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Escapade Music Festival brings electronic dance music to life Canada Day weekend celebration takes over RA Centre
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Sabine Gibbins Sabine.gibbins@metroland.com
EMC Entertainment – Pump up the volume, Ottawa. The beat will go on for the fourth-annual Escapade Music Festival, the first festival of its kind in the area, set to take place over the Canada Day weekend near the banks of the Rideau River. Director of partnerships and sponsors, Ali Shafaee, who is also one of the founding members of the festival, said the event has grown from reaching 4,000 electronic/dance music fans to more than 10,000 over the years. Initially setting up a stage in the ByWard Market, they found the demand increasing, and moved to the grounds at the RA Centre on Riverside Drive, which they now call home. This year, they expect to see anywhere between 15,000 and 20,000 people, said Shafaee. The numbers are just a testament to the growing popularity of this genre of music, he said. The event is dedicated to the development of the electronic music scene in the National Capital Region, with the goals of producing a uniquefestival during Canada Day. In 2010, the event was headlined by Canadian-born superstar and Grammy-award winning DJ and producer Deadmau5. This year, the festival returns with Tiesto, who is considered one of the most popular DJ’s in the world. Tiesto played to sold-out crowds in 2011 and 2012 in the ByWard Market, which provided the 4,000 in attendance with an intimate yet party-inspired performance. Attendees also had the
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This year’s edition of the Escapade Music Festival will feature dance and electronic-themed music for those who have a passion for the music genre. chance to be entertained by international stars Laidback Luke and Calvin Harris, as well as six local and national DJs. “We’ve really seen the evolution of the festival,” said Shafaee. This type of music generally attracts those between the ages of 16 and 29, he said. The festival itself, said Shafaee, really stands out because there is no other musical event like it.m “It has its own brand,” he said, adding they hope to take it across the country even more. We definitely saw the need for it.” Shafaee hopes to see this genre of music become more popular in Canada, and especially to the younger crowd. “I think it’s happy music,” he said when asked what attracts its fans. “The songs aren’t something too specific, there’s really no melody to it. It’s high energy, which is what the youth are mainly attracted to.”
This year will see the festival have two stages, one specifically for main headliners, and the other for tech house and bass music, as well as a mix of local and international DJs, The calibre of artists this year will also only continue to blossom into the future. Headliners this year include Above and Beyond, Steve Lawler, Steve Angello, Rusko, and Tiesto, with a whole host of other local talent involved, such as Orléans Ryan Labelle. “I think the biggest thing is just seeing the people leaving satisfied, and knowing we can give them the type of music they love,” said Shafaee. “Seeing the photos after, you see how much enjoyment they got out of it. Last year, many said they had the time of their life.” The festival begins on Saturday, June 29 and runs until July 1. For more information, please visit www.escapademf. com.
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Ottawa South News EMC - Thursday, June 27, 2013
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