Harry Manx

Last updated

Harry Manx
Harry Manx at Bluesfest 2008.jpg
Manx in 2008
Background information
Born1955 (age 69–70)
Douglas, Isle of Man
Genres
  • Blues
  • folk
  • Hindustani classical music
Instruments
  • Guitar
  • harmonica
  • banjo
  • Mohan veena
LabelsDog My Cat Records
Website harrymanx.com

Harry Manx (born 1955) [1] is a Canadian musician who blends blues, folk music, and Hindustani classical music. [2] Manx plays guitar, banjo, harmoncia, and mohan veena, studying on the latter instument with its inventor, Vishwa Mohan Bhatt. He releases his work on his own label, Dog My Cats Records. [3]

Contents

Manx has received seven Maple Blues Awards, six Juno nominations, the Canadian Folk Music Award in 2005 for Best Solo Artist, and CBC Radio's "Great Canadian Blues Award" in 2007. [3]

Early life

Manx was born in Douglas, Isle of Man, [4] the son of a Scottish merchant marine father and a Manx mother. [1] The family moved to Sutton, Ontario, Canada in 1962. [1] Manx started working as a roadie at age 15 and later became a sound man at the El Mocambo club in Toronto. [3]

Career

Manx explaining his mohan veena to an audience Harry manx explaining his mohan veena.jpg
Manx explaining his mohan veena to an audience

Manx left Toronto in the late 1970s for Europe to busk, also finding work at festivals as a guitarist. He then moved to Japan, where he lived and performed for 10 years. [5] In 1990, while Manx was in Japan, he heard a recording of the Indian slide guitarist Vishwa Mohan Bhatt. [3] He became a student of Bhatt's in India and remained with him for five years. [5] [6]

In 2000, Manx moved back to Canada and set up residence in Saltspring Island, British Columbia, recording his debut album at the Barn Studios, featuring his one-man-band sound on lap slide guitar, mohan veena, harmonica, and vocals. [5] Manx, whose surname is an adopted stage name, has released all his albums under the "Manx" moniker. [4] Manx is a longtime collaborator with Canadian guitarist Kevin Breit and Australian keyboardist Clayton Doley. [7]

Personal life

Manx and his wife Najma have a son together, and he has discussed the difficulty of being away from his family while touring. [8]

Discography

Solo and duo

Compilation inclusions

References

  1. 1 2 3 Campbell, Roddy (Winter 2005). "Tales of the Manx Cat". Penguin Eggs. p. 34. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Press/Epk". Harrymanx.com. Retrieved October 26, 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Harry Manx biography". Harrymanx.com. Retrieved October 26, 2015.
  4. 1 2 Wade, Mike (October 27, 2018). "Wandering bluesman Harry Manx returns to the land of his birth". Isle of Man Today . Retrieved December 20, 2025. He was born in Douglas in 1955 and emigrated to Canada aged six.
  5. 1 2 3 "NorthernBlues Music - Harry Manx Bio". Northernblues.com. May 10, 2004. Retrieved October 26, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Harry Manx discovered his love of music on the cover of the first Johnny Winter album". The Georgia Straight. September 13, 2022. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
  7. ↑ "Harry Manx: The 'Om Suite Ohm' tour with Clayton Doley". Entertainmentcairns.com. Retrieved January 10, 2020.
  8. ↑ Ball, David P. (August 7, 2002). "Harry Manx: A cloud ready to rain music". Davidpball.com. Retrieved October 26, 2015.
  9. ↑ Manx's version of "Long Black Veil" is included.
  10. ↑ Manx's version of "Bend in the Water" is included.
  11. ↑ A compilation album of live performances from the Saturday Night Blues radio program on CBC Radio, hosted by Holger Petersen. Harry Manx's version of "Thrill Is Gone" is included.
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