And So The Beat Goes On

Colour oblique aerial photograph of a town on the shore of an elongate narrow body of water with wooded islands which is bordered by forested hills.

Aerial view looking northwest of Ladysmith Harbour and Town, 2020.

Colour photograph of one side of a town street lined with two and three story early 20th century buildings of varied heritage character. Many have canvas awnings over their ground floor shopfronts.

Ladysmith’s First Avenue is lined with heritage buildings built between 1900 and 1915.

Ladysmith and District continues to be a hopping place, rich in the number and variety of its musicians who collectively reflect the community’s cultural kaleidoscope.

Colour photograph of a Coast Salish musician standing on a stage in front of a microphone playing an acoustic electric guitar and singing.

Stz’uminus First Nation Singer/Song Writer Nate Harris performing at the May 2023 Ladysmith Forest Festival.

Coast Salish music and language traditions are preserved and performed both by Stz’uminus First Nation elders such as George Harris and Buffie David and by youth in the Young Wolves Dance Group. Not all First Nations musicians follow tradition, however: Nate Harris is setting his own path with his distinctive voice, original songs and accomplished guitar playing.

The Secondary School Band continues to offer a venue for learning and entertaining, its excellence shown by past successes competing in places like Idaho, Edmonton, Vancouver, Calgary, Oregon and by performing in venues such as Expo 86 in Vancouver.

Venues such as the Bean Time Café and the local bars frequently feature visiting and local solo artists such as David Bitonti and groups such as Skellig, Dead Byrds and the Grinning Barretts.

VIDEO Ryan McMahon (captions available in FR and EN). Enjoy this video with a transcript (EN)

Colour photograph of a five-piece rock band performing on a small outdoor stage shielded from the sun by a white tent.

Rock Group ‘Skellig’ performing at the Ladysmith Forest Festival.

The Stz’uminus First Nation and its Young Wolves continue to drum and sing at community gatherings while talented local artists such as Nate Harris, Ryan McMahon and David Gogo along with groups such as Skellig entertain and delight local and international audiences.

While technology has changed the way we mostly interact with music by streaming onto our mobile devices, the constant is that music remains fundamental to our ‘being’.

And so the Beat Goes On.

Black and white portrait photograph of a seated bearded man, hair cut above the ears and parted on the left wearing a wrangler style shirt, long sleeves rolled up to the elbows, and denim jeans.

Ladysmith Singer/Song Writer Ryan McMahon, 2022.

Fun at the Beach Credits And Sources