It was a deer that found the festival’s eventual location, Kala Siddha says.
After four years of organizing an annual gathering that focused on music, yoga and personal transformation, the Vancouver resident realized the fun event had outgrown its roots in the backyard of a friend’s house on the Squamish Nation reserve. The makeshift stage, salmon barbecues and handmade bannock were wonderful, but Siddha and his friends had bigger plans. They wanted to take the relatively low-key event to the next level, opening it up to a wider audience. But they needed a new home.
“We were sitting above Sunwolf and this deer walked past,” Siddha says. “We followed it and it led us to this beautiful property across from Fergie’s (Café).”
Months later, the band of friends discovered the lot’s owners had applied to the District of Squamish to allow public events on the 70 acres that looks over the Cheakamus River. Now Siddha is days away from hosting the inaugural Blessed Coast Festival.
“This is definitely more than a festival. It’s a cultural experience,” Siddha says of the event that will run from Friday, Aug. 21 to Sunday, August 23.
The three-day event features everything from breathing workshops to Juno Award-nominated electronic musician Adham Shaikh. With child-minding available in the morning and children’s programs woven between the events throughout the day, the festival aims to be ultra-inclusive, Siddha says.
“We’ve had grandmothers and daughters and granddaughters all coming to our other events,” he notes. “We’ll have a whole area dedicated to family activities. We want our parents to come out and party with us.”
Siddha is looking forward to the workshop with Robin Clements from the Baja Wellness Centre. Clements will lead three, two-hour breathing journeys. Clements teaches conscious circular breathing techniques.
Siddha practises shamanic breathwork. The breathing method aims to balance body, soul and mind through a combination of breathing, cathartic movement and chakra-attuned music.
“It is powerful,” Siddha says. “For me, I always feel like I leave having resolved something on a deep level.”
More than 10 facilitators will lead workshops and there’s something for everyone, Siddha says. Health coach Aga Postawska infuses theatre games and meditation techniques with the goal of liberating body, mind and soul. Yoga instructor Lucy Lambert is known for her energetic classes. Get Storied founder Michael Margolis teaches a new form of shamanic storytelling for the digital age; his company has advised industry leaders like Google on the business of storytelling. It’s a broad mix of professionals, Siddha says.
“We will have an opening ceremony with elders from the Squamish Nation,” he adds. “There’s also medicine men from indigenous tribes from around the world.”
More than 30 musicians will take to the stage. Their music ranges from folk bands to hip-hop and dupstep by Isaac Chambers.
Siddha is among the talent lineup. Last February, Siddha returned to Vancouver after spending a month in India, where he recorded three music videos. He blends ancient Sanskrit mantras and yoga wisdom with hard-hitting hip hop and R&B-inspired sounds.
“We shot the videos for about a week,” he says, noting it was an amazing experience.
Although inspired by festivals like Bass Coast, the new Blessed Coast festival aims to move away from some of the heavier, electronic dance music and the drugs that accompany it, Siddha says. The days are filled with performances by singer-songwriters with acoustic instruments. At night the DJs hit the stage, with a focus on world beats and sacred music.
“We wanted to appeal to everybody,” he says, adding art installations will be scattered around the festival grounds.
Siddha can’t think of a better place to hold the inaugural event than in Squamish. From Cheekye Ranch, participants have views over the Tantalus Mountain range. The land is where the Cheakamus, Cheekye and Squamish rivers meet. There is a sandy beach along a river at a back eddy where festival-goers will be able to safely swim, Siddha adds.
“It’s just an amazing place,” he says.
There will be camping available at the festival.
For more information about the festival visit www.blessedcoast.ca.
