Chris Velan
Montreal singer-songwriter, traveling troubadour and producer, Chris Velan, has been crossing borders in music since he began his solo career a decade ago with his brand of world-inflected pop-folk.
A prolific songwriter and consummate performer, he has toured extensively throughout North America, with notable performances at The Lincoln Center, Sundance Festival, Montreal International Jazz Festival, Osheaga and the Virgin Festival.
As a globe-trotting producer, he has worked with Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars for whom he produced their debut and latest albums, “Living Like A Refugee” and “Libation”. He most recently recorded and produced debut albums for Haitian music collective, Lakou Mizik, in February 2015 in Jacmel.
His sixth outing (to be releasedMarch 4th, 2016, on NewSong Recordings), co-produced by Howard Bilerman, has Velan at the top of his game. Featuring members of Montreal band favourites, The Unicorns, Suuns, The Barr Brothers, AroarA and Dear Denizen, the album assembles a gathering of self-assured songs – with nods to afrobeat, disco rock, folk pop and vintage rocksteady – under the tent of Velan’s adroit song craftsmanship.