Cape Breton Celtic Music, Traditional Music

I love beolach! I havent seen them live, though my dad has. But thier cd is rockin. I ve been trying to find more breton music, but it seems to be rather elusive.

Plaidmuffin: For Cape Breton music you can find most everything at Castlebay Music or Cranford Publications . Conspicuous in its absence is most of Ashley MacIsaac's stuff--which you can get at Amazon. If you like Beolach you will love Mairi Rankin's CD "First Hand". I got it on Ramster's advice and it has become my current favorite Cape Breton CD. Other Cape Breton CD's I can't get enough of are Wendy MacIsaac's "Timeline", Ian MacDougall's "From Foot Cape", and Howie MacDonald's "Why2Keilidh". Howie MacDonald's CD's should have a warning lable on them though: Parental Advisory-Hysterical Lyrics.

MarinePaul: Mary Jane Lamond is a wonderful singer. Another Gaelic singer I like is Catherine Anne MacPhee, from Scotland.

I like Mary Jane Lamond also! I have all 4 of her albums! I am learning to speak Scots Gaelic, and I love the feeling I get when it suddenly dawns on me (when I am listening to her music) that I actually understood something she sang in Gaelic! Makes all that hard study and work feel like it is worth it!

A few years back I heard a Cape Breaton band play live at a Highlander Festival in Radford, VA, called Kilt. They had a pretty big hit with a song called "Rubber Boots." I was heart-broken when I heard the band had split up! Anyone else ever heard of them?

Hello ScanFan...haven't checked in for quite awhile...any chance you might attend Celtic Colours this October?...hope you make it ....will be attending this year also..Must tell you about a wonderful young fiddler from Cape Breton by the name of Dwayne Cote'...I have never seen or heard anyone like him, at present he doesn't have a CD out but hopefully a DVD is on the way...had an oppurtunity to meet with the band Beolach this past month and have just received their new CD..it too is as awesome as the first one..I see we have had a few guests here since we began chatting...Hope you check the site soon, looking forward to chatting with you and hear what is new with you...Cheers Ramster

I'll be happy to put my two cents in here. I am from northeastern Nova Scotia, but sadly, I have been living in northern Canada for 6 years now and haven't been to a good Cape Breton ceilidh since that time. However, all the artisits you guys have mentioned are fabulous. My favourites being John allan Cameron, Natalie MacMaster, and the Barra MacNeils. When I was a kid we used to wait for John Allan to come home to Cape Breton and do some shows. I last saw him about 7 years ago and he was still kicking then! The best show I ever saw him in was in a little club in Halifax called the Flamingo back in 1993. He was playing with his son Stuart, Dave MacIsaac, Scott MacMillan, and a then underaged and not well know Ashley MacIsaac. What a show!!! It went on for three hours with many of us singing every word to all the great old songs. The instrumental breaks were mind blowing - as you can imagine if you are familiar with any of these guys.

Actually, we had a suprise here in Yellowknife this spring when the Irish band Dervish came! They are really good with a fabulous lead singer. Is anyone familiar with them?

Rory MacAibhistin

Dave MacIssac? Anyone know him? He taught Cape Breton music at the camp I went to. I'm not sure if I spelled his name right, but he was a really good player.

Hey Green, I know Dave MacIsaac well. He is one of the most respected Scotch music players and historians anywhere. He plays the old style Highland tunes (Cape Breton style) on both guitar and fiddle. In fact, he is a one man band as he plays every instrument pretty well known to man. He does a lot of studio work for other artists in other genres as well. Quite frankly, when I lived back home in Nova Scotia, I used to catch one of his shows whenever I could. He's also a fabulous blues player as well.

Hello MacAibhistin ...thanks for the input...wow your in Yellowknife?...thought about taking a job in that area back a few months ago with CBC but changed my mind at the last minute....Talking about John Allan and Stuart, Stuart is playing with Kim Stockwood now and is very busy on the road, just finished producing a CD for Crash Test Dummies...John Allan is still doing a few gigs on the road but not as much as he usually did....Dave MacIsaac will be playing at Celtic Colours again this year, looks like a great lineup this year...you must be starved for a session if you have been away that long from CB. I have to get at least one fix a year...just got back from CB the first of Aug. and have to go back end of Sept...will take in Celtic Colours while I'm there.....Cheers