Mandolin Meets Cape Breton

[Fretless]

Our little town got lucky for St. Patrick's Day - Wendy MacIsaac, Mary Jane Lamond, Cathy Porter and Seph Peters came here to play in between their Seattle and Portland shows promoting their CD, Seinn.

They performed for over 2 hours, and hung around afterwards to listen to some of the local acts. Later on, they picked up their instruments and played and sang for another half hour or so just for the fun of it.

What a wonderful group of people! Easy going and friendly. Times like this remind me of how accessible our trad icons are. Turns out a session buddy of ours is Wendy's cousin, so they had a nice time catching up on family stuff and I managed to get a photo of the two for him.

But I digress... Wendy recently took up the mandolin and played it a bit during the evening. I asked - and got - her permission to post a photo of her with it on the Cafe. So, here it is:




Fretless

[xiledscot]

Thanks for that Fretless.I have to say that since moving to Atlantic Canada I have found most musicians to be extra nice people.
Possibly something in their heritage.The Islanders of Scotland have the same easy going friendliness where manana is far too hurried.
Excuse an ignorant Highlander......Pacific Northwest.......is that Japan?

[Fretless]

Thanks for that Fretless.I have to say that since moving to Atlantic Canada I have found most musicians to be extra nice people.
Possibly something in their heritage.The Islanders of Scotland have the same easy going friendliness where manana is far too hurried.
Excuse an ignorant Highlander......Pacific Northwest.......is that Japan?

Hi xiledscot!

The Pacific Northwest is in the U.S. - it's a geographical region located in the northwest part of the country. Most people consider Oregon and Washington State to be the Pacific Northwest, though some (including me) would add British Columbia.

Fretless

[xiledscot]

Thanks Fretless.I should of course have mentioned that the musicians in the Pacific Northwest are also extra nice.
I am missing my mountains.The nearest over here are the Cape Breton Highlands,but they are not as high,not as wild and not in Scotland
I understand that you have some interesting hills in the Pacific Northwest.Maybe I should make a road trip.
You have been warned

[Cary Fagan]

Enjoying the thread. I'll be going to Cape Breton for a week in May. I used to go every summer but haven't been for years so I'm looking forward to it. Maybe I'll get lucky and hear some music.

[Richard Eskite]

My wife and I just booked reservations for Celtic Colours. We have been several times, but not for the last few years. We are really looking forward to it. I'm really glad to see the mandolin starting to catch on. Wendy is so well known in that community, I'm sure this is just a beginning.

[ollaimh]

i grew up in guysborough county nova scotia almost in sight of cape Breton , in a gaelic community. unfortunately the language is dying, but it's a lot like cape Breton, and we lived there for a few years. my father had a job in Sydney. musicians are really friendly there and into making things sound great no matter who you are or what you play. at a formal ceilidh they do play fiddle piano and guitar--ONLY. but I get togethers anything folk will go and people will get behind you and make you thoink you are a star.

great tradition there. now I lived in the pacific northwest as well and that;s a close second for musical traditions and friendliness. at least in Washington and Oregon. of course they have many more active musical traditions. lots of irish, Balkan and many other things. again great musicians like Gerry haggerty and Stanley greethall et al will get behind anyone and make them sound great.

its night and day from Vancouver and toronto where they are all about pecking order and the "established " people demanding respect and never helping anyone--especially immigrants.

so if you happen to live near cape Breton or seattle /Portland you are a lucky musician.

everytime I played at seattle's folklife festival I met a slew of great musicians and found friends .

[xiledscot]

ollaimh.....Halò / Ciamar a tha thu/sibh?
Glad you are enjoying life in the Pacific Northwest.It sounds like a great place.
I don't sing many songs in the Gaelic but when I do,it doesn't seem to matter if I forget the words because......nobody notices.
Sad but true.

[Fretless]

Wow, it's nice to hear from other people who share my interest in Cape Breton music! Cary Fagan and Richard Eskite - I'm jealous . My Sweetie and I have been talking about going to Cape Breton for quite a while; so far it's just talk but the subject seems to be coming up more frequently lately so here's hoping....

so if you happen to live near cape Breton or seattle /Portland you are a lucky musician.

everytime I played at seattle's folklife festival I met a slew of great musicians and found friends .

So true. Even small towns like ours (population < 9,000) tend to have active music communities. We're also lucky that so many great musicians pass through, and of course, all the festivals. ollaimh, did you play at Northwest Folklife or the Seattle Folk Festival (the one Devon Leger organized)?

I've lived in Toronto and Vancouver, and yeah, different.

Fretless

P.S. xiledscot - warning noted. Of course we'll expect you to cook us a full Scottish breakfast (I hope you know what an AGA is ) You can skip the black pudding...

[xiledscot]

Nae black pudin' ???? Never mind,I serve my porridge SLICED !!

[ollaimh]

I live in new Brunswick now, and we get to cape Breton occasionally. I did like the scene in seattle and area when I lived there. and I love the north nova scotia music.

wendy macisaac is a great musician, and rita rankin who she made a very old album with. but there are thousands of musicians in cape Breton who would be at the top of the scene most places.

I Toronto there is the "mountain music "scene, which produces nice people and good music. there was nothing like that in Vancouver. both cities do have "folk" elites who are what I call the instrumentally challenged and talent free.

now don't forget prince Edward island, there is a welcoming and vibrant music scene there as well

[ollaimh]

ps I rarely sing in gaelic because I am aware of my mistakes in accent. I realize few others are but I have a bit of mental block.

agus shibh fhein