A Shaunavon blues musician took his sound to the international stage last month, performing and learning alongside top talent in Memphis, the home of the blues.

International Blues Challenge Experience

Whitey Somers competed at the International Blues Challenge (IBC) from Jan. 13–17, following his victory at the Memphis Blues Challenge in Saskatoon last September. He says the music, food, and neon lights were a remarkable and unforgettable experience.

"It was an amazing experience," he said. "It's a whole different world down there and it was a gathering place of all kinds of great musicians from around the world. So it was a real eye-opener."

The competition encouraged quick thinking and collaboration, pushing Somers to play at his best.

"The jams that happened at the event happened very fast, they happened quickly," he said. "You got up for one song, maybe two. You're mixed up with people you don't know, it's very fast, you have to be on your game."

Learning from Kevin Burt

Aside from playing with top-tier blues artists, Somers was able to score a front-row seat to watch Kevin Burt performing a blues masterclass. Burt won the solo/duo category, the Lee Oskar Harmonica Award, and the Cigar Box Guitar Award for best guitar player at the IBC in 2018.

"I was walking by and Kevin Burt was giving an acoustic one," he said. "There was one kid in there and I thought, well, I'm going in here and I'm going to sit and listen to this. Kevin was a past winner at IBC and also just a phenomenal player. He packs a lot of wisdom into the time we had there."

Bringing Inspiration Home

He says the opportunity in the southern part of the United States opened doors, cultivated friendships in the music industry, and gave him inspiration to bring back to southwest Saskatchewan's music scene.

"The benefits are starting to show," he said.

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