Jean Hewson (voice & guitar)
Over the past 27 years, Jean Hewson has immersed herself in the musical heritage of her home province, both as a performer and as a private music teacher specializing in guitar accompaniment and Newfoundland song traditions. As the lead singer of of the seminal Newfoundland band Barkin' Kettle, she toured throughout Canada and the UK in the early 80's. After the group disbanded in 1986, she joined forces with Christina Smith with whom she continues to perform and record. Their duo garned East Coast Music Award nominations for Best Roots/Traditional Group for their CDs Like Ducks (1998) and August Gale (2005). In 2005, Jean was also nominated for a Canadian Folk Music Award in the Traditional Singer of the Year Category. Jean has worn many other hats throughout her career, including that of producer, radio host and Artistic Director of the Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival.