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November
30, 2002 ECMA sets stage for 15th anniversary ACOA funding, 100 shows announced By Stephen Cooke - Halifax Herald The 2003 East Coast Music Awards and Conference snowball officially started rolling Thursday night. At the Velvet Olive in Halifax organizers for the 15th annual Atlantic Canadian event revealed some of their plans for the return to where it all began, in Halifax from Feb. 13 to 16. Most of the announcements - which came between energetic performances by fiddler Kendra MacGillivray and guitarist Dave MacIsaac, the SenseAmelia Project and Mark Bragg and the Black Wedding Band - were about the ECMAs' many performance stages, the most the event has ever hosted. But there was also good news from the federal government, delivered by Halifax West MP Geoff Regan, who announced that the Atlantic Canadian Opportunities Agency (ACOA) will contribute $140,000 to the 2003 ECMAs, in recognition of its role as a key function in a vibrant industry that generates upwards of $68 million annually. Joking about his regrets that he gave up a promising career as a drummer in a basement band in order to enter politics, Regan noted that ECMA weekend alone, with 2,000 attending delegates, will inject $6 million into the provincial economy. With so much riding on the success of the ECMAs, it becomes a daunting task to ensure that the event fulfills its mandate to provide a showcase for East Coast talent as well as create opportunities for the industry to grow. Thursday's announcement of 10 stages (with more to come) featuring over 100 performances indicates the biggest celebration of Atlantic Canadian artists yet. ECMA organizers are quick to point out they're keenly aware that making it bigger isn't necessarily what will make it better. "There's a huge sense of responsibility to make the ECMA's return to Halifax and its 15th anniversary a major event," said ECMA co-chair Shelley Nordstrom. "But there has also been a constant effort not to grow the event to the point where it's too large. What we want to do now is focus on the needs of our individual members in the music industry and our investment partners in the community." Performance showcases unveiled on Thursday include the Acadian Stage, All-Ages Stage, Bluegrass Stage, Blues Stage, Children's Stage, Rock Stage, Roots Room and the Songwriter's Circle. New for 2003 is the delegates-only Sneak Peak Stage aimed squarely at reaching bookers, agents, management and others in the entertainment industry. More ECMA announcements can be expected in the coming weeks, from news of the anticipated Urban/R&B Stage and Concert Series to the actual nominations on Dec. 11. News of the Feb. 16 awards show and its lineup of performers will be made public early in the new year. |
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November
1, 2002 The Canadian Storm in California Kendra MacGillivray is part of the Canadian contingent traveling to San Jose, California this weekend. The tour is called "The Canadian Storm" and takes place in Villa Montalvo at the Carriage House Theatre. Kendra will be performing with her brother and sister, Troy and Sabra and also Celtic guitarist, Dave MacIsaac. They will begin Saturday evening with a one hour show followed by a one hour show with the Ennis Sisters. Other performers on the tour include Lenny Gallant, Glenn Graham, Mary Jane Lamond, and Vishten. All performers are 2002 ECMA winners or nominees |
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October
9, 2002 Kendra In 'Heart Of A Stranger' Kendra is trying her hand at the movies! "Heart of a Stranger" is a movie which is being filmed for television and is part of the movie of the week series on CBS. It is being filmed in Halifax, NS and Kendra has been cast as Celtic fiddler, Erin Hennessey who teaches a classical violinist, Amanda Maddox, to play a few Celtic tunes. The star of the movie is Jane Seymour who plays Amanda's mother. One of the most exciting moments of the day for Kendra was actually being in the makeup/hair trailer with Jane Seymour sitting next to her. Watch also for Kendra's acting debut! |
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October
4, 2002 Kendra Awarded "Young Alumna Of The Year" Kendra has been awarded another prestigious award. She was presented with the award for "Young Alumna of the Year". The Young Alumnus/a Award is awarded to an individual who has graduated in the last 15 years and/or is 40 years of age or less. The individual would embody the spirit of StFX through his/her actions and accomplishments. Kendra was selected as the recipient of this award by the alumni association of StFX and the selection committee was comprised of members of the executive of the StFX Alumni Board of Directors. |
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September
29, 2002
MIANS Awards MacGillivray was invited to present seven awards at the MIANS (Music Industry Association of Nova Scotia) Awards. She will be presenting with RyLee Madison, a country singer from Bedford, NS. Kendra plays on two cuts of RyLee's new CD. |
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September
21, 2002 Movie Of The Week Kendra is once again in the recording studio, however, this time she is working on a very special project related to a movie of the week that is being shot in Halifax, NS. The television movie is called "Heart of a Stranger" and Kendra will be playing the part of Erin Hennessey, a Celtic fiddler. Kendra's music is all being recorded at Solar Audio with her brother, Troy MacGillivray on piano, Dave MacIsaac on guitar, Jamie Gatti on bass and Scott Ferguson on drums. |
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July
2, 2002
SUMMERSIDE - Two hundred volunteers, over 500 competitors, thousands of spectators and warm, sunny weather were the ingredients for success at the 12th Annual Summerside Highland Gathering held this weekend at the College of Piping and Celtic Performing Arts of Canada. The Summerside Highland Gathering may usher in a new saying - The luck of the Scottish - because for the past 12 years, the event has never been rained out. The weekend, however, began on an ominous note Friday afternoon with dark clouds and a few raindrops as the stepdancing competition got underway. But this event was held under
the domed amphitheatre so it didn't matter. As for the rest of the weekend, it
was business as usual for this highly popular gathering with temperatures
reaching 23 degrees Saturday and 25 on "It was another successful weekend," said college director Scott MacAulay. "Great weather, perhaps the best weather we've had because it sunny and hot with a nice little breeze to keep things comfortable for everyone." The uniqueness of the Summerside Highland Gathering never fails to draw the crowds. MacAulay said the final figures haven't been tallied but he is certain they will equal and in some instances surpass previous totals. This is a tribute to the reputation the College of Piping and Celtic Performing Arts has built for itself over the years because this past weekend offered a lot of events for Islanders and tourists alike. Along with the gathering, there was the Festival of Lights in Charlottetown and the national Canada Day celebrations. Organizers decided to go strictly Celtic with this year's entertainment and it worked. Kendra MacGillivray, East Coast Music Awards 2002 Female Artist and the ECMA 2002 Female Instrumentalist of the Year, headlined a slate of entertainers including Fiddler's Sons, Banshee and Urban Carmichael. "We had a great turnout for all events," MacAulay said. "Kendra MacGillivray, to me, was the highlight of the weekend, entertainment-wise. She was amazing, multiple standing ovations and back to our real Celtic roots which is what the college is all about." Organizers introduced a new competition this year that will be became an annual event at future highland gatherings - the E. Louise Morgan Highland Dancing Choreography competition. Morgan, the honourary chieftain of the college, passed away last December and MacAulay said the new event was staged in her honour. "Louise loved all aspects of the college but nothing more than the little highland dancers," MacAulay said. "In recognition of that we had the E. Louise Morgan memorial competition. We had 30 teams that entered and it's going to become an annual event." The Summerside Highland Gathering is the first of three gatherings set for P.E.I. this summer. The next takes place in Eldon Aug. 3 and the finale at Woodleigh Replicas in Burlington Aug. 24. MacAulay paid tribute to all those who volunteered to make the gathering this weekend a success. "Two hundred volunteers - without that kind of community support events like this would not be possible," he said. "We'd really like to acknowledge for the 12th year in a row Island Telecom, now under the Aliant banner, as well as the P.E.I. Department of Tourism and the city of Summerside, great sponsors of this event." |
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March
19, 2002 Kendra and Troy McGillivray to perform at Kingfisher Junction All-Ages Ceilidh on March 22, 2002 Kingfisher Junction presents an All-Ages Cape Breton-Style Ceilidh on March 22, 2002, from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at the Canadian Martyrs Church Hall, 5900 Inglis Street, Halifax. This is a family-oriented event featuring excellent live Celtic music in a smoke-free environment. Popular entertainers, Kendra and Troy McGillivray, will be performing and Colleen Putt will be calling the dances. Tickets will be sold at the door. $6 for adults; $3 for children ages 5 to 16; and $2 for children under age 5. Refreshments will be available. Kingfisher Junction was begun in 1992 by a group of dedicated volunteers. Since then, other volunteers have taken over the reins of this non-profit organization, and continue to maintain the objectives of providing all-ages dances with callers, live music and opportunities for young performers to showcase their talents. The group puts on four dances a year from fall to spring. Just as the name suggests, dancers of all ages attend and dance together with varying degrees of ability, but all with enthusiasm, and with the help of expert callers, such as Colleen Putt, everyone manages to learn the dances and have fun. At the half-time, special performances by young talented musicians and dancers provide an inspiration to all. Over the years, musicians such as Jarvis and Louis Benoit, Scott Macmillan, Gordon Stobbe and others have provided high quality music for the dance that is enjoyed by dancers and non-dancers alike. |
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March
19, 2002 The 2002 Easter Seals Telethon
is happening March 25 at the Confederation Centre of the Arts. It will be
broadcast live on CBC Television from 7-10p.m. |
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February
27, 2002 In "You Lovers All," an Irish traditional song dating back to the 19th century, a pair of immigrant lovers from Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh, reunite by chance in Quebec and then, by choice, "live quite happily in a town they call Saint John." Their decision to remain in Saint John, a New Brunswick seaport on the Bay of Fundy, would have been all the easier in the 21st century had they known about the 14th annual East Coast Music Awards and Conference held there from Jan. 31 to Feb. 3. It was an exhilarating celebration of multi-genre music, Celtic included, from Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland, Labrador, and New Brunswick, the only Canadian province officially bilingual (French and English). As a U.S. delegate invited by the Canadian Embassy, I was impressed by the breadth of talent on display at the 2002 ECMA. Costing $1.3 million (Canadian dollars) to mount and generating $3.5 million for the Saint John economy, the four-day event showcased established and emerging Atlantic Canadian artists for over 2,000 industry delegates. There were also thousands of music fans who flocked to the city and an estimated one million viewers who watched the national CBC telecast of the Feb. 3 gala awards show held at Harbour Station, arena home of the American Hockey League's Saint John Flames. Live music
seemed to fill every pub, lounge, theater, hotel, school auditorium, museum,
ballroom, atrium, and foyer in Saint John. There was even a 72-hour jam at a
billiards hall that featured 83 bands, giving fresh meaning to the phrase
"rock around the clock." The storm that hit Friday--10 centimeters
of snow and 5 millimeters of rain, just a "dusting," as one
denizen told me--had no chill effect on any of these indoor activities. Most
were packed, and most attendees move from one venue to another with
the help of a fully enclosed, heated pedestrian walkway system running from
the top to the bottom of the city. A quadruple threat as composer, arranger, performer, and producer, Gordie Sampson hails from Cape Breton Island, where he has collaborated with Ashley MacIsaac, Natalie MacMaster, the Rankins, the Barra MacNeils, and Mary Jane Lamond, among many others. On stage, his grit-edged voice and crisp guitar picking combined with fresh, venturesome songwriting to create succinct narratives rooted in realism. Equally adept in folk, traditional, rock, and pop realms, Sampson shared songwriter of the year honors with Jimmy Rankin, previously of the Rankin Family, for "Followed He Around," a catchy, country-pop hit in Canada that also earned Rankin the award for single of the year. From Mabou, Cape Breton Island, the Rankins were siblings (sisters Heather, Raylene, and Cookie; brothers Jimmy and the late John Morris) steeped in tradition but with a contemporary flair, especially in Jimmy's songwriting. After a 10-year run, they disbanded in 1999, and Jimmy took some time off before deciding to embark last year on a solo career and album, "Song Dog." With his Songdogs band in an ECMA concert broadcast nationally by CBC Radio, Rankin imparted a Springsteenish edge to his harmonica playing on "Midnight Angel," and his acoustic-guitar prelude to "We'll Carry On," a song about the hardship of Maritime fishing life, slid nimbly into a hard-charging rock setting with the whole band. South Rustico,
Prince Edward Island's Lennie Gallant, nominated in the best songwriter
category for his song "The Pu l of the Fundy Tide," sang it and
"Peter's Dream" with salt-spray gusto at Saint John's Imperial
Theater and also at Barnacles Pub, where patrons crammed together to join
lustily in the choruses. Another song written by this charismatic
performer,"Pieces of You," poignantly described the remnants of a
love now ended. Ronald Bourgeois's "Le Long Retour" was
nominated for the year's best Francophone recording, and this
singer-songwriter from Cheticamp, Cape Breton Island often sang in
Acadian French on stage. His original songs drew on heritage (our Cajun
music comes from his Acadian culture) and adult folk-pop, not Lite but
light, enough to bridge the two genres deftly. Bourgeois's music is anything
but bourgeois. The two pairs of singing sisters making up Blacks Mountain--Lisa and Donna Bennett, and Dawn Ellis and Joyce M ller who share the maiden name of Kennedy--have performed bluegrass, old-time country, and gospel music for 15 years outof St. Martins, New Brunswick. "We're not exactly Britney Spears," admitted Lisa Bennett, and these middle-aged women's comic disdain for the celery-nibbling, bare-midriff image of so many female singers today provided a whiff of needed body-image sanity. They are four delightfully harmonizing un-divas who never got Mariah Carey-ed away with themselves. At the Sunday
night ECMA telecast, the award for roots/traditional artist of the year went
to Mary Jane Lamond. She plumbs the lesser-known but no less rich tradition
of Gaelic singing on Cape Breton Island. Fellow Nova Scotian Kendra
MacGillivray has a strong musical pedigree: her grandfather was fiddling
legend Hugh A. MacDonald, her instructor Late Saturday night, I went in a shuttle van down snow-encrusted Prince William Street to the fifth annual Black Vibes showcase, hosted by the African Nova Scotian Music Association in a club called the Canadian Jungle. With me in the van were the lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia, Myra Freeman, and her husband, plus Anna Gibbs, the cultural affairs officer at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C. As the four of us walked into the packed club, rapper Papa Grand, beat boxer Kaleb Simmonds, and turntablist Skratch Bastid were on stage performing together. A nominee in the ECMA category of best urban recording, 19-year-old Kaleb Simmonds from Halifax took the rap-backing rhythm of hip-hop and transformed it through an amazing array of percussive sounds and instrumental mimicry made solely by mouth. At one point, he became a one-man band, punctuating his own steady rhythm with some soulfully elliptical singing of a Stevie Wonder song. The retro-swing craze may have died down in the U.S., but Prince Edward Island's Jive Kings nee not worry. Most of the material the octet performed at the Imperial Theater on Feb. 1 was original and noirishly w tty, dripping with a Mickey Spillane-like attitude guaranteed to elicit a smile. They ended with "Captain Crunch," a call-and-response song filled with hilarious reactions to various breakfast cereals. Also on stage that night were Joel Miller, a gifted tenor and soprano saxophonist from Sackville, N.B., whose melodic style fondly recalls John Coltrane and Stan Getz, and Les Muses, a comely, compelling vocal quartet from Moncton, N.B., whose eclectic, mainly French-sung repertoire covers chanson, Acadian, and modern pop and jazz songs. Les Muses especially stood out on "A La Claire Fontaine," an Acadian traditional song, and "Java Jive," a former hit for both the Ink Spots and the Manhattan Transfer. Other Highlights In a voice with the vibrato-rich reach of Tori Amos but well-grounded in Gaelic and other traditional singing, Prince E ward Island-born Patricia Murray sang such Irish songs as "My Johnny's Gone for a Soldier" and "I Wonder What's Keeping My True Love Tonight" with stirring emotive power and beauty. Though she was sometimes too precious in her presentation, Florenceville, N.B., vocalist Eleanor McCain shone in her rendition of "She's Like the Swallow," a song claimed by both Irish and Newfoundland folk traditions. The rock I heard ranged from the arena-pitched, anthemic sound of Nova Scotia's Crush, whose hook-ladened song "Live" had the audience up and dancing, to the furtively melodic punk, grunge, and thrash-metal music of Newfoundland's bucket truck. Did I like everything I saw? No. In a country-music showcase at the Imperial Theater, I quickly tired of Fredericton, N.B.'s J. R. Vautour, whose hyper-energetic, insistently ingratiating performance bordered on crowd pandering. Also, New Brunswick folksinger Brent Mason had a small voice that got smaller on stage as he sang, and Newfoundland Irish singer Neal O'Leary suffered from an all-too-familiar, ballad-bashing style bred in the Maritime bars. But these were the exceptions to a deep, diverse pool of Atlantic Canadian talent. It's obvious that the country to the north of us has much more than Olympic gold-medal ice hockey and pairs figure-skating, or Roots caps and jackets, to export below. I had a ball. |
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February
23, 2002 In honour of Kendra MacGillivray's win at the East Coast Music Awards, there will be a Kitchen Ceilidh next Sunday, March 3, 2 p.m., at Piper's Pub on College Street, Antigonish. Admission is $5. MacGillivray, of Lanark, near Antigonish, is the first Antigonish musician to win best female artist and instrumentalist of the year awards. Mayor Kay Chisholm and Warden Herbert Delorey will make presentations to MacGillivray. The Ceilidh, lasting into the evening, features dozens of MacGillivray's musical friends. There will be pipers, singers, fiddlers, step-dancers and square sets galore. MacGillivray was an adjudicator and teacher at this week's Kiwanis MusicFestival. |
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It was business as usual Wednesday at the Nova Scotia Kiwanis Music Festival with classes running as scheduled and students performing pieces they have been working on for weeks. "We're back on track," said director Neil Edwards, alluding to cancellations of some of the classes on Tuesday because of a snowstorm. The fiddle class on Wednesday morning, in its third year at the festival, drew only two students but both parents and teachers agree that the word is not yet out that you can play Cape Breton fiddle and be adjudicated at the Kiwanis festival. Eleven-year-old Sonia Grant, a Grade 6 student at Ecole Beaubassin, studies with Skippy Marden and has been playing the fiddle ever since Grade 1. She likes Cajun music particularly but chose a reel, waltz and hornpipe to play for adjudicator Kendra MacGillivray. Emma Reid is 12 and a Grade 6 student at Springvale School. She studies with Gordon Stobbe and in her set played the Trans-Canada Jig, co-written on Canada Day last year by Stobbe and West Coast fiddler Shamma Sabir. "I was there when he wrote it," MacGillivray told her. MacGillivray, an Antigonish native whose performing career has been building ever since she graduated from St. F.X. with a business degree in 1995, teaches fiddle at the Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts. She won best female artist and best instrumental artist at the ECMAs in Saint John three weeks ago, and has three CDs in her catalogue. None of her 20 private students at the conservatory competed in the festival, leaving her free to adjudicate. The conservatory has offered fiddle instruction for the last three years. "This year was the first time I'd heard about the class being offered at the festival," MacGillivray said, following the class. "I will definitely encourage my students to take part. It's a great opportunity to play in front of people and get feedback from someone other than their teacher." MacGillivray herself was part of a wave of young fiddlers which included Natalie MacMaster, Ashley MacIsaac, his cousin Wendy MacIsaac, Jackie Dunn, and, as MacGillivray say, "a whole bunch of us." They all studied with
Antigonish County's Stan Chapman, and went on to play "I went to X and took a business degree - I wasn't thinking of a playing career then. But it worked out great. I've been able to apply my business skills to my career," MacGillivray said. She manages her own publicity
and bookings and so far hasn't followed up She got a good break the summer after she graduated. She was playing at a festival in Antigonish and photographer Wally Hays, who works for the Nova Scotia Department of Tourism and Culture, took her picture. "They were looking for someone to go to Scandinavia, and that was it! I did every promotion tour for them for five years - travelled all over the world entertaining people in other countries, giving them an experience of Nova Scotia culture. I performed, and mingled, got to be myself - and got paid for it." MacGillivray still does promotional tours, but it's never been a full-time job. "I had to make sure I was able to make a living as a musician. Promotions are a bonus, and I wanted to be available when they came up." As a teacher, MacGillivray says there is only so much you can teach by using sheet music. You have to immerse yourself in the style. "I grew up with it - listening to tapes, playing with people who dropped in, and at kitchen parties and concerts." "When I teach I play along with the students on the piano to give them an idea of the feel of the music. They have some opportunities to play - Kingfisher Junction holds all-age dances which give students an opportunity to hear the music and dance to it - that's important, too." MacGillivray organizes Christmas and spring recitals for her students, joining forces with her sister Sabra who teaches Highland dancing. Photo: Ingrid Bulmer / Herald Photo - Kendra MacGillivray teaches students Sonia Grant, 11, left, and Emma Reid, 12, at a fiddle class during the Kiwanis Music Festival at Dalhousie Arts Centre on Wednesday. MacGillivray is also an adjudicator at the festival. |
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February 15, 2002 Recent ECMA winner Kendra MacGillivray will be Bev Lamb's guest in the SECOND hour of his weekly folk music program 'Touchstone', to be broadcast this coming Saturday (Feb 16), on CKDU 97.5FM in Halifax 10:00am-12:00pm.
The interview will feature relaxed
conversation, music from Kendra's most recent CD 'Over The Waves' and more! |
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February
4, 2002
SAINT JOHN, N.B. - Cape Breton's favourite sons Bruce Guthro and Jimmy Rankin split a six-pack of pewter trophies last night at the East Coast Music Awards, each winning three awards on a night that showcased the wealth of music in the region.Guthro won male artist, pop artist and album of the year for his powerful self-titled album released last summer. Rankin, who also released his debut solo project Song Dog, took home country artist, single of the year and shared the Socan songwriter with Gordie Sampson for his hit single Followed Her Around. "It took less time to
write that song than it does to sing it," joked Sampson backstage at
Saint John's Harbour Station. The pair co-wrote the catchy single four
years ago, initially ear-marked for Sampson's solo album Stones. Sloan, one of the pioneers of power pop music in the region, was again rebuffed. The now Toronto-based quartet were nominated for six awards, and won just one for video of the year for If It Feels Good, Do It. "I've directed all the
Sloan videos - until this one," dead-panned Chris Murphy backstage.
"I guess that means I shouldn't have been directing them all
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February
4, 2002
Saint John, N.B. - Cape Breton's reputation as the musical heart of Atlantic Canada was reaffirmed Sunday night as two of its most famous sons, Bruce Guthro and Jimmy Rankin, each won three statuettes at the East Coast Music Awards. And the coveted entertainer of the year award went to Troy fiddler Natalie MacMaster. Guthro won male artist of the year, pop artist of the year and album of the year for his self-titled CD. The Sydney Mines singer grinned as he talked backstage at the Harbour Station arena in Saint John. "I've had a great year so far and it just keeps getting better," he said. "I know some people were thinking 'He's had his turn' after I got five ECMAs in St. John's, but I hope I don't stop getting my turn." Rankin's hat trick was for country artist of the year and single of the year and SOCAN songwriter of the year for Followed Her Around, co-written with fellow Cape Bretoner Gordie Sampson. "It's good to be back," said the former Rankin Family member, who thanked his wife Mia, EMI Music Canada and producer Tim Thorney on his first trip to the podium. "This means a lot since (the CD Song Dog) is my first solo record, but really I was just happy being nominated. Mostly I'm just having a fun weekend, playing a lot and seeing people I haven't seen in a while." It's the third year in a row that Sampson has picked up the SOCAN award. Asked when he'd get around to releasing a follow up to his solo debut Stones, Sampson was coy... "Sometime between now and the Second Coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ," Sampson said with a laugh. He's collaborating with Newfoundland divas Kim Stockwood and Damhnait Doyle. MacMaster, whose entertainer of the year award is the only one selected by the public - was obviously thrilled. "It doesn't matter who gets chosen for this, whether it's me or the Fables or anybody," said MacMaster, whose win breaks a string of Newfoundland acts picking up the prize, including the Fables and Great Big Sea. "You're chosen because people can tell when you genuinely love making music, they pick up on it . . . and I still love making music." MacMaster opened up the nationally televised awards show as part of an East Coast supergroup featuring P.E.I.'s Celtitude, Halifax pop band Mir and members of Charlottetown's Jive Kings. From just across the causeway in Antigonish, first-time nominee fiddler Kendra MacGillivray picked up two awards, for female artist and instrumental artist of the year, for her vibrant playing on the Over the Waves CD. Halifax-based pop band Crush, signed this week to Warner Music Canada, saw its fortunes rise even further by winning two awards. Led by Newfoundland-born singers Paul Lamb and Cory Tetford, the quartet earned rock group and new artist of the year, putting the icing on the proverbial cake of an eventful week. "The icing tastes real sweet," Tetford said backstage, smiling as he held up the $5,000 cheque from Galaxie that accompanies the new artist prize. "Awards are great, but we go back to work on Monday. We're back on the road by Tuesday, but it's a great job." Another group of Newfoundlanders, the Ennis Sisters, were signed to Warners last year, and the investment paid off with their successful self-titled major label debut and a group of the year award Sunday night. "The ECMAs was the start of it all in Halifax," said Teresa Ennis, dressed in a red bustier her sister Maureen jokingly referred to as "her Christina Aguilera outfit." "It was where we were first discovered and it encouraged us to continue making music," added Teresa, referring to the days leading up to the awards show as "just like Christmas Eve." African Nova Scotian performers had a strong showing at the awards, with Halifax's Hallelujah Praise Choir receiving the gospel artist of the year award, Halifax jazz and gospel singer Linda Carvery getting the nod in the jazz artist category and guitarist Harvey Millar sharing the urban recording award with rapper Shy Luv for their collaboration Hip Bopping. "I'd like to thank the ECMAs for allowing us to have a voice in the industry," said Millar, who is also a business professor at Saint Mary's University. "Now it's up to record labels to pay attention to what we're doing and help us spread the music across the country." Other Nova Scotia winners included Cape Breton's Mary Jane Lamond for roots traditional solo artist, Halifax act Sons of Maxwell for roots traditional group and Halifax pop rock bands Sloan for video of the year and the Jimmy Swift Band for alternative artist of the year. The deeply personal collaboration between Rawlins Cross piper Ian McKinnon, conductor Scott Macmillan and Symphony Nova Scotia - MacKinnon's Brook Suite - was honoured with Classical Recording of the year. The Eastern Shore's Birchmountain Bluegrass Band won its second straight bluegrass artist of the year award, capping an eventful weekend in which the quintet played for thousands in Market Square and the members' fathers - the Boutilier Brothers - were honoured with Stompin' Tom Awards as East Coast music pioneers. Birchmountain also performed on the live broadcast, which saw the ECMAs attempt to branch out by featuring a wide range of up-and-coming artists: Halifax rockers Joel Plaskett Emergency and Jimmy Swift Band, Newfoundland's Rasa and Colleen Power and Moncton's Chris Colepaugh and the Cosmic Crew. Bette MacDonald opened the show dressed in a bathrobe, delivering a saucy monologue that made New Brunswick Premier Bernard Lord blush. She bemoaned the show's early start time. "For most of the people backstage, 6 p.m. is the wake-up call," she said. "Actually, the real reason for starting at six is because Sam Sniderman is here and he has to catch the show, have a bath and be in bed by 8:15." |
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February
4, 2002
SAINT JOHN -- Cape Breton song masters Bruce Guthro and Jimmy Rankin, who pounded the traditional Celtic sound of their island home into a new beat, mined gold at the 14th annual East Coast Music Awards yesterday. Mr. Guthro, from Sydney Mines, N.S., and Mr. Rankin, from Mabou, N.S., were the top nominees heading into the ceremony and emerged with the lion's share of the prestigious awards with three each. "I feel great," Mr. Guthro said after he won the male artist of the year award. "With seven nominations, I was afraid I'd be shut out." Mr. Guthro was also won for pop artist of the year and album of the year. Mr. Rankin, the first member of the Rankins to go solo, won best country artist, single and, with friend Gordie Sampson, songwriter of the year for the popular Followed Her Around. "We'll share it," Mr. Rankin said as he clutched the songwriter award. "Gordie can have it for six months of the year and I'll have it for six months." Mr. Rankin said the nominations and the awards are a confidence booster after he decided to go it alone after the disbandment of the Rankins and the death of his brother, John Morris Rankin, in a car accident. "This means a lot to me," he said. The nationally televised awards show capped a four-day festival of singing, dancing and jamming that had lifted the midwinter blues in the gritty port city of Saint John. The entertainer of the year award, the only category in which fans vote for the winner, was won by perennial favourite and fiddling sensation, Natalie MacMaster. The two-hour televised show was dedicated to the memory of CBC broadcaster Peter Gzowski, who was remembered for his tireless promotion of the East Coast sound. Other big winners of the night included Nova Scotia fiddler Kendra MacGillivray, who was named female artist of the year and also won the instrumental award. Her fiddle awards proved that even though the East Coast sound is branching out into hard-edged pop, rock and alternative, much love remains for the lively Celtic tunes that first propelled Maritime music onto the national stage. A Nova Scotia group, Crush, won rock artist and new artist. Nova Scotia artists dominated the awards ceremony. Of the 24 awards handed out, including a lifetime achievement award for New Brunswick fiddler Ned Landry, 20 were won by Nova Scotia artists. New Brunswick won three and Newfoundland took home one. |
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February
3, 2002
SAINT JOHN, N.B. - Cape Breton song masters Bruce Guthro and Jimmy Rankin, who pounded the traditional Celtic sound of their island home into a new beat, mined gold at the 14th annual East Coast Music Awards held Sunday. Guthro, from Sydney Mines, N.S., and Rankin, from Mabou, N.S., were the top nominees heading into the ceremony and emerged with the lion's share of the prestigious awards -- three each. "I feel great," said Guthro, after he won the Male Artist of the Year award. "With seven nominations, I was afraid I'd be shut out." Guthro also was awarded pop artist of the year and album of the year. Rankin, the first member of the Rankins to go solo, won country artist; single and, with friend Gordie Sampson, songwriter of the year for the popular Followed Her Around. "We'll share it," said Rankin, clutching the songwriter award. "Gordie can have it for six months of the year and I'll have it for six months." Rankin said the nominations and the awards are a confidence-booster after he decided to go it alone following the disbandment of the Rankins and the death of his brother, John Morris Rankin, in a car accident. "This means a lot to me," he said. The nationally televised awards show capped a four-day festival of singing, dancing and jamming, which lifted the midwinter blues in the gritty port city of Saint John. The Entertainer of the Year award, the only category in which fans vote for the winner, was won by perennial favourite and fiddling sensation, Natalie MacMaster. "Thank you to God for the gift of music," she said, as she accepted the award before a packed house in a downtown Saint John arena. MacMaster has received multiple ECMA and Juno awards, as well as a Grammy nomination last year. The two-hour televised show was dedicated to the memory of CBC broadcaster Peter Gzowski, who was remembered for his tireless promotion of the East Coast sound. Other big winners of the night included Nova Scotia fiddler Kendra MacGillivray, who was named female artist of the year. MacGillivray, who also won the instrumental award, said there have been Celtic fiddlers in her family for generations. "I'm just trying to keep the tradition alive," she said. MacGillivray's fiddle awards proved that even though the East Coast sound is branching out into hard-edged pop, rock and alternative, there's still much love for the lively Celtic tunes that first propelled Maritime music onto the national stage. The group Crush -- whose members were born in Newfoundland but are based in Halifax and were entered as Nova Scotia artists -- won rock artist and new artist of the year. "It's a nice pat on the back," said band member Corey Tetford. "It lets you know that your hard work is appreciated." Nova Scotia artists completely dominated the awards ceremony. Of the 24 awards handed out, including a lifetime achievement award for New Brunswick fiddler Ned Landry, 20 were won by Nova Scotia artists, New Brunswick won three, and Newfoundland, one. Newfoundland's one win was big: the Ennis Sisters were named group of the year. The three sisters from St. John's said they were over the moon. "The support and recognition from the industry means everything," said Maureen Ennis. The sisters said the East Coast Music Awards have been a driving force for their success. Warner Music Canada signed a record deal with the Ennis Sisters at the awards show in Charlottetown last year, giving the harmonious folk/pop group a shot at national exposure. The two New Brunswick winners were the Moncton-based blues group, Glamour Puss, and the Acadian group, Bois-Joli. |
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Sunday,
February 3, 2002
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January
31, 2002
THE EAST COAST Music Awards
and Conference weekend, taking place from now until Sunday in Saint John,
can be a hectic occasion at the best of times. |
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December
7, 2001 Kendra has been nominated for 2 East Coast Music Awards!! The nominations are for "Female Artist Of The Year" and "Instrumental Artist/Group of The Year". Kendra's webmaster, Cheryl Smith of Gigs & Reels Productions Inc, has also been nominated for an ECMA Industry Award for "Graphic Artist of The Year". As one of the biggest music industry events in the country, the four-day conference and awards show will draw delegates from Atlantic Canada and around the world. ECMA 2002 celebrates Atlantic Canadian contributions to the music industry. The awards will be handed out Sunday, February 3, 2002 at the Gala Awards Show televised live from Saint John, New Brunswick. The Industry Awards are handed out during the East Coast Music Association Industry Awards Brunch on February 1, 2002 in Saint John, NB. For a complete list of nominees and for more information, please visit www.ecma.ca |
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Award-winning
singer Patricia
Murray and fiddling sensation Kendra MacGillivray are teaming up for a
special Christmas Ceilidh, Sunday at 7 p.m. at St. Matthew's United
Church, Halifax. The show features Dave MacIsaac on guitar, pianist Troy
MacGillivray and Highland dancer Sabra MacGillivray. Murray and Kendra
MacGillivray will perform material from their recent recordings - Primrose
and Over the Waves respectively - along with songs of the season. |
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Christmas lights are starting to twinkle, and the joyous musical sounds of the season begin in earnest. Here’s a list of many upcoming seasonal concerts in metro and around the province. Singer Patricia Murray (left) and Kendra MacGillivray will present a Christmas Ceilidh at St. Matthew's in Halifax. (Photo: SCOTT DUNLOP - THE DAILY NEWS) |
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December 1, 2001 Patricia
Murray and Kendra MacGillivray team for a special Christmas Ceilidh
Halifax, NS - Award winning singer Patrici Murray and fiddling
sensation Kendra MacGillivray are teaming up for a special Christmas
Ceilidh, December 9th at St. Matthew's United Church in Halifax, Nova
Scotia. The show begins at 7pm and features tune master Dave MacIsaac on
guitar, along with the fantastic talents of pianist Troy MacGillivray and
Highland dancer Sabra MacGillivray. Please bring a
non-perishable food donation for the Metro Food Bank For
information visit http://www.patriciamurray.ca, |
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The skies were
a hodgepodge of reds and blues and golds, with dazzling,
threatening-looking clouds scattered in strangely beautiful patterns.
Well, it was strange to my admittedly landlubbing central Pennsylvania
eyes; no doubt it was nothing unusual to those better acquainted with the
rugged coastal environment of Cape Breton Island. Cape Breton fiddler Mairi Rankin (who was celebrating her birthday) got things off to a lively start, playing with such energy and poise that I didn't see how it could get much better. Primarily
upbeat, Mairi's set included a heartfelt lament for the late John Morris
Rankin. To date her only original composition, it shows a great deal of
promise for her future efforts at writing music. Mairi's portion of the
show, which ended with a big blast of Irish tunes, was supported by Mac
Morin on piano, Gordie Sampson on guitar and Matt Foulds on drums. |
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FORE!
The fourth annual Halifax Metro Centre Play With the Stars Golf Tournament
helped to raise $40,000 for the Learning Disabilities Association of Nova
Scotia. I felt a bit more confident about the game this year, especially after getting tips from my 15-year-old nephew Michael MacGillivary, on the driving range at the Seaview Golf Club in North Sydney last weekend. I joined Fred
and his hard-working colleagues, Paulette Boudreau, Monica Kennedy,
Patricia Myatt and our celebrity player Brandon Bennedict of the Halifax
Mooseheads. Among the
celebrities teeing off on Monday were BT's new gal Kelsa Kinsly and her
colleagues Liz Rigney and Jayson Baxter, Q-104's morning crew Harv
Stewart, Lisa Blackburn and James Patterson, Barnacle's Craig Flemming and
George Wallace, musicians Sam Moon, John Gracie, Tony Smith, Kendra
MacGillivray, Jeremiah Sparks, Annick Gagnon, the voice of the Moosehead's
John Moore, boxing champ Tyson Cave, national canoeing coach Scott Logan,
hockey stars Paul Boutilier and Hilliard Graves, Saint Mary's hockey coach
Trevor Stienberg, Dalhousie hockey coach and Olympian Fabian Joseph, world
champ curler Colleen Jones, the World Trade's award-winning chef
Christophe Luzeux, ATV's Todd Battis, former lieutenant-governor Alan
Abraham, National Legends car-racer Jeff Ainslie, K-4 Olympic paddler
Julia Rivard, former Olympian and boxing coach Wayne Gordon, CHNS's Mike
Cranston, Nova Scotia funnyman Bill Carr, Olympic paddling coach Frank
Garner and Halifax Mooseheads' trainer Chris McQuaid. Above Photo: Fiddler Kendra MacGillivray and singer Tony Smith of the Mellotones get ready to hit the links of Granite Springs for the fourth annual Play With the Stars Golf Tournament. |
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June/July
2001 Kendra MacGillivray's
ancestors are from Scotland, but her family has lived in Canada since the
18th century. For as long as anyone can remember, they've been fiddlers.
MacGillivray's hometown of Antigonish, on Nova Scotia's eastern mainland,
lies halfway between the provincial capital in Halifax and Cape Breton
Island's main city of Sydney. It is a musical crossroads of great
importance, and a starting point for the history of Canadian fiddle
records. "My grandfather, Hugh A. MacDonald, was a pioneer recording
artist back in the 1930s," MacGillivray explained in a February
interview. "He and a fellow Antigonisher were the first two fiddlers
to record Scottish fiddle music in Canada." For his importance to the
tradition, MacDonald was awarded a Stompin' Tom award at this year's ECMA. One of the greatest
concerts the MacGillivrays have played together was a tribute for John
Morris Rankin, the Rankin Family band member who died in a 2000 car
accident. They played a selection of Rankin's compositions, MacGillivray's music is
available on three recordings. Her first two showcase her fiddling in a
purely traditional context f fiddle, piano, and guitar. Many of the
tunes on these recordings were ones her grandfather had recorded on 78
r.p.m. discs, which have not been available in another format. Her latest
recording, Over the Waves, contains a wider variety of tunes, including
some of her own compositions, and a wider variety of accompanists, as
well. Throughout the disc, MacGillivray's vibrant and powerful bowing brings great, driving pulses out of the fiddle. Meanwhile her brother Troy surpasses the role usually given to accompanists, adding lift and swing with his jaunty piano. Dave MacIsaac's superlative guitar playing underlies it all tastefully, and a low-key rhythm section of John Chiasson (bass) and Scott Ferguson (drums) crops up here and there when necessary. None of it distracts from the central role played by MacGillivray and her fiddling, and she is more than equal to the task. |
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April
26, 2001 |
