When is a folk festival not a folk festival?

Depending on who you talk to, the Calgary Folk Music Festival is either one of the best folk festivals in North America or ... well... it's not a folk festival at all.

During the course of the four-day event (and at least once after it was over) I was involved in conversations - not instigated by me - about whether or not the festival should drop the word folk from its name.

The discussion was sparked by this year's line-up (as well as last year's and the year before.. and so on). The 2006 Calgary Folk Festival included performers many fans of traditional folk music - or "folkies" as they are known to people who traffic in clichés - would probably not concider folk music.

The list includes Broken Social Scene, Feist, Macy Gray and Matthew Good along with artists who fit the more traditional singer-songwriter definition such as Garnet Rogers, Dar Williams and Jez Lowe (who still don't fit other people's definition of folk but that's for another article).

Anyhoo, I find the whole issue rather tiresome but I will explain why the festival should retain the word folk in its name and, frankly, it has nothing to do with the horrible age-old argument over the definition of folk music.

The Calgary Folk Festival is structured like a folk festival, which distinguishes it from other kinds of music festivals. It is as simple as that.

It happens at one site, outdoors, with a number of side stages reserved for workshops, concerts and jams as well as a main stage. The set up is much different than jazz and bluegrass festivals I have attended and, from what I have read, most rock festivals - punk and metal - rarely feature collaborations. That is one feature that makes the Calgary Folk Festival, and other folk festivals, so special.

Is it all folk music? Who cares?

Is it a folk festival? Absolutely.