Island Echoes
with Wendy Bergfeldt

"Here Comes John Allen Cameron" was recorded in 1968 and it was the result of a recording session that took place in a brand new studio in upper Canada.

While Stuart Cameron (the son of John Allen Cameron) wasn't even born when this all happened, he know how important the album was. That's why he decided to recover it, restore, remaster, and re-release it.

That all came together last week "Here Comes John Allen Cameron" came back to us with a brand new CD and 28pages of liner notes.

To talk about why, we reached Stuart in Toronto.

Listen (runs 11:23)

JP Cormier releases his new web-site today in conjunction with his new approach on the world of music.

Listen (runs 40:19)

Heather Sparling is an ethnomusicologist who has a research specialty in Scottish Gaelic song in Cape Breton. She is currently working on a project about disaster songs of Atlantic Canada. disastersongs.ca

Today she joins us to talk about songs surrounding Westray Mine.

Listen (runs 17:06)

Starting this morning and running all week, both faculty and students at Cape Breton University will be presenting some of the research they've been working on over the course of the year.

Dr. Ian Brodie presented some of his findings. He has been working on research around the railroad trestle in Sydney River.

The very trestle that has for some time been the subject of debate after years of being painted and repainted by high school students.

tape BRODIE Trestle Traditions 0319.mp3
All this week at Cape Breton University faculty and students will be presenting some of the research they've been working on over the course of the year.....in some cases, the course of their careers!

In fact this morning it was time for several members of the folklore department to talk about their work.

Including Dr Chris MacDonald, he is interested in the piano especially when it's being played along with traditional Cape Breton fiddle music.

tape MacDONALD Piano Accompaniment.mp3

Wendy learns the traditions of Appalachia from two of the world's experts at Celtic Colours 2011.

Gareiss.Molksy for web_158939.mp3    

 

    

He's a Cape Bretoner, but he's been cut from a plaid of a very different color.

Join Wendy as she explores the hues, pigments and tones of John Campbelljohn.

JCJ for web_156384.mp3

Taylor Burton is a 18 year old singer/songwriter from Sydney Nova Scotia. He was the winner of the regional library's songwriters competition, and the 2nd place winner of the Next Big Thing Talent Search back in May of 2010. He recorded his first single "Let's Talk About Now" with ECMA winning engineer Jamie Foulds. The song was chosen as a producers pick on the East Coast Countdown, and appeared on 94.9 The Cape's Best Songs of 2010 List. He is currently working with a small band that features; Fiddler Erica MacNeil, and Percussionist Dylan Krszwda.
 
On November 15th Taylor is hosting his debut concert to raise funds to produce his first studio album to be released in 2012.

Taylor Burton for web_154526.mp3

Hailing from Creignish, Inverness County, Ashley MacIsaac now lives in Toronto, Ontario.

Since the early 1990s, Ashley has made numerous albums which run the gamut from traditional Cape Breton fiddle music, to boundary busting rock'n'roll-styled fiddle arrangements, to fronting a full on rock band as lead singer.

Ashley's career has taken him all over the world. performed at Carnegie Hall six times, opened for Sting at a May Day concert in Rome, Italy and played in Australia, Mexico, China and all over North America and Europe. Aside from countless live performances over the years, Ashley has appeared in several movies, and has had several documentaries made on his life.

Ashley's new album, Crossover, was released earlier this year. During Celtic Colours, Ashley will be performing with piano-player Barbara MacDonald Magone.

Celtic Colours 2011 - Ashley MacIssac.mp3

On September 26th in Iona there was a very special screening of 'The Fiddler's Reel' at the Highland Village.

It's Marc Almon's newest creation and he stopped in to tell us all about it.

Marc Almon for web.mp3