<html><body><span style="font-family:Verdana; color:#000000; font-size:10pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;">West Kelowna, BC – August 11, 2016</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><br></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><b>Okanagan’s only world
music festival expanding in 2016 after three successful years</b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><b><br></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;">Seven sets of culturally diverse music will be presented at
this year’s West Kelowna World Music Festival over two days.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><br></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;">Featuring returning headlining act En Karma, who played the
event in 2014, with bhangra fusion dhol and drum music on Friday and
afro-fusion group Zimbamoto on Saturday.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><br></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;">Westbank First Nation artist Cori Derickson opens the
festival with a traditional welcome and performance. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;">Local middle eastern duo Altrab will play with special guest
Ferhad Jafo, a professional musician originally from Aleppo, Syria. Ferhad
plays the buzuk, a long neck fretted stringed instrument. “Ferhad brings to the Okanagan valley a
unique instrument of the Middle East and a rare opportunity to enrich the
culture of our region,” said Altrab leader Trevor Salloum. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><br></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;">Filling out the line-up is local favourites, salsa band
Major Mambo and modern folk/funk rockers Wild Son, as well as the hard working
Vancouver based gypsy jazz group Deana Knight and the Hot Club of Mars!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><br></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;">The West Kelowna World Music Festival is free and family
friendly, taking place Aug.26 and 27. This year is the fourth year of the
event. New this year, the event will take place over two days, on Friday August
26 from 6 – 9 p.m. and on Saturday, Aug. 27 from 4 - 9 p.m. The Interior Savings KidZone features
interactive art, music and culture activities on Saturday, August 27 from 4 – 7
pm from Barefoot Caravan, Kinshira and more.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><br></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;">Spearheading the event this year is the producing
organization Creative Okanagan’s new Executive and Creative Director Karma
Lacoff, who is hoping to build on the already successful event.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><br></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"> “With a different
person leading the way, there are bound to be a few changes, which are seen in
the selection of artists, to expanding the event to be two days, to the fresh
new look of our promotional materials and changes to the KidZone," said
Lacoff. "The event enhancements have been possible because of additional
sponsorship and the connections I have to the community.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><br></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;">This City of West Kelowna contracts the Creative Okanagan
Artist and Event Development Society to produce this event. The event is
enhanced significantly by the financial support of sponsors, this year Gorman
Brothers Mill’s contribution allowed us to bring in more diverse acts from out
of the area, the Rotary Club of Westbank along with Suk’ʷtəmsqilxʷ West Kelowna
Arts Council (SWAC) and the Arts Council of the Central Okanagan contributed to
the temporary art installation to enhance the physical environment of the
festival, and Interior Savings provided funding allowing us to enhance the
interactive KidZone focused on art, music and culture. The Holiday Inn West
Kelowna is our official hotel sponsor, helping us present artists from outside
the Okanagan. Helping us promote over the airwaves is 99.9 SunFM. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><br></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;">For full event details including artists, set times, KidZone
participants, and food vendors visit our website at <a href="http://www.creativeokanagan.com/">www.creativeokanagan.com</a>.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><br></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;">-30-</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><br></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;">Press Contact: <br>
Karma Lacoff, <br>
Executive and Creative Director, Creative Okanagan Artist and Events
Development Society, <br>
250-864-6869, <br>
<a href="mailto:info@creativeokanagan.com">info@creativeokanagan.com</a><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></div><div>
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;">Two photos are attached, official press kit photos for En
Karma and Zimbamoto.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;">The event logo is also attached. </div><div><br></div><div>Karma Lacoff, BA</div><div>Executive and Creative Director<br>Creative Okanagan Artist and Event Development Society</div><div>E: <a href="mailto:info@creativeokanagan.com">info@creativeokanagan.com</a><br>P: 250-864-6869</div></span></body></html>