This weekend, the community will gather for uplifting music for the whole family with a humble prairie background, and much of it will happen in Plautdietsch (low German).
David Toews is from Paraguay, and Ron Giesbrecht is from Plum Coulee. They are both involved with the Farm Fest Music Festival Fundraiser in support of David Toews Ministry.
The event on Saturday, which was established approximately four years ago, will feature four acts. Throughout the day, attendees will tap their toes to the music of a handful of local musicians, including Jon & Julie, D’Friesens, and the Glorybound Quartet before David Toews himself takes to the stage at 6 p.m. with his band. For the children, there will be bouncy castles on site.
“It's like a big, all-day party,” says Giesbrecht.
For Toews, his performance is also a part of his life’s work of bringing music to low German audiences.
“We produce a lot of low German music — 30-40 songs a year,” he says. “Low-German music wasn't played or wasn't produced ten years ago, . . . so in the last ten years, we have produced a lot of [it] because we've found there's so many low German speaking people without a song out there.”
Toews creates music that low German speaking people can enjoy in their own tongue.
“The idea was to reach the people . . . and bring them a song that they could understand, [with which] they could feel the vibe [and] connect. So that's what we're doing,” he says. “We never could make it a business because the numbers [of Plautdietsch speakers] are too small, so we made it a ministry [that] people can support.”
For Toews, the longevity of the low German music is tied up in its quality.
“We always have [it in] mind that just because it’s Plautdietsch, it's not going to be recorded in the kitchen,” he says. “We want to have good quality . . . . Nowadays, [when] you listen to something new, [if it’s] not good quality, you listen maybe once, but we want them to come back all the time, so that was the goal. And with [our] music, we have a message.”
Toews says that while his music has a variety of styles ranging from a more traditional sound to modern country music, the theme of incorporating God into daily life is the thread that binds it all together. At this point, he has produced a whopping 600 music videos. While the ministry is one part of Toews' impact on the community, his work also codifies a language (and a piece of history) that has not traditionally been recorded in song or even in writing.
Admission for the event is a good deal — it’s free. The fundraising portion of the festival will come with a live auction by Henry Penner (which features a brand-new set of Milwaukee power tools), a 50/50 draw, and a Paraguayan style meal of Pollo Asado from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. The meal, which will be cooked by a Paraguayan who now lives in Winnipeg, is $20 a plate and includes ¼ chicken, side salad, roll, and a beverage.
Winkler Farm Fest, run by volunteers, is a venue that helps put on events for non-profit organizations. The group generously provides a stage and parking to give these organizations a place for their fundraisers.
“I think it's going to be a nice party,” says Toews. “I have new stuff on my playlist, . . . and I think people will love it . . . . I have quite a [few] stories, so I would love to share.”
The Farm Fest Musical Festival runs on Saturday from 2 p.m. until 9 p.m. There is no seating, so lawn chairs should be taken to the venue. For directions to the location just outside of Winkler, click here.
~With files from Ty Hildebrand~