Day Seven (August 12)
We arose at little after the crack of dawn, and headed south again, this time to the Clare region at the south tip of Nova Scotia, and to attend the Festival Acadien de Clare. The main event for the day was a blue grass festival in Saulnierville. So, that’s where we went.
Now, Acadian music is not bluegrass, so I am told. But, just what is Acadian folk music? At the festival, one of the bands. True Blue, came from Rogersville, with one of its members from Acadieville, which is just outside of Rogersville. I spoke with the guys afterwards and they are Acadian. Another of the bands, Sidekick, featured one Daniel Maillet, who just two days earlier we had met at Le Pays de la Sagouine, as a member of Borlico, an Acadian band. We did not know it at that time, but we learned today that Danny is a grand master of the bluegrass guitar, which means that he has won the top award at festivals for five years running and no longer must compete for the honour.
I chatted with a gentleman who identified himself as an Acadian musician… he had played in a band that toured for over twenty five years, and had recently “retired” from the road. I asked him what Acadian folk music is, and he said that it is “music that means something to the Acadians”. They have absorbed and been influenced by many styles of music and while he felt that bluegrass wasn’t yet truly a part of the Acadian sound, it was something that obviously they were being influenced by, and it seems that that influence is occurring right now.
Well whatever, we heard an afternoon of some of some fabulous bluegrass, performed by Acadians, Cape Bretoners, West Virginia and other musicians and of course, recorded it all, and made friends with the sound man who has been doing these kinds of festivals now for 26 years. A sudden violent thunderstorm drenched the concert, but did not stop it.
Sudden thunderstorms are taken in stride in these parts.
After an execellent dinner at Chez Christophers and a visit to a local artisan’s roadside studio, we headed back to Kentville.
Now, Acadian music is not bluegrass, so I am told. But, just what is Acadian folk music? At the festival, one of the bands. True Blue, came from Rogersville, with one of its members from Acadieville, which is just outside of Rogersville. I spoke with the guys afterwards and they are Acadian. Another of the bands, Sidekick, featured one Daniel Maillet, who just two days earlier we had met at Le Pays de la Sagouine, as a member of Borlico, an Acadian band. We did not know it at that time, but we learned today that Danny is a grand master of the bluegrass guitar, which means that he has won the top award at festivals for five years running and no longer must compete for the honour.
I chatted with a gentleman who identified himself as an Acadian musician… he had played in a band that toured for over twenty five years, and had recently “retired” from the road. I asked him what Acadian folk music is, and he said that it is “music that means something to the Acadians”. They have absorbed and been influenced by many styles of music and while he felt that bluegrass wasn’t yet truly a part of the Acadian sound, it was something that obviously they were being influenced by, and it seems that that influence is occurring right now.
Well whatever, we heard an afternoon of some of some fabulous bluegrass, performed by Acadians, Cape Bretoners, West Virginia and other musicians and of course, recorded it all, and made friends with the sound man who has been doing these kinds of festivals now for 26 years. A sudden violent thunderstorm drenched the concert, but did not stop it.
Sudden thunderstorms are taken in stride in these parts.
After an execellent dinner at Chez Christophers and a visit to a local artisan’s roadside studio, we headed back to Kentville.
posted by Chestnut Hall Music at 9:20 PM
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