First published in the Blue Stone Press, June 19, 2009

This upcoming weekend of June 20 and 21 marks the 40th anniversary of the famed music and environmental festival Clearwater, The Great Hudson River Revival. On deck will be Grenadilla, a new aggregate of eight local musicians, hailing originally from as close in as Stone Ridge, Kripplebush, High Falls and Walker Valley to as far yonder as the African continent. Grenadilla members are Debbie Lan (vocals, pennywhistle, piano, arrangements), Jodi Palinkas, Leah Glennon,  (vocals, pennywhistle) Annmarie Callan, Brittany Sacash, Natasha Williams (all on vocals), Ken McGloin  (bass and guitar) and Dean Sharp (drums and percussion). The community will recognize the names of Grenadilla’s singers and instrumentalists from friendships formed at High Meadow School, Bloom Ensemble, Dog on Fleas and professional appearances around the county.

Grenadilla is the creation of Debbie Lan, singer and arranger, long time composer/lyricist of captivating songs for all ages, pianist and percussionist. Lan imbues the repertoire with the spice and tang of “kwela,” a music indigenous to Cape Town in South Africa, her homeland. 

This weekend’s Festival highlights Pete Seeger’s 90th year and the ongoing work of protecting the Hudson River through advocacy and public education. Lan, a veteran Clearwater performer, treasures the festival for its musical diversity and wealth of environmentally friendly information. Grenadilla will bring propulsive “kwela” spirit and scintillation to the Family Stage at 12 p.m. on Saturday, June 20. Festival goers can expect to hear them play such originals as I’d Rather be Singing; Got Light; and Arabella Angelique, a paradoxical portrait in which the performers step, jump and gesture, all the while singing of inertia, lassitude, even malaise. With a nod to the great Belfast song man, the group will also cover Van Morrison’s, “I Shall Sing,” which opens with a soaring vocal trio that pulls audiences in and holds them until the last note drifts away.