Celtarctic Spotlight
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Chic Callas: "My Violin & I" (recorded at Spiritwalker Productions, 2005) [GENRE: Folk/Healing]
Chic Callas, a former member of the Gumboots in Yellowknife, put out this very personal and powerful solo recording in part as a fundraiser for the Canadian Mental Health Association (NWT Division). Using the healing power of music to explore deep and sometimes dark emotional themes, Chic has demonstrated that it is possible for something positive to rise out of the ashes of depression. Chic received support from the NWT Arts Council to make this recording possible.
DigaWolf: [GENRE: Alternative/Roots/Rock]
Jesse Gon, calling himself Diga (a Tlicho word meaning 'wolf'), comes from the Northwest Territories community of Behchoko, not far from Yellowknife. He is a very laid-back performer with a dusky voice, and his music feels raw, unpretentious and honest. He has been writing his own songs for a while, and has recently teamed up with other notable musicians like Northerner Pat Braden, and Ontario's Rick Fines. One of his albums was nominated, but sadly didn't win, a Juno for best Aboriginal music. To hear tracks from or purchase his CDs, visit his web site at http://www.digawolf.com/
Rene Fumoleau: [GENRE: Storytelling] "They Gave me a Chance - stories of fifty years with the Dene" (2007, produced by Storysave, a program of the Storytellers of Canada / Conteurs du Canada)
The Gumboots: [GENRE: Folk] The Gumboots are, if any musical group can be, icons of Canada's North. In 2004, the group celebrated its 20th anniversary. The members changed over the years, but the music, forever enduring, still rings true to the groups' original Northern spirit. They recorded 4 albums between 1992 and 2009. For the final years, Steve Lacey became a member of the group, and was involved in the group's final recording. The group announced it's retirement in 2012, but their music is still available, and occasionally the group gets together for special performance requests. To find out more about them, visit http://music.cbc.ca/#/artists/The-Gumboots. For a complete 1 page bio of the group, click here. Contact the Gumboots by emailing Ray Bethke.
Tom Hudson's voice is smooth and soothing. Living in Fort Smith, NWT, Tom collaborated with Yellowknife's Norm Glowach (Spiritwalker Productions) to write, compose and arrange all the material on this mellow CD. They also received some assistance from the NWT Arts Council. The title track, "Dance Among the Stars" became a big radio hit locally, and still receives quite a lot of airplay.
Ron Kent: "The Last Campfire" (recorded at Spiritwalker Productions, 1999) [GENRE: Folk]
Ron received funding from the NWT Arts Council to produce this uniquely northern album. Ron has a fascination with the real life stories of the people of the North. The songs that he writes about them reflect a typically Northern attitude about life in the Territories: sometimes funny, but always homey. On one track, he wanted to recreate the feeling of the monthly song circle gatherings he was fond of attending - the Yellowknife House Ceilidhs - so he invited many musicians to sing along.
Sophie Leger: "A Place in Me" (2009) [GENRE: Folk]
Sophie received funding from the NWT Arts Council to record this bilingual album. She is a singer / songwriter with a compelling and commanding voice. When she moved to the North from the Ottawa region, she enriched the musical community in English and French. She has the vocal strength and skill to sing as well a capella as accompanied. For more information about her music and her recordings, visit her website or search for her on YouTube.
Sandy Pringle: "Map of the World" (recorded at Spiritwalker Productions, 2007) [GENRE: Folk]
Sandy received funding from the NWT Arts Council to record this CD, and she enlisted the aid of a large number of other talented Yellowknife musicians to participate in the recording. Her singing is unpretentious and engaging. This is her debut album; a change to share a developing live of songwriting.
Norm Glowach, Greg Nasagaluak and Blair Brezinski make up this hot and rockin' band in Yellowknife. All very talented musicians, their separate personal creative natures merge together, allowing them to create songs and ballads with an interesting sound and unique lyrics. In performance, their electric energy is infectious. Their recordings have all been nominated for awards. Find out more about the band be visiting their website or listen to them at http://music.cbc.ca/#/artists/Priscillas-Revenge
Cynthia Russell: "To A Song" (2007) [GENRE: Folk/Country/Bluegrass/Gospel]
Cynthia Russell is a captivating vocalist and lyricist. This is her debut CD. It is light and entertaining, humorous and thoroughly enjoyable. Once it was released in Yellowknife, radio stations played it like it was going out of style.
This album spans from Steve's Nova Scotia roots to his present life in Canada's North. All the songs are written by Steve and vary from good old fashioned folk to energetic rock. The stories he tells with his songs are wide ranging, examining the historical experiences of others, and touching his personal life here and there. Yellowknife has an unusually high population of musicians whose first name is 'Steve', which gave this particular Steve the idea of having a back-up chorus on his CD which he affectionately calls the 'Stevedores'.
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Modified November 08, 2016 |