Coast Heroes” campaign. The central-coast Nation is in the midst of a groundbreaking Indigenous Environmental Assessment project that pairs western science with traditional knowledge to uncover the full impacts of the Nathan E. Stewart disaster, while charting a way forward to restore ecosystem health. The legal challenge - with support from RAVEN - is about protecting marine ecosystems, as the case aims to enshrine the caretaker values and stewardship plans of Heiltsuk Nation into law. 

 

Can’t come? You can deepen this gathering’s impact with a tax-deductible donation : give now, and your contribution will be doubled