Local Songwriters Rita di Ghent and Astrid Young are keeping one foot in the future and one in the past as they take to the road forging a first in Canadian History. 

The pair are playing series of dates in Atlantic Canada and Quebec this spring and are kicking off their tour tonight at Karlo Estates’ wine lounge.

The evening starts at 6:00 p.m. and include  three wine tastings, a vegan dinner, the concert, and a Q and A–all for $47.

From there, the Young and di Ghent will be ‘Journeying’ eastbound on an old school bent.

“It should be said that we’re doing this tour old-school. No tour managers, no band,  just us, our instruments, and my canine companion, Pearly Mae,” said di Ghent. “We’re travelling via ‘Cayute,’ my 1984 motorhome grassroots like troubadours. But then again, we won’t be without our luxuries. We’ve got some groovy places to stay along the way.”

“The journey is the inspiration. Journeying through life, pain, joy, and the continuing pursuit of the muse,” added Young.

Neither songwriter is ready to hang up their hat and  both believe journeys are for moving on hence the name of the tour, di Ghent & Young: Journeying. 

“We had a number of conversations about the timelessness of music and about our adventures and misadventures as rebellious young girls and creators over our many years. I suggested the name Journeying for the tour because we’re still on a journey and will continue to be. Our creative endeavours will always be relevant throughout our lives as we gain wisdom and knowledge,” explained di Ghent.

Since 1990, di Ghent has brought her unique blend of jazz, song, and gritty poetry to the stage. They earned widespread acclaim that includes two nominations for Jazz Vocalist of the Year from the National Jazz Awards and a nomination for Montreal Jazz Festival’s Prix de Jazz for their groundbreaking album The Birth of Sprawl. 

“It’s my lineage. I come from an ancestry of artists and storytellers,” said di Ghent. “It’s what my whole family did. We all played instruments, and there was always music playing in the house. I thought all families were like that until I found out otherwise!”

Sprawl contains a combination of traditional jazz, contemporary urban music and painterly stories that continues to captivate audiences worldwide. 

“Some songs are crafted. Some songs come from Spirit, Creator. All are stories.  All of the best, most authentic stories are retrieved from the murky, scary part of our psyches, eh? Some storytellers feel called to go there, to the very bones of our ancestral memories and our banished and painful experiences and to bring back what’s there and to share it with others as medicine. Authentic feelings are very scary to look at. I think that’s why there are so many love songs. Love is a happy, even escapist, place to be. Yet, it’s only one component of our human experience,” said di Ghent 

The New York Times, referred to di Ghent as one of the most interesting singers of the contemporary era. 

Meanwhile, Young is a singer-songwriter with influences that range from classic to rock, with a splash of blues and county in between. Young can play a 12-string like a weapon and isn’t scared to change her strings the day of a show.

“Usually, the music comes first, but there are no rules, boundaries, or templates. It comes when it comes, and you just honour that in the moment, as a moment. Art exists in the moment of creation,” stated Young.

Blues Hamilton notes that there is a musical surprise around every corner.

“Though our music is very different, we share a lot of similar life experiences in our separate journeys. Those journeys become stories, the stories become music, and this is where we intersect,” said Young.

The two veteran songwriters are booked every night of the tour. Their first gig will be in New Brunswick, where they will play St. John, Salisbury, St. Andrews, Campbellton, Fredericton and Perth. After travelling the province, they will be coming back west towards Prince Edward County as they do a couple of dates in Quebec

There will be no need to fret. Our lovely community will get the chance to support the songwriters as they kick off their tour with a preview this Saturday in the County, showing up close and personal to a live audience at Karlo Estates Wine Lounge.

The evening will start at 6:00 pm. With a few wine tastings, a vegan dinner, the concert and a Q and A. Don’t worry; they won’t stop there. Between sets, there will be a contest to guess the details of the adventures and misadventures that di Ghent and Young have experienced over their many years on the road.  

“Rita and I met in the county through the music community and have always talked about doing something together,” said Young. “After almost 20 years of talking about it, it’s finally happening!”

For more information please visit www.karloestates.com/live-entertainment-yoga/dinner-and-a-show-with-rita-di-ghent-astrid-young