.:. Joël Fafard .:.

WELCOME

Welcome to Joël Fafard's website.

Three Hens Escape Oblivion

Nominated WCMA 2009 Outstanding Instrumental Recording
Runner up International Acoustic Music Awards Instrumental
Available through Outside Music CD, Baby and iTunes.

...and another thing...

JUNO 2007 Nomination - Instrumental Album of the year.
Western Canadian Music Awards 2006 Winner - Outstanding Instrumental Recording
Canadian Folk Music Awards 2006 Nomination - Best Instrumentalist Solo.

Rocking Horse

Western Canadian Music Awards 2004 Nomination - Outstanding Instrumental recording of the year.

Who needs lyrics when your fingers can do the singing? Almost entirely self taught, guitarist Joel Fafard has honed an instrumental sound all his own. Using only his fingers and a slide, the Pense Saskatchewan Native creates compositions that are intricate, rustic and uniquely human. Somtimes he brackets his songs with tongue-in-cheek stories about life as a small town romantic, but his organic melodies still tell the truest tales. That sound has carried him through six albums, including his breakthrough Rocking Horse and the recent Three Hens Escape Oblivion, and taken him across the world. Fafard is now settled on the Sunshine Coast, but he hasn't forgotton his roots: Fafard Recently completed a special one-man-show commision for Regina's Globe Theatre.

"Fafard has begun to set himself apart from the legions of folksy Prairie singer-songwriters with the sort of instrumental prowess you'd expect from a fingerstyle deity. His style isn't overly busy, but there are moments of genius."
Bartley Kives, Winnipeg Free Press

"the hint of backwoods cajun vibe hovers around the edges of these songs. This magic and earthiness appears to be born out the group's unique personalities and shimmering swooping waves of sound. A sympathetic energy truly bigger than the sum of it's parts."
Dean Gordon-Smith, The Morning Star, Vernon

"Go out and find this CD if you want some great fingerstyle guitar playing. Joël Fafard is a talented guitarist by any measure, and "Rocking Horse" is a fine recording to let those of us outside of Canada know it.
Kirk Albrecht Minor7th.com

"As far as I'm concerned, the votes are in and the winner of the JUNO for Best Roots and Traditional - Solo Album is Joel Fafard for "RockingHorse".
Monica Miller CKUA Radio, Alberta

"Holy S##t!
What a great CD!!! (Rocking Horse) I'm the kind of person who listens to Don Ross, the Henrys, Bela Fleck, Zubot & Dawson, etc., etc... So you can imagine my joy when I put on this CD and heard such rich music."
Don Marcotte Senior Producer, A-Channel's Big Breakfast Show, Edmonton

"discover the pure roots and character of Joël Fafard, which have beyond any doubt a remarkable and rousing signature."
Henk te Veldhuis
Bridge Guitar Reviews.

" I never knew acoustic instrumental music could be such a swinging affair. Never boring, very well played up-lifting toe-tapping music. Really surprisingly good... excellent CD. (Rocking Horse)."
Theo Oldenburg DJ, Netherlands.

"many of the (WCMA's Gala) performances were excellent especially the inspired pairing of Regina acoustic guitarist Joel Fafard and the Calgary Philharmic Orchestra."
Bartly Kives, Winnipeg Free Press.

"Very musical and highly enjoyable... A great addition to anyones collection".
Barry Hammond, Penguin Eggs

"Beautiful sound...(Fafard's) music surprised me"
Lark Clark CKUA Radio, "Alberta

(Rocking Horse) highlights (Fafard's) expressive picking style and impressive command of slide Guitar."
Chuck Molgat, Prarie Dog

"If there was an award for best song of the evening it should go to Joël Fafard for the Last Waltz of John Kordic."
Mitch Dorge, Crash Test Dummies,
at the 4th annual Festival of the Guitar, Winnipeg

"(Rocking Horse) a decadent blend of blues, jazz, Celtic and classical elements, there is also an undenialbe simplicity in its atmospheric tunes"
See Magazine

"This is nice and simple music with integrity and inspiration."
Gerald Van Waes, Phychedelic Folk