Mateada Social Club is tickled to announce the 2nd Convergence Festival in downtown Ganges, Saltspring Island on September 16th, 2023. This is our way to say thank you to you for another season of music, mate, food, drink & community we share on the island.
This year’s event will take place in the parking lot outside Mateada. Beginning at 1pm with a welcome from the Quw’utsun Nation’s own Tzinquaw Dance Group, and moving into a full day and evening of live performances featuring Qairo, Sade Awele, Mo Moshiri w/ Obi G, Sophia Danai, The Hilltop Pranksters, HK (Higher Knowledge) and a performance by musicians from the GISS music program. The theme of the musical line-up energy this year feels like SOUL. Soul music, soulful Hip-Hop, soul/R&B, the soul of the Tzinquaw Dance Group… the soul of the island. And this year’s poster art was chosen from the epic original works of artist Autumn Skye – a piece called “Wild Abandon” that captures the essence of the artist line-up this year quite well ! Autumn will also be on-site for much of the day live painting.
An exciting addition this year is our partnering with the Stqeeye’ Land Campaign, a massive initiative to officially reclaim and steward a portion of land on the island. Convergence will be the official launch of the public portion of the campaign. More from their own typewriters –
Coming Home is a once-in-a-generation campaign, a chance to bring Quw’utsun elders back to their traditional territory in Xwaaqw’um (Burgoyne Bay) for the first time in 150 years. The community of Salt Spring Island is coming together to support the Stqeeye’ Learning Society’s acquisition of an extraordinary 10 acre property in Xwaaqw’um that is uniquely suited as a home base to expand their wetlands restoration work, and also expand their Youth on the Land program, which reconnects youth with the land in a process that heals both, at a time when both are in distress. And as a bonus, the land provides an opportunity to re-introduce native plants and traditional indigenous agriculture to the island, which will demonstrate how to save water, mitigate climate change and improve regional food security.
Incredible.
The Mateada itself will become a licensed area, serving a paired down selection of libations. You will need 2 pieces of ID to enter the premises during the festival. Our head Chef Josh will be working the grill during the event to serve up our Chilean-inspired special “Chori Pan” (South End Sausage on a Francis Bread roll) all day well into the evening. We will also be giving away complementary Guayaki Yerba Mate cans to fuel the celebration and inspire us to come to life!
There will be a large, open air event tent for shade with an area for the kids to play and feel safe
Opportunities to participate in some art together
Some excellent music
And who knows
What else you might find… On September 16th!
We want to say a massive thank you to everyone behind the scenes helping this all come together. Absolutely not possible without the community’s support, mind-power, muscle and magic.
This event is free to attend, and takes place on the un-surrendered and sovereign lands of the Hul'qumi'num and SENĆOŦEN speaking peoples, including the Quw'utsun First Nation and Tsawout First Nation.
Please write Tommy (Mateada AD) for any questions or concerns at:
mateadabooking@gmail.com
Team Mateada.