A long overdue update March 2024

In this update:

TSG on hiatus
The “50 for 50” tour project! Canada, US and UK dates
Walking the Camino de Santiago
Welcome to the new caraluft website!

Greetings friends!

It has been far too long since I've sent out a Cara Luft newsletter. Most of my communicating during the past many years has been via The Small Glories mailouts, as the majority of my time, focus and energy was devoted to that project. The post-Covid touring landscape felt like a constant go-go-go state, playing catch-up with presenters and venues, and adjusting to the extreme pendulum swing (from staying at home for years to changing beds almost every night). Grateful to still be at it, doing what I can to share some light with the world.

TSG on hiatus

Some of you may know that my duo project The Small Glories made the difficult decision to go on a hiatus in 2024. The demanding nature of our job takes a toll on our relationships and on our own mental stability. Therefore, we felt the need to step back and go “home,” both to be present with and to our people, and to reconnect with ourselves.

I firmly believe that being a musician is a privilege, and the act of singing harmony is a deep and transformative experience. It is a connection that goes beyond words and touches the core of our beings. This connection has been one of the driving forces behind my own personal musical journey. In order to continue creating and sharing music, we must first ensure our individual well-being. For me, this means allowing myself the space and energy to play and perform music from a healthier place, and time to reflect, rest and restore in ways that are positive and fulfilling.

The “50 for 50” Tour Project!

One of the ways I've been coming home to myself is by shifting my focus to the following “mighty C” words:

Creativity – Curiosity – Clarity – Calmness – Compassion – Connectedness – Confidence

I've been in the music business a long time, and I wanted to explore what the pursuit of music would be/feel like when the focus is different. I think I stumbled onto something quite beautiful… To mark my long career and my 50th birthday (I don't look a day over 47! ha ha!) I've launched “50 for 50” — fifty curated shows that will see me travel across Canada, the US and Europe. I'll be joined by a cast of friends and special guest artists who share my sense of adventure and joyful music-making, as well as my passion to explore, collaborate and celebrate. No two shows will be the same! I'm already off to a fun and fabulous start, with shows that have happened in Manitoba, Alberta and Mexico (that was a warm winter treat!), with more coming up in BC, the UK, plus other places in Canada and the USA. Turns out it's a LOT of work (waaaay more than I anticipated) but OH THE JOY! It is ticking off my list of “letter C” priorities. It's life-giving, life-affirming, and a constant reminder of why music and community matter. Folks I've already had the pleasure of playing with include Jarred Albright, Michael Hepher, Clayton Parsons, David Morrissey, Rhonda Shippy, Emily Triggs and my dad Barry Luft.

Here's a wee list of some of the upcoming dates (including a BIG SHOW in CALGARY this Saturday with my producer NEIL OSBORNE!! whoop!):

Calgary, AB
Saturday March 23
The Grand Theatre
Cara Luft with Very Special Guest Neil Osborne (5440)
https://www.thegrandyyc.ca/50-for-50#

Vancouver, BC
Thursday April 4
Songbird North (formerly Bluebird North)
Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre

Vancouver, BC
Friday April 5
Rogue Folk Club at St James Community Square
Cara Luft with Shari Ulrich and Very Special Guests
https://www.roguefolk.bc.ca/concerts/ev24040520

Sidney BC
Saturday, April 6
The Mary Winspear
Cara Luft with Shari Ulrich and Very Special Guests
https://marywinspear.ca/event/cara-luft-shari-ulrich

Somewhere in Spain on the Camino
Monday May 27
CARA’s 50th! Pop-up supper concert!

London, UK
Tuesday June 11
The Green Note, Camden
https://www.greennote.co.uk/production/cara-luft/

King’s Heath, B’ham, UK
Thursday June 13
Kitchen Garden Cafe
https://www.kitchengardencafe.co.uk/event/cara-luft/

Shrewsbury, UK
Friday June 14
Venue TBA
Cara Luft with Dan Walsh

Ormskirk, UK
Saturday June 15
Venue TBA

Ormskirk, UK
Sunday June 16
Harmony Singing Workshop

Durham, UK
Friday June 21
Venue TBA
Cara Luft with guests Claypath

Marsden, Huddersfield, UK
Saturday June 22
Marsden Americana & Bluegrass Extravaganza
https://www.wegottickets.com/event/607738

Easton Farm Park, Suffolk, UK
July 5 - 7
Maverick Festival
https://maverickfestival.co.uk/

Plus a bunch of UK dates with my dear friend and banjo master Johnny Fewings and his project Saturday Sun, celebrating the music of Derroll Adams. More North American shows & workshops coming this summer, fall and winter :) Photos from a few 50 for 50 stops thus far…

Walking the Camino de Santiago

Last year was painful and difficult, on myriad levels, not just work-wise. I entered the housing market after hunting & bidding for 2+ years, jumped into a crazy home renovation not knowing what I was doing, had a serious mental health crash and navigated the overwhelmed health system, toured my face off, was diagnosed with ADHD (so many lightbulb moments!), then unexpected change with TSG and the hiatus was announced, and more… Add immense global pain, struggle and a climate crisis, it's no wonder it felt like existing was hanging by a thread.

As I was lying in bed riddled with stress and anxiety I had these words banging around in my mind: STOP. BE PRESENT. BREATHE. TRUST. And wham, I knew right then and there that I wanted/needed to walk the Camino. It has been on the “dream list” for over 20 years now –- there's something about having to focus only on the absolute basics (food, shelter, walking, breathing, sleeping) that appealed to me, the antithesis to our extremely over-productive and busy lives –- I could just never justify or figure out how to carve out 5 weeks off. Music is a feast-or-famine business, if you take time off there's nothing filling the stores. But I knew this was the time. Life has been full and messy and exhausting and stressful, I knew I wanted to commit to walking for a month. Why? To disconnect/unplug in order to reconnect. For solitude and self-reflection. To enter into a deep experience of presence and connectedness with nature, with others, and with myself. To tune more deeply into life and myself. I leave April 26.

If you'd like to follow along with my on my journey, I'll be posting a bit (via a friend) to my socials, as well as uploading videos and photos and journals for my Indie Angels (more on Indie Angels in the next newsletter!).

Welcome to the new website!

Yay! caraluft.com is ALIVE! :) It's still a work in progress as the team and I are uploading info and populating the pages, so keep checking back in to see what's new :)

I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to all of you who have supported me, as well as TSG, on this incredible journey. Your love and appreciation for the music have been a constant source of motivation and inspiration. I believe that music, like all art, is an essential element of a just and decent society. It connects us to each other, to our common history and, as Rosanne Cash says, it is “the premier service industry for the heart and soul. We cannot survive without music.”

Here's to this new year of joy, celebration, healing, new collaborations and community!

Peace and love,

Cara

Me and the Doggone Brothers and my dad Barry Luft :)