Tune Req: French Canadian Dance Music

Subject: Tune Req: French Canadian Dance Music
From: Compton
Date: 11 Jan 03 - 07:27 PM

Continue to astound me , Mudcat!. I am looking for good danceable French Canadian Dance Music. Any Knowledge out there?...and yes, I think La Bottine Souriante are the Dogs' Biscuits!..But you can't dance (sensibly) to them.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: French Canadian Dance Music
From: mg
Date: 11 Jan 03 - 08:34 PM

boy..there was a great group at at Seattle Folklife last year. Phenomenal. But I can't rememb3r4 the name. Maybe do a google search under Seattle Folklife and maybe the last years schedule will be up. they were some sor of featured performers.

I love French Canadian music. Who is that really well known (possibily deceased by now) fiddler? Forget that too. They are Newfoundlanders rather than Quebecois but Emille Benoit and Rufus Guinchard should really be listened to...Have you heard Lee Cremo? Cree fiddler...

good luck...it is such powerful music..I think if indeed I was to become a good fiddler is that style to which I would aspire.

mg

Subject: RE: Tune Req: French Canadian Dance Music
From: mg
Date: 11 Jan 03 - 08:42 PM

look no further..this gets my highest recommendation..

http://www.greenmanreview.com/nw.folklife.festival.2002.html

has a clickhy to Matapat..name of group..

I think fiddler I am thinking of first name of Jean..??

mg

Subject: RE: Tune Req: French Canadian Dance Music
From: mg
Date: 11 Jan 03 - 08:46 PM

Carignon I believe.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: French Canadian Dance Music
From: mg
Date: 11 Jan 03 - 08:56 PM

here is info on Lee Cremo. Darn..he has died too. Emille and Rufus were quite elderly but Lee wasn't at least when I met him. I got to dance with him. The article says he was a Cape Breton fiddler..a Mi'kmaq Indian. I thought he was Cree and from more te middle of the country. He was a great fiddler. There were or are a lot of First Nation (is that the right term?) fiddlers..I have a tape I made somewhere of several in Labrador I think. I can feel a digression coming on...I think that so much Newfoundland music is so much more similar to French Canadian than Irish which you might expect...it is such a driving forceful type of music..if anyone hasn't heard this type of music just trust me and get some. mg

Subject: RE: Tune Req: French Canadian Dance Music
From: CarolC
Date: 11 Jan 03 - 09:56 PM

My Canadian (Nfld.) hubby, Jack the Sailor, says this group is very good...

Les Méchants Maquereaux

There are two sound clips on this page. The first seems kind of slow. The second, Douze jours de Noël, is faster, and might give a better idea of what their dance music sounds like.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: French Canadian Dance Music
From: simon-pierre
Date: 11 Jan 03 - 11:08 PM

You may explore this site... lot of stuff.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: French Canadian Dance Music
From: Kenny B (inactive)
Date: 12 Jan 03 - 10:41 AM

Try this one for French Canadien Songs & Tunes
Some good dance tunes, not always obvious till you try them out.
Hope this helps.

Taylors Tunebook - Canadian songs & Tunes

Subject: RE: Tune Req: French Canadian Dance Music
From: sian, west wales
Date: 12 Jan 03 - 11:07 AM

The Thirty Below catalogue (Simon-Pierre's link above) is indeed very good. I had a CD from them for Christmas - Tess LeBlanc - and I'd order more from them if they took Mastercard (Visa only, I think).

Sian

Subject: RE: Tune Req: French Canadian Dance Music
From: Steve Benbows protege
Date: 13 Jan 03 - 02:41 AM

There is a band called Barachois. They are from prince edward Island. Saw them at sidmouth festival. Bloody brilliant. Also mel bay has a book of all the tunes will post details later when i am not at work.
Good luck.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: French Canadian Dance Music
From: Mitch the Bass
Date: 13 Jan 03 - 05:07 AM

If you want to go back to early playing of French Canadian music, take a look at the web sites of the National Library of Quebec

http://www2.biblinat.gouv.qc.ca/musique_78trs/accueil.htm


and the National Library of Canada

http://www2.nlc-bnc.ca/gramophone/src/home.htm

Both have transcriptions of 78s from 1900 onwards.

On the Quebec site go to "Index des Sujets" and look for "Danse folklorique, Musique de"

On the Canadian Site go to "Audio" or "Database". You can search by title, performer, label, issue number and year. You can guess by the titles which are songs and which are dance tunes. Alternatively look for well known performers such as Henri LaCroix, Isidore Soucy , Conrad Gauthier and Alfred Montmarquette.

I can also endorse Thirty Below for CDs and Books. I've had things from them over a number of years, shipped internationally, no problem.

Howard Mitchell
http://www.stradivarious.co.uk

Subject: RE: Tune Req: French Canadian Dance Music
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 13 Jan 03 - 02:20 PM

Try Mademoiselle, voulez-vous danser? Franco-American Music from the New England Borderlands for "the musical legacy of French-Canadians who immigrated to New England and became Franco-Americans. Recorded 1994-1998 at informal gatherings and songfests and in small studios in New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, and eastern New York". It's from Smithsonian-Folkways, catalog no. 40116. Definitely dancable stuff (though not necessarily very lengthy cuts), as well as songs and sundry. Lyrics to the songs are here.

What kind of dancing had you in mind?

~ Becky in Tucson

Subject: RE: Tune Req: French Canadian Dance Music
From: Barry T
Date: 13 Jan 03 - 08:52 PM

I suggest contacting active dance troupes to inquire about the recorded music they use. Just Google for "French-Canadian dance troupe", then try "Acadian dance troupe". Lots of great hits!

One of my favourites (which I never get to see on the west coast) is the Acadian dance troupe La Baie en Joie, from Nova Scotia. They've been around for a long time and are very active, but they don't seem to have a dedicated home page.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: French Canadian Dance Music
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 13 Jan 03 - 11:48 PM

Surprised no one has mentioned La Famille Soucy. They have put out six cds so far, the latest called "Quadrile de Rivière du Loup." The cds are distributed by Disques Mérite, 3573 rue Ashby, Ville St-Laurent, Québec, H4L 2K3, Canada. The label is Franco Fun.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: French Canadian Dance Music
From: Frank Maher
Date: 14 Jan 03 - 09:39 AM

Lots of French Canadian Dance Music at This Site

http://www2.nlc-bnc.ca/gramophone/plsql/browse.display_titles?bet=T&lang=e

Subject: RE: Tune Req: French Canadian Dance Music
From: Steve Benbows protege
Date: 14 Jan 03 - 01:47 PM

sorry it has been so long. the book is: " The fiddle music of prince edward island" celtic and acadian tunes in living tradition by Ken Perlman. published by mel bay. Isbn:0-7866-0363-1. should be $22.95 that is what is written on my copy.
   Some exceptionally good tunes and variations of tunes we already know and love! well worth having even if you stick it your library.
Best wishes.
   Pete.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: French Canadian Dance Music
From: Compton
Date: 20 Jan 03 - 10:56 AM

Thanks All. good stuff as usual, although I expected some real French Canadians to put into this, or are there no Mudcats there?

Subject: RE: Tune Req: French Canadian Dance Music
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Jan 03 - 12:44 PM

Jarvis Benoit. He also haD A TRIO OR QUARTET WITH HE PLAYED. fABULOUS mUSIC..i KNOW HE MADE SEVERAL ALBUMS BUT i AM NOT SURE IF ANY OF IT AVAILABLE ON cd.sorry about the bloody caps..techno dumb not argy bargy.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: French Canadian Dance Music
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Jan 03 - 12:47 PM

How do you know none of us are french canadian ?

Subject: RE: Tune Req: French Canadian Dance Music
From: simon-pierre
Date: 20 Jan 03 - 01:07 PM

and so I am (québécois, that is), but for input about french canadian music, I'm always surprised that my fellow americans knows a lot more than me...

The links of Mitch the Bass should give you hours of pleasure, it's very amazing.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: French Canadian Dance Music
From: Bardford
Date: 20 Jan 03 - 01:29 PM

Also- I didn't see any mention of La Bottine Souriante-
try
La Bottine Souriante
Or,
Here's the home page: La Bottine Souriante Home Page

Subject: RE: Tune Req: French Canadian Dance Music
From: Bardford
Date: 20 Jan 03 - 01:33 PM

M*rde! Sorry Compton, there they were right in your first post.