Cape Breton Traditional

Cape Breton, an island that has been linked to mainland Nova Scotia by a causeway since 1955, has produced a profusion of musicians who are deeply rooted in the place and its history. The island's terrain bears some similarities with the Scottish Highlands, and the territory's music recalls that country's bonny sounds as well. The Rankins, the Barra MacNeils and the MacLellans are just some of the most prominent musical families to have left their mark over the years.

The Cottars consist of two pairs of young siblings and Ashley MacIsaac, who became a high profile fiddler at a young age, also has a sister and other relatives who play music professionally. One of those relatives, Natalie MacMaster, is the most famous fiddler from the island as well as the niece of Buddy MacMaster, an esteemed fiddler who has been playing in the late 1930s. Even Rodney Graham, a 34-year-old fiddler who recently became premier of Nova Scotia, is cousin to Glenn Graham, another fine fiddler, and both are also directly related to the Beatons, a family of musicians who released classic albums for Rounder and Smithsonian Folkways 20 years apart.

While there are many regional music styles in North America, many of them are on the wane. In Cape Breton, on the other hand, the fiddle is still a vital form of musical expression and rooted in the same traditions as the musicians' distant ancestors. Also, pianos started replacing the more primitive pump organs in the 1930s, and pianists gradually began to play a larger role in accompanying fiddle music in the latter half of the 20th century. On the other hand, the piping tradition seems to be on the decline even though it still rears its head in some current groups such as Béolach and Slainte Mhath.

One tradition that is struggling is the Gaelic language. Thousands of Scots, many of them Gaelic-speaking Catholics, came to Cape Breton in the first half of the 19th century, having left behind a homeland that was becoming more urban and modern. The old traditions were in a state of flux but in Nova Scotia (or New Scotland) the Scots' vigorous music remained fresh. Before long the musicians became known simply as Cape Breton fiddlers even though the roots obviously kept on showing. It would be misleading, however, to give the impression that this form of traditional music is equally prevalent throughout the island. Its bastion is mostly Inverness County, which runs along the western side of the island. This is where one finds Mabou and Judique and other small communities along the picturesque Ceilidh Trail, the word ceilidh referring to neighbors getting together to share music.

Although the traditional style of Scottish music is still a vital part of the music scene in Cape Breton, it's a robust, lilting style that has mostly fallen by the wayside in Scotland, which partly accounts for the interest that the island's music generates in some circles. In any case, Cape Breton has produced more than its share of fiddling virtuosi, including the late Winston "Scottie" Fitzgerald, Jerry Holland, Brenda Stubbert, Howie MacDonald and John Campbell, to name a few familiar names. There are other remarkably versatile musicians, such as Dave MacIsaac and Scott Macmillan, both of whom live in Halifax but both also having musical roots that are clearly connected to the island.

Also on the west side of the island is the Acadian community of Cheticamp where Father Anselme Chiasson, a Roman Catholic priest, became an important collector of old Acadian folk songs. Fiddler Joseph Cormier is a native son from Cheticamp who lives in the Boston area where he occasionally records for the Rounder label. One of the most respected musicians in all of Eastern Canada at this time is J.P. Cormier, a dazzling multi-instrumentalist as well as a singer-songwriter, who honed his craft in Nashville before settling down in the village with his wife Hilda Chiasson, a very accomplished pianist who often serves as his accompanist.

Even though the fiddle has been at the center of music-making in Cape Breton, there are also plenty of songwriters and other kinds of musicians. A few that have become nationally known are the Men of the Deeps (North America's only coal-miners' choir), Rita MacNeil (a singer with a large national following), John Allan Cameron (a singer-guitarist who was a pioneer back in the late 1960s), Mary Jane Lamond (a singer who resurrects old Gaelic songs and often wraps them in strikingly innovative arrangements) and Matt Minglewood (a blues rocker who has had a long and respectable career). A new generation of groups that are deeply immersed in tradition include Béolach, the Cottars and Slainte Mhath. Notable Acadian singers are Ronald Bourgeois, who lives in Halifax, and Sylvia Lelièvre.

Celtic Colours, an annual nine-day festival that takes place at various Cape Breton locations in October, is a good way to check out some of the talent from the area as well as Celtic talent from all over North America and Europe. Paul-Emile Comeau —