Canadian music

[montana]

I want to get some cds of Cape Breton and Quebec music. I have seen Natilie Mac Masters and liked her music especially the mare trad tunes. Any suggustions of cds I can get on Amazon?

[rico mando]

you should go there on vacation dude (i use dude for male or female) its a great place. i think i received a cd in a 12 pack of Kieths beer. i will look for it ,it was a complimation .i can mail it to you. when your there you can probably find what you want at second hand stores for cheap.

[Greg Ashton]

If you like East Coast Canadian music and mandolin, then you should check out Elmer Deagle. Unfortunately, it's not available on Amazon but you can still buy the cd through www.capebretonlive.com. I bought it online from them a couple of years ago without any issues. You can also hear clips on his myspace page.

http://www.capebretonlive.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&keyword=elmer&category_id=0&product_id=79

[McMandolin]

La Bottine Souriante is a terrific trad based band from Quebec

[tstackho]

Also check out Le Vent du Nord, "Dans les airs"

[Ravenwood]

http://www.sfcelticmusic.com/Capebret/capebcds.htm should get you started for all things Cape Breton.

For quebecois, here (http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?58467-Anyone-know-a-good-source-for-Quebecois-music&highlight=quebecois) is a thread in this forum from a couple of months ago that should be a good start.

Have Fun !!

[Charlieshafer]

For Cape Breton specifically, there's Andrea Beaton, Beolach ( a group with Wendy MacIsaac, Mairi Rankin, among others, now defunct, but fantastic) Ashley MacIsaac, and various other Beatons (kinnon, et al) and Rankins. Try the first three.For the best recording to sit and listen to to try to learn songs off of, try current Berklee student (from Cape Breton) Kimberly Fraser. Getting off Cape Breton, there's a relatively new group on Prince Edward Island that's stunning, called Vishten. Going eastward, there's also Genticorum, and my personal favorite, April Verch, who was one of the featured performers for the Olympic opening ceremonies. And, perhaops the best current Canadian fiddler of them all, Donnell Leahy, with the band Leahy.

A whole other thread can open up with fiddlers who play in the Scots style, which is what Cape Breton is. Cape Breton has the very unique feature of a very strong piano presence in order to really drive the dance. The piano accompaniment is a discipline unto itself, taken every bit as seriously as the fiddle part. Many fiddlers are equally at home on the piano parts, as Natalie is, as is Andrea, Kimberly, Tracy Dares, etc.

If you want to track Cape Breton lineage and cousins from around the world, start with a short list of Alasdair Fraser (with Natalie Haas), Hanneke Cassel, and Jenna Reid. After that, you'll never get through all the stuff. When you're having fun with this, just keep in mind the Scots-Cape Breton connection. It's as pure as can be, with no outside influences until you get off Cape Breton.

[JeffD]

Any suggustions of cds I can get?

http://www.jerryholland.com/discography.htm

[Bruce Evans]

The Bachands:
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheBachands?blend=2&ob=1

A teenage brother/sister duo. None better for Cape Breton style music.

[journeybear]

La Bottine Souriante is a terrific trad based band from Quebec
D'accord! I saw them a dozen or more years ago at Philly and fell in love with them (OK, one of them in particular ;) ), even though this is far from my music of choice. Talent speaks for itself, in whatever form it takes, and they were plenty talented and lots of fun, too.

For a ridiculously long list of Canadian musicians, go to the wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Canadian_musicians) - hundreds of 'em. And that's just solo artists - there's another list for bands. Naturally, you'll want some means of narrowing your focus ... that's what we're here for! ;)

[montana]

you should go there on vacation dude (i use dude for male or female) its a great place.


I used to live in Connecticut and Montreal was my favorite place in the world. Used to go up a couple times a year and practice my french. Haven't been up there in years since movint to MT but I sure miss it.

[Paul Cowham]

I went to the Shetland Folk festival last year, and my favourite band of the ones that I saw were a Canadian band called vishten (actually mostly from Prince Edward island), if you get the chance go and see them play..
http://www.vishten.net/

[M.Marmot]

I'll second Vishten, the local library hosts some of their music and it was very enjoyable, i even managed to get over my innate begrudgery of the piano in trad tunes... and what do you know their website gives out sheet music for the music on PDF.

La Bottine Souriante for another second, have their moments too, apparently theyre quite the boys when playing live, i'll add that i prefer their earlier albums.

Now, i'm going to suggest a collection of albums

4 CD Set, Nimbus Records NI 1752:
"From a Distant Shore:
Irish Tranditional Music from Donegal, England, America & Cape Breton Island"
Recorded live at the Cork University Traditional Music Festivals

[Charlieshafer]

Well, that's three votes for Vishten, even if they're from Prince Edward Island, which is a far cry musically from Cape Breton! The predecessor to Vishten is a group called Barachois, which though Chucky Arsenault and the family are now retired from touring, still sell their cd.s They are also phenomenal. Back to Cape Breton; still need that piano to make it legitimate, so I'd still stick with the guys I mentioned previously.

[M.Marmot]

Well, that's three votes for Vishten, even if they're from Prince Edward Island, which is a far cry musically from Cape Breton! The predecessor to Vishten is a group called Barachois, which though Chucky Arsenault and the family are now retired from touring, still sell their cd.s They are also phenomenal. Back to Cape Breton; still need that piano to make it legitimate, so I'd still stick with the guys I mentioned previously.

Lummy, i needs me an atlas...