Paul Roberto

Paul Roberto comes from Belleville, a small rural town in Ontario, where his passion for music and performing began at the age of 10. Nicknamed Pauly by most of his friends, this multi-instrumentalist has had experience in a wide variety of bands from punk rock to blues, country rock and metal. It was however his love of bluegrass and traditional music that lead Pauly to form the locally renowned band The Dusty Drifters in Ottawa, Ontario, where he plays guitar and sings lead and tenor vocals. The five-piece band became a favorite in the Ottawa Valley after their successful three year run of Sunday Night Bluegrass shows. The Dusty Drifters continue to impress loyal festival goers by combining the traditional bluegrass sound with strong three part harmonies and instrumental work. Pauly also makes up the other half of the folk duo The String Masons who engage audiences with a combination of acoustic blues, swing, traditional tunes and country songs. Looking back Pauly would list some of his greatest influences as Jimi Hendrix, Jerry Garcia, Clarence White as well as his uncle Mario who played accordion for him as a child.