Since 2015, Bello Winter Music has presented an impeccable mix of local, national and international music as well as street performance, market stalls, the legendary Magic Bus, pop up Festival Marketplace and inspiring workshops via the simultaneous eco festival; Bello LeaF Festival.

And for the third year, the New Orleans style street parade will run on the Sunday morning. There is still opportunity to get amongst the good vibes but will all remaining days selling fast, don't delay or you might just miss out!

Since its inception, Bello Winter Music has been praised as a festival of discovery. Sometimes that can make it hard to choose which acts to circle as a 'must see' in the program. That's why we caught up with festival programmer, Kate Atkinson to give us her exclusive picks of the hidden gems of 2019.

"I think it is such a compliment and an indication of trust in the festival when people say 'I don't know all the acts on the program, but I know it will be good!' People know they can wander around and discover some great new music. I love overhearing conversations at the festival where people are excitedly telling others what they have seen and sharing their tips.

"It is really hard for me to really narrow things down as I think every single act on the program is great, but I'm actually a massive fan of Nadia Reid, so I'll be in the front row for both her shows. I saw Alana Wilkinson at Woodford and I, like many others, were talking about her for months afterward. Her performance is witty, honest and fun. And Merpire! She was at Bello last year and we just had to have her and her band back. I'm such a super fan!

There are too many to say but here are some more that I personally have on my must see list: Emilia, Karen Lee Andrews, Ponyface, Alana Wilkinson, Meiwa, Feelds and Melanie Horsnell."

More about the hidden gems of the festival...

Nadia Reid (NZ)

Auckland-born, Dunedin-raised, Nadia Reid, has attained global success off the back of her first two albums: Listen To Formation, Look For The Signs (2015); Preservation (2017). 2017 saw Nadia perform over 100 shows, touring through Australasia, Europe, and the United States with high profile appearances at coveted arts and music festivals like Green Man and End Of The Road Festival. Success was measured through sell-out shows in key markets like London, Paris, Sydney, Melbourne, and media appearances on the likes of BBC's Later... with Jools Holland, Spotify streams reaching 17.38 million plays, #2 in Mojo Magazine for Album of the Year, and in New Zealand, as a finalist for both the Silver Scrolls Awards (2017) and the Taite Prize (2016 & 2018). This year, Nadia is working on her third record due for release September 2019.

Emilia

Award-winning artist Emilia is known for her warm jazzy undertones and sultry lush sound, with a big voice and even bigger hair. Combining her love of Soul and Jazz inflections in her music, she has been likened to power-house vocalists such as Chaka Khan and Etta James, get ready to be transported back in time with her timeless voice. Emilia has had huge shows at many of Melbourne's most loved venues, travelling to local and international festivals including the Ubud Village Jazz Festival 2018 (Bali), Stonnington Jazz Festival, and Marysville Jazz Festival to name a few, also being the recipient of the Melbourne Fresh Composition Prize and Future Leaders Jazz Awards 2018.

Karen Lee Andrews

Karen Lee Andrews has reconnected with her guitar, hitting new strides and a new style, which can only be described as Oceanic Blues. And now this commanding Polynesian woman of soul is back with her own original music and new EP. Her sound is an exceptional blend of American Blues, Soul and Gospel. The roots of the sound are gritty guitar, glowing valves, lush tremolo and deep reverb in a distinctively fluid Oceanic expression.

Growing up around her mother's large Polynesian family instilled in her the role of music in bringing people together. A powerful and rich voice that carries the mood and tones of love, pain and the blues.

"Soulful and bluesy, with so much heart and pain, delivered with so much class."- Sound of Oz

Pony Face

This magnetic three-piece have established themselves as one of the most revered and beloved bands in the Melbourne music scene. Their sound is mesmerising and immersive: creating layers of hypnotising electric guitar textures around deep driving bass grooves, with echoes from the Badlands. The band has a dazzling energy that captivates both intimate rooms and expansive festivals.

"The groove is in the spaces in between. They allow the music to breathe with possibilities, their supple songs insinuate themselves into the mind." : The Ghost RRR FM.

"... gorgeous tones ... Pony Face's now instantly recognisable style... No, we haven't seen this before." : Sydney Morning Herald.

Alana Wilkinson

Equal parts vulnerable folk singer and vitriolic poet Alana Wilkinson has been turning heads with the release of her debut single 'Closer' and a string of high profile shows showcasing her wit, humour and insightful social commentary. Combining delicate melodies with disarmingly insightful vignettes about the human condition, Wilkinson is a smiling assassin. She's been compared to Australian success stories like Courtney Barnett and Emma Louise, and even to the idiosyncratic Tim Minchin yet Wilkinson is carving her own path through the undergrowth, raw and unadorned.

Meiwa (CAN)

Canadian singer-songwriter Kristie McCracken (a.k.a. Meiwa) has earned praise across western Canada with her maturely thoughtful lyricism and subtly sophisticated, genre-melding creativity that reflects an artist who is adroitly expanding her musical horizons. She is a WCMA 2016 'Urban Artist of the Year' nominee for her debut solo album titled 'Let Go & Grow'. Encouraging, patient and tender, she captivates with the gentle, mesmerizing allure and vulnerability of her touchingly beautiful vocals. Kristie expresses her keenly observed and heartfelt emotions with an authentically touching candour and insightfully poised intelligence. With the release of her new single "Wonder", Kristie is gaining traction overseas in Melbourne, Australia where she currently resides, as well as across Canada and USA.

Melanie Horsnell

Melanie has been described by the Sydney Morning Herald as having a voice of 'the utmost delicateness', as a 'songwriting gem' by The Australian. Based in Candelo in southern NSW, Melanie has recorded 11 albums and EPs including her latest solo album, 'Song to Sing on a Saturday Night' and this August's release duo album 'The World Has A Gentle Soul' with Steve Appel. Melanie's critically acclaimed album The Cloud Appreciation Society was long-listed for the 2013 Australian Music Prize, Quatre Chemins for the 2015 Australian Music Prize, and she was nominated for an APRA award in 2011.

She has toured with Glen Hansard and The Frames, Jason Mraz, Bernard Fanning, Lou Rhodes, Slaid Cleaves and Sarah Blasko among others, as well as touring extensively on her own in Australia and Europe. Melanie recorded an album in French, which was funded by the highly successful Pozible campaign and gave Melanie a six month residency in France, writing songs with poet Alain Rivet and pop icon Helena Noguerra. Melanie has also written songs with Wendy Matthews and Catherine Britt, and for film and television.

Feelds

There is something intriguing around the idea of the unknown. Whether this comes to Feelds as a thirst for exploration or a relentless drive for self-discovery, onward seems to be the only direction.

The Melbourne-based project of James Seymour, has quickly grown into a fully-fledged outfit, defined by clever songwriting used to provoke a dynamic soundscape of honest storytelling.

After a sold out Melbourne launch for his debut EP in February, Feelds pushed his DIY capabilities even further with the self-produced 'Kill The Moon' and 'Bloody Mary' earning him rotation on triple J as well as shows alongside the likes of Gretta Ray and Didirri. The eclectic tastes of his upcoming debut album have solidified Feelds as both an artist and producer to watch in 2019.

Merpire

2018 was an undeniably huge year for Rhiannon Atkinson-Howatt, the brain behind transfixing nom de guerre Merpire.

Nestling into her new Melbourne home, the past year has seen Merpire release her debut EP Endless Chatter and play a slew of noteworthy live shows including a sold-out launch at The Gasometer. She has supported the likes of Angie McMahon, Phantastic Ferniture and more, and recently played her biggest run of shows to date supporting Didirri on his National 'Measurements' Tour.

Backed by an impressive and predominantly female line-up, Merpire's powerful and versatile live presence has already seen her perform at festivals such as BIGSOUND, A Festival Called PANAMA, Brunswick Music Festival and New Year's Evie.

www.bellowintermusic.com