Garnet Rogers

This year s recipient of the Helen Verger Award is Garnet Rogers, a highly respected singer-songwriter who has released eight albums, has been nominated for a Juno Award and is becoming well known for his community involvement.

The Helen Verger Award is presented each year to an artist who has made valuable contributions to Canadian folk music. The award was established in 1995 in memory of Helen Verger, co-owner of Ottawa s legendary folk cafe, Rasputin s. Helen is fondly remembered by the local folk community. "My mother was very practical, but she loved beauty and she saw something beautiful in a song," recalled Helen s son, Dean, who continues to operate Rasputin s. "But more than the songs she loved the people who wrote them." Local musicians gravitated towards Helen and came to her for advice, encouragement, delicious meals and occasional loans.

Past recipients of the award include Murray McLauchlan, Colleen Peterson, Sylvia Tyson, Bruce Cockburn, Ferron, lan Tamblyn and Chopper McKinnon. "It is an honour to receive this award, considering the past winners," said Garnet in a recent phone interview. "These are people I admire and revere and they have had a huge impact on my life."

Garnet began his musical career right after high school as a violin player with his famous older brother, Stan. Together they became one of the most influential folk acts in North America and toured extensively until Stan s death in 1983. Since then, Garnet has established himself as a respected solo artist. An eloquent songwriter with a rich baritone voice and a powerful stage presence, Garnet plays several instruments, including guitar and flute. He is more comfortable in his role as time goes on. "I feel more confident now about what I do," reflected Garnet. "When you get older, you are less afraid to make mistakes. I have an audience that supports me and there is a large degree of trust involved."

In fact, he is clearly enjoying this phase of his career. "I am having more fun now than I ever have in my life," Garnet said. "And for a 45-year-old guy who has been making music more than half my life, that is a miracle." Garnet travels frequently across Canada and is becoming increasingly popular in the United States, where he receives significant radio airplay.

"The quality of the material Garnet creates and performs is so high, we believe he is creating music of lasting value," commented CKCU Ottawa Folk Festival Artistic Director, Chris White, who praised him as a musical innovator. "He has never been afraid to take his music one step further. Garnet is a painter who works with music as his medium."

Garnet is beginning to get as much praise for his generosity as he is for his musicianship. For instance, this past January he agreed to turn his show at the National Library of Canada into a benefit for the Snowsuit Fund. "He doesn t live here but he feels a great sense of connectedness to our community," said local music promoter Joe Reilly. "That speaks volumes about him and his character." Garnet feels it is important to use one s fame for good purposes and is inspired by folksingers such as Utah Phillips, an American activist and union organizer. "I believe in community and serving community," Garnet said. "It doesn t matter that Ottawa is seven hours drive away, it s my community because I work there."

In Ottawa, Garnet has a loyal following and he performs here at least once a year. He enjoys performing in a special club in Wakefield where high quality entertainment is showcased. "The Black Sheep Inn is just magic," said Garnet. "It s really low key and fun, and all the positive aspects of a show are there for me."

Garnet has been looking forward to appearing at the CKCU Ottawa Folk Festival. "Ottawa has one of the nicer folk festivals," he observed. He is eager to introduce Ottawa audiences to his good friend, American singer-songwriter Greg Brown. "I don t think there is a better songwriter living in the world," declared Garnet. "1 hope people get a chance to hear him."