Saturday, Aug. 16 is the date for Campbell River’s first annual music festival – Rockin’ The Island.
With 10 All-Canadian bands and artists performing, this year’s talent will deliver an incredible show that all ages will enjoy.
One of this year’s festival artists will be Don Amero.
While a lot has happened for Amero in a short time, it actually was a long road for him to get where he is now. From the notoriously tough North End of Winnipeg, Amero faced his share of adversity growing up.
With poverty, gangs, drugs and violence all around, fortunately, his life was tempered by love, support, and faith.
Amero’s desire to take a shot at music was ignited with the surprise success of his debut album – fittingly called Change Your Life. Released in the fall of 2006, the single Freight Train reached #1 on the National Aboriginal Countdown.
In 2009, Amero’s second album Deepening saw two more singles – I’m Just Me and She – climb to #1 on the National Aboriginal Countdown.
Deepening earned him Aboriginal Songwriter of the Year at the Canadian Folk Music Awards, Male Artist of the Year at the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards.
Amero’s third album The Long Way Home was released in the fall of 2010, receiving rave reviews from media and fans alike.
In 2011, The Long Way Home was named Aboriginal Recording of the Year at the Western Canadian Music Awards, where he performed at the awards show.
The album won Best Folk Recording at the 2011 Native American Music Awards and Best Country Single at the 2012 Indian Summer Music Awards (ISMA) in Milwaukee. Amero won Male Entertainer of the Year at the 2012 Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards (APCMA).
Heart On My Sleeve is Amero’s fourth album, and a self‐produced labour of love. He proudly calls it his most personal album to date. This album was nominated for Aboriginal Album of the Year at the 2013 JUNO Awards.
It won Aboriginal Album of the Year at the 2013 Western Canadian Music Awards in Calgary, Best Country Single at the 2013 ISMA in Milwaukee, Best Folk/Acoustic Album at the 2013 APCMA among many more awards for this album.
Amero has experienced many career highlights so far, including being nominated for the 2013 JUNO Awards and being selected to showcase at the National Museum of the American Indian in New York performing for a full‐house of New York music lovers and conference delegates. He recently was featured at the Bella Coola Music Festival this summer right here on the West Coast.
Give Amero a rockin’ welcome on Saturday, Aug. 16 at the first annual Rockin’ The Island as he is going to wow you at Campbell River’s own Music Festival.
Tickets are on-line at www.tidemarktheatre.com till Aug. 11; then on site at the music festival site, 1490 Island Highway North in Campbellton from August 12 - 16. Tickets are $70 for adults, $50 for students, $40 for children 4 – 11 years and free for 3 and under; Family Passes available July 30th for $199.
For more details, www.rockintheisland.ca