2021 Performers
A Celtic Whisky Tour with Cheryl Doherty
Cheryl Doherty is co-founder and CEO of The Old Triangle Irish Alehouse, a quartet of Irish restaurants and pubs located throughout the Maritimes. She is an accredited ISG Sommelier and WSET Level 4 Diploma . Cheryl is a certified Traincan Food Safety instructor as well as a certified OHES WHIMIS Trainer. She has been a guest educator for The Nova Scotia Community College for the past seven years teaching food and wine pairing to second year culinary students. She writes a regular wine column for Refined magazine and is President of the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers - Atlantic Chapter, and also a member of the CAPS National Board. She resides near Halifax, Nova Scotia with her husband Brian. where they oversee their family business with their two adult sons. She spends her free time indulging in passions for food, wine, books, travel and gardening.
Abby and Ella Hanson with Kolten MacDonell
Sisters Abby and Ella Hanson are from Dartmouth; the girls have spent a number of years taking lessons from renowned fiddler Wendy MacIsaac and they have performed at various events and dances around the city and in Cape Breton. With encouragement from the Gaelic College and NS Gaelic Affairs, Abby and Ella have also developed a classroom friendly overview of Gaelic culture, language and history which they have presented to thousands of Nova Scotia elementary students as "Up With Gaelic". Abby and Ella would like to thank Kolten MacDonnell for accompanying them on the piano as well as the Halifax Celtic Festival for inviting them to perform.
Kolten MacDonell is a fiddler and piano player from Glencoe, Cape Breton. He began playing music at a young age, influenced by many local teachers, including Stephanie Wills, Brenda Stubbert and Mary Janet MacDonald. Kolten has played for ceilidhs and dances throughout Cape Breton and internationally, and is also in demand as a teacher. He has taught for several years at Colaisde na Gaidhlig, as well as the Ceilidh Trail School of Celtic Music, and Boston Harbor Scottish Fiddle School. In addition to playing music, Kolten makes wheel-thrown stoneware pottery inspired by the music and people of Cape Breton.
Alex Gandy
Alex has been piping since he was 10 years old and has had the good fortune of growing up in a piping family. Both of his parents, Bruce and Beverley, and grandfathers, Ronnie and Ray, are pipers. Since starting he has been taught primarily by his father, Bruce Gandy. In 2016 he started receiving tuition from Colin MacLellan, his Godfather.
In 2006 he moved to Glasgow between high-school and university and took lessons from Roddy MacLeod and played in Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band, winning the World Pipe Band Championships in 2007 and placing 2nd in 2008 with FMM. Playing in FMM under P/M Richard Parkes MBE was very influential and helped Alex to become Pipe Major of the Grade 1 78th Highlanders (Halifax Citadel) Pipe Band. The band was a finalist at the World's in 2015 and won the North American Championships at Maxville in 2014. Alex is a multiple prize-winner in the Silver Medals at Oban and Inverness, winner of the Gold Medal in Kansas City and the Canadian Gold Medal and Clasp in Maxville. On the light music side he has won the A Grade MSR at Inverness in 2014 and in 2017 he won the A Grade March and S/R at Oban on the same day. Alex and his father are the only father-son duo to have competed against each other in the Silver Star Former Winner's MSR at Inverness, and more recently to have won.
Barbara Wright
Barbara Wright is a proud Nova Scotian and has always known of her Scottish heritage but it was only a few years ago a cousin started researching their Welsh ancestry. With that renewed personal interest, Barbara volunteered to work on the Halifax Celtic Festival and decided to do a visual exhibit of the traditional dress, crafts, recipes, industry and some folklore. Thus the “dolls” came to be.
Whether it is a song of the sea, the romantic swing of a waltz, or the vitality of an Irish jig, The Big Island Trio gives great care an attention to the nuances of this strong music tradition. In 2017, they released their first studio album "Songs From The Kitchen", which is comprised traditional songs inspired by their youth and reflective of their early performances throughout the Halifax pub scene. In 2019, the boys teamed up producer and Rawlins Cross founding member, Dave Panting to produce their second studio album "Sail Away". This album is made up of completely original material written by their singer and guitarist, Gary Foley. For further insight into the groups background and focus you can visit them online at www.bigislandtrio.com
Brad Reid’s boot stomps as his fiddle sounds its Cape Breton heritage. It’s a high-top leather boot he bought touring Russia with Cirque de Soleil playing clarinet, sax, and guitar — while skating. Reid thought he’d landed his dream job — good pay, challenging music, travelling the world.
Yet after shows, he searched every town for fiddle jam sessions. Despite language, cultural, and stylistic differences, Reid always found a sense of “home” when playing the fiddle — connecting deeply with other musicians, audiences, and his own creativity in ways other instruments didn’t allow. And so Brad Reid decided to tell his own musical stories, built on a foundation of Cape Breton fiddle and a suitcase full of musical influences from across the world.
Joining him as the Brad Reid Quartet are band members James MacLean on guitar, Jamie Gatti on double bass, and Tom Roach on percussion
Bridget E. Brownlow, M.A., Con.Res.Cert.
Bridget Brownlow is the Conflict Resolution Advisor for Saint Mary’s University. She holds a Master’s degree (History) and is a certified conflict resolution specialist with over 25 years of extensive experience in organizational conflict management.
Part of her expertise is focused on delivering a wide range of appropriate dispute resolution services, training and education designed for students, faculty, staff and unions at all levels within the university. In addition, her work in conflict management spans the local, provincial, national and international communities.
For the past seventeen years, Bridget has been the Senior Coordinator for an international conflict resolution / peace education initiative in Northern Ireland / North of Ireland. This involves working directly with students, faculty and staff in the development and implementation of peace education programs in collaboration with Peaceful Schools International and Saint Mary’s University.
Bridget is currently the President of Peaceful Schools International, an Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Education and teaches part-time in the Department of Political Science, Department of Irish Studies at Saint Mary’s University.
She is the recipient of the 2020 World Peace Tartan and the 2018 YMCA Peace medal.
Catherine McKinnon
Catherine McKinnon is a fiddler with deep Inverness County roots. Born in Halifax, NS, she grew up in Port Hawkesbury, Cape Breton immersed in music. Through the years she has played in several bands including Halifax-based Black Pool, Blue Grass Lawnmower, Prodigal Daughters and Saint John-based Mackinaw. She co-founded The Ravin' Mavens, a Connecticut-based folk, country and roots band, which drew a dedicated following in New England. She currently lives in Purcell's Cove, NS.
Celtic Fashion Show with Veronica MacIsaac
As her name implies, Veronica was born into Canada’s Celtic culture. She grew up surrounded by sewing machines, patterns and fabrics as her mother, successful Cape Breton kiltmaker Rosemary MacIsaac, crafted outfits for Veronica’s highland dancewear and kilts for her brother, noted piper Matt MacIsaac. The MacIsaacs, in both professional and competitive capacities, have been a consistent presence at highland games and gatherings in Canada and abroad. It was this familiar environment that spurred Veronica’s interest in creating modern, wearable clothing that proudly announces the wearer’s own heritage and style. Each piece is a uniquely personal creation, planned, pinned, produced and perfected in her studio. Stitch by stitch, sketch by sketch, Veronica MacIsaac has singularly established a flourishing career, proving that tradition, taste and tartan are alive and thriving in both the Celtic and fashion world.
Dartmouth & District Pipe Band School
Based in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada, Dartmouth & District Pipe Band draws members and students from throughout the Atlantic provinces. The association includes a grade four and grade five competition band, a parade band, and a well-established bagpipe and drumming school. The goal of the organization is to build leadership, teamwork, and teaching skills, developing individuals so they can contribute back to the success of the organization. By providing a supportive and structured teaching environment, members can reach their full piping and drumming potential, which is evidenced by their impressive alumni list of highly-skilled pipers and drummers.
Dave MacIsaac and Louis Benoit
Two of the finest instrumentalists ever to come out of Nova Scotia – these are the guys the musicians come out to see. Equally versatile on guitar and fiddle, Dave MacIsaac will keep you entertained all evening long. Accompanying him is Louis Benoit playing a pure and skillful guitar.
Diaga Irish Dance
Established in 2010 by World medalist and Riverdance cast member Zeph Caissie, Diaga Irish Dance has become renowned for excellence. The school is connected to the rich Celtic heritage of the Maritimes, and regularly features local musicians in its performances. Diaga Irish Dance has produced numerous Champion dancers and has been instrumental in the growth of Irish dance in Atlantic Canada. Students of Diaga Irish Dance have performed in the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo, Hamburg Polizeishow, and will be featured artists in the upcoming Belgium Taptoe. Diaga Irish Dance hosts Fundy Feis, an Irish dance competition in the Maritimes, and The Celtic Christmas Show, an annual celebration of Celtic culture.
Sisters Danelle (fiddle) and Céline (piano) have been performing publicly for the past 11 years, both locally and internationally. They have opened for the Colin Grant Band, Lennie Gallant, and Heather Rankin locally and have performed as a duo in Normandy, France at the week long Acadian festival in 2012. They have also been invited as youth guest performers at the Canadian Grand Masters Fiddle Competition in Ottawa, Ontario and spent two years as members of Atlantic Canada Ceilidh–a group of local musicians who performed for local conferences. Céline and Danelle have been employed for three years by the Cheticamp Arts Council as musicians, dancers and actors. They have played at the Halifax Celtic festival for the last two years, and recorded on three CDs (Rénée Doucet, Canadian Grand Masters 2010, and in a compilation of local artists, Cheticamp).
Dr. Karly Kehoe
Dr. S. Karly Kehoe is the Canada Research Chair in Atlantic Canada Communities. Karly’s primary research areas are religion, migration, and minority identities in the British Atlantic, but she is also interested in sustainable development and rural change in Nova Scotia and the Scottish Highlands. Prior to coming to Saint Mary’s, she lived and worked in Scotland. Karly has held research fellowships at the University of Guelph, Yale University, Middle Tennessee State University, and Durham University. She is the convenor of the Scottish Historical Review Trust and a fellow of the Royal Historical Society. She is an alumna of the Young Academy of Scotland and the Global Young Academy and is president-elect of the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists. In addition to co-editing (with Chris Dalglish) the Histories of the Scottish North Atlantic book series with Edinburgh University Press, Karly is the board chairperson of the Gorsebrook Research Institute for Atlantic Canada Studies and acting coordinator of the graduate program in Atlantic Canada Studies. She is also a passionate advocate of academic researchers who have been displaced by war, conflict, or persecution.
Kayla Dunphy
Kayla is from Bedford, Nova Scotia, and is perusing a B.A in International Development Studies and Anthropology at Saint Mary’s University where she is in her fourth year of the program. She has a special interest in international conflict and global health. Kayla works as the Senior Program Director for Peaceful Schools International overseeing the Halifax and Northern Ireland/North of Ireland program. Working as a volunteer for the Northern Ireland/North of Ireland and Halifax program in the 2019/2020-year Kayla traveled to Belfast in February of 2020 to facilitate conflict resolution workshops before becoming the Senior Program Director the following April. Kayla also is the President of the Conflict Resolution Society and the International Development Undergraduate Society at Saint Mary's University.
Dusty Keleher
Dusty Keleher writes songs that tell a good story and searches out gems from the past that do the same.
Simply put, roots/traditional music that takes its cue from ancient Irish ballads to songs from the folk and folk/rock canon.
From whatever genre and tradition he draws on, Dusty brings a heartfelt soul to all the songs he sings.
His most recent recording, 2018’s The Way to Grace (b/w The Road to Connemara) is a double lp. Three sides of originals backed by a full band, and one side, is a collection of deep Irish traditional songs sung acapella. It was nominated by Music Nova Scotia as Best Folk Roots Recording for 2018."
Ellen Gibling & Colin Carrigan
Ellen Gibling is a lever and pedal harpist based in K'jipuktuk/Halifax, Nova Scotia. She studied classical harp performance at McGill University, went on to train and tour with the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, and recently spent a year in Ireland obtaining a masters degree in Irish Traditional Music Performance at the University of Limerick. Ellen has enjoyed an active performing and teaching career on Canada's east coast over the past decade, working with local organizations and artists, including Mocean Dance, Symphony Nova Scotia, Jenn Grant, the Halifax Camerata Singers, and the Halifax Summer Opera Festival. She is a member of the traditional music ensembles Ragged Robin, Harpaflöjt, and Síle, as well as the improvisation quartet New Hermitage. Ellen teaches at the Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts, and has also taught at Acadia University, the University of Limerick, and the Canadian International Summer Harp Institute. (www.ellengibling.ca)
“Colin Carrigan was born with a fiddle under his chin.” - Such an illustrious claim could have been made, had the medical wisdom of the 1970s not deemed this procedure too risk-laden. Instead, Colin and his fiddle were acquainted in boyhood years - without medical supervision - under the tutelage of Newfoundland fiddle legend, Kelly Russell. Quick was his ascension into the rich Anglo/Irish musical tradition of his homeland, and his early apprenticeship saw him sharing the stage with the fabled likes of Emile Benoit and Rufus Guinchard. By first chin-scruff, Carrigan was forming bands and busking in the streets of downtown St. John’s, playing polkas and slides, jigs and reels, come-all-ye’s and whack-fol-lol-di-ra’s.
Colin has since conducted a long career of teaching, recording, performing and touring. His repertoire and style are a fusion of Newfoundland, Irish and Scottish music: one-hundred albums of which were ground smooth on turntables through his formative years. He is a luthier, teacher, and architect, and has hosted several traditional sessions in his adopted home of Halifax, Nova Scotia. He remains a champion of the Good Tune.
Kevin Evans & Brian Doherty have been an integral part of the East Coast music scene for thirty four years. They have been together as Evans & Doherty for Thirty years. To capture the essence of an Evans & Doherty performance, take a lively blend of traditional, original and contemporary songs, add a liberal sprinkling of stories and humour, then sit back and enjoy these fine entertainers.
Fiddles and Feet
Fiddles & Feet is a group of six performers, all born and bred in Nova Scotia, who have been performing traditional fiddle music for many years. Along with the tunes the band features stepdancers and some fine vocalists. The members are: Alycia Putnam, fiddle, concertina & stepdance; Megan Isenor, fiddle, stepdance & vocals; Laura Watson, fiddle & vocals; Gordon Tucker, fiddle, guitar & vocals; Rob Putnam, guitar & vocals and Randy Feener, bohran/percussion. The band draws their repetoire from Scottish, Irish, Cape Breton & Downeast fiddle music; Maritime & Celtic folk music and the odd swing, blues or country tune. A liberal infusion of fun always accompanies a live performance and their energy is undeniable! The group was originally put together to provide the convention market with a real Maritime experience and Fiddles & Feet have delivered for many years. They have also played many of the theaters around Nova Scotia and have sold out their shows at Ships Co. Theater in Parsboro five years in a row!
Giving Celtic Context
Join us for Giving Celtic Context where we discuss efforts to reclaim and renew Celtic languages and their cultural arts and expressions in the present day.
Get stylish with a Fashion Show from internationally recognized designer Veronica MacIsaac!
Engage in a discussion with Conflict Resolution Advisor, Professor Bridget Brownlow and Lewis MacKinnon, Gaelic language and cultural advocate and colleagues from Northern Ireland on Irish language renewal and community advocacy efforts.
Visit in with singer/songwriter and raconteur Dusty Keleher as he takes on a journey of imaginative discovery through traditional Irish song and story.
Follow the settlement patterns and fascinating narrative of Scottish Gaels in Nova Scotia with acclaimed musician and folklorist, Ian McKinnon as he invites perspectives from Dr. Karly Kehoe, Canada Research Chair in Atlantic Canada Communities and a specialist in minority identities.
And a finally, enjoy a virtual tour of Whiskies with accredited sommelier and culinary expert, Cheryl Doherty!
Heather Rankin
Heather Rankin is a singer, songwriter, actor, and member of the 6X Juno Award winning band The Rankin Family. As a solo artist she has released two albums, A Fine Line (ECMA/Juno Nom.) and Imagine (ECMA Nom.) Her music video for “We Walk As One” (dir. Scott Simpson) was nominated for ECMA’s Fan’s Choice Video of the Year and her music video for “Titanically” (dir. Thom Fitzgerald) was nominated for ECMA and Music Nova Scotia Awards for Video of the Year. She has taken her solo show to venues across the country, including headlining the Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival, hosting Songwriters’ Circles at ECMA Week and the Nova Scotia SummerFest, and performing with the Cape Breton Orchestra at Celtic Colours, with Symphony NS, and the Calgary Philharmonic. She recently performed at Celtic Connections in Glasgow. In 2018 she teamed up with Nova Scotian powerhouses Bette MacDonald, Lucy MacNeil, and Jenn Sheppard to create Island Girls: a unique comedic and musical salute to Cape Breton. Heather was nominated for a 2019 ECMA for Fan’s Choice Entertainer of the Year. In 2017 Heather was named a Canada 150 Ambassador and she took part in the Canada C3 Expedition on Leg 2 between Montréal and Baie Comeau, where she cowrote the song “River of Nations” with Alex Cuba and Andrea Menard. She has recorded and performed with many artists including The Chieftains, Johnny Reid, and Carly Simon. In addition to touring, Heather has recently been in the studio working on her next album, which is influenced and inspired by her Celtic and Folk roots.
Ian McKinnon
Ian McKinnon is best known as the piper/whistle player and co-founder of the Canadian Celtic Rock group, Rawlins Cross. During its 30-year span as a band, Rawlins Cross has released 10 recordings, won 12 East Coast Music Awards and two Juno Award nominations and toured the world. Ian is also is president and owner of GroundSwell Music, a Halifax-based artist manager, concert and festival promoter and record company. Over the years GroundSwell has worked with some of the leading talent on Canada’s East Coast including The Stanfields, Rawlins Cross, The Town Heroes and Carleton Stone. GroundSwell artists have collectively achieved national and international success and won a plethora of East Coast Music Awards, Nova Scotia Music Awards and Juno nominations. McKinnon won the 2014 and 2015 NS Music Awards for Manager of the Year. McKinnon’s educational background is in the arts. Following the completion of a Bachelor of Arts at St. Francis Xavier University he earned a Master of Arts degree in Folklore from Memorial University of Newfoundland. In the wake of his studies, McKinnon immersed himself in a music career on a full-time basis as a member of Rawlins Cross. In the early days of Rawlins Cross, McKinnon established GroundSwell Music to support the business of the band as well as other East Coast Canadian artists. Ian has also released two solo projects: MacKinnon’s Brook Suite with Scott Macmillan and Symphony Nova Scotia and Air Races with pipe organist, Gayle h. Martin.
Ian McKinnon with Dr. Karly Kehoe
2020 marked the 20th anniversary of the Celtic Symphonic suite, MacKinnon’s Brook Suite. The Halifax Celtic Festival asked project producer and soloist, Ian McKinnon, to present the CBC TV show that was created as part of this project. As part of this presentation, Ian sits down with historian Dr. Karly Kehoe to dig in to some of the historical context surrounding the story of his ancestors, Hugh and Mary McKinnon, who immigrated to Cape Breton in 1817.
Irish Persian Ensemble with Mohammad, Saeed and Scott
Mohammad Sahraei graduated with his Masters of Ethnomusicology, and holds a Bachelor of Music, a Masters of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Accounting. His ethno-musicological work has taken him too many countries throughout the Middle East where he has mentored with instrumentalists and vocalists. Furthermore he has published several essays on this topic. He has participated in many musical and cultural events in Halifax such as OBEY Festival, Jazz Festival, Multicultural Festival and additionally produced International Music Concerts in Nova Scotia since 2017. He also has written music for silent films. Moreover, Mohammad is a music teacher, and has published his Nahavand Album in Iranian music and is the Executive Director of the World Music Museum Society in Halifax.
Saeed Foroughi is one of Canada's best-known multi-talented musician, performer and composer. Saeed is conductor of Rumi ensemble and Celtic meditation in Halifax. He plays Classical and Irish flute, Celtic harp, Santur or Hammered Dulcimer and Setar. Following his graduation from Trinity College of London, he was principal flutist for Portuguese Symphony. Saeed has recorded and performed throughout Canada. He appeared in many international festivals, and has completed a tour of Japan and England and Western Canada. For the past few years Saeed is touring Maritime to celebrate Silk Road Project initiated by Yo-Yo Ma to share art and education across the Provence with music of “Turlough O'Carolan” as well as classical Persian music. O'Carolan was a blind Gaelic harper, composer, and singer.
Scott Macmillan’s passion for creating music propels him forward seeking opportunities in all aspects of music making, inspiring exploration into genres from rock to blues, classical to choral, Celtic to jazz, as well as modern and avant-garde. In March of 2019 Scott premiered ‘12 & Change’ performing his concerto for Electric Guitar with Symphony Nova Scotia. In October 2019 he premiered ‘Woodland Revival’ an experiential composition performed by Mi'kmaw drummers, Persian, Celtic & Classical musicians. Music has taken Macmillan to many places nationally and internationally including Carnegie Hall performing his much loved ode to our world’s oceans “Celtic Mass for the Sea”, with his partner and librettist Jennyfer Brickenden. Multiple awards, appointments, commissions and critical reviews all reflect Macmillan’s success establishing his contribution to the music of Nova Scotia and beyond over his 40+ year career. An integral contributor to the success of the late Rita MacNeil, Scott played an equally pivotal role in the rise of the Rankin Family Band, the Nova Scotia Mass Choir and led Symphony Nova Scotia’s Maritime Pops programming for 10 years in the 1990’s. In 2008 Scott began mentoring a new generation of guitarists at the Fountain School of Performing Arts, Dalhousie University. https://www.scott-macmillan.ca
Kevin Dugas with James MacLean
Born in Inverness, Cape Breton, Kevin Dugas has been playing the great highland bagpipe for 25 years. Growing up he was surrounded by family and local tradition bearers who played the fiddle, piano, pipes, and step danced. Kevin was inspired musically by his Scottish and Acadian roots, and the many great traditional musicians from Inverness County. With a family history of piping and music tradition, notably among his great-grandfather’s family, Hughie Dan MacDonnell, Kevin took to the pipes naturally, beginning at 10 years of age. As a professional class competitive bagpiper and composer, Kevin has traveled the world as a member of the 78th Highlanders Halifax Citadel Grade 1 Pipe Band for 17 years. The 78th Highlanders have been the leading pipe band in Atlantic Canada for many decades. Some of Kevin’s influential piping mentors over the years include John MacLean, Bruce Gandy, Matt MacIsaac, and Alasdair Gillies. Kevin has also performed with the traditional piping group Nuallan, who most recently performed at the William Kennedy Piping Festival in Armagh, Northern Ireland. Currently, Kevin works as a Healthcare Social Worker with the cardiology team at the Halifax Infirmary.
Kim Dunn
Born and raised in North Sydney, Cape Breton, and living just outside of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and recipient of a Nova Scotia Music Award this past November, Kim Dunn has been working on a successful music career for over thirty years now, with a brief four year reprieve studying Jazz at ST. FX.
In 2003 Kim was the recipient of the first ever Musician Special Achievement East Coast Music Award, given not on the basis of votes but rather a selective process on the part of the Industry - an honour indeed to have been chosen in the year of the awards inception.
Kim has performed his music with Symphony Nova Scotia, has received national exposure on CBC’s Canada Live, and featured regionally on Atlantic Airwaves & All The Best. He has successfully showcased at the East Coast Music Awards, Nova Scotia Music Week, and notably, the premium artist/buyers conference Contact East.
Kim has also performed his music at various music festivals and other events throughout the country and abroad.
Lisa Macarthur with Kolten MacDonell
Lisa Macarthur was born and brought up in the Codroy Valley, Newfoundland. Lisa’s love for music shines through in her abilities with the fiddle and as a stepdancer. Taking lessons since she was in her mid-teens, she has studied with fiddle, piano and dance instructors including Natalie MacMaster, Buddy MacMaster, Jerry Holland and Brendan Mulvihill at the Gaelic College at St. Ann’s and the Ceilidh Trail School of Music. Lisa is a regular performer throughout the Maritimes.
Kolten MacDonell is a fiddler and piano player from Glencoe, Cape Breton. He began playing music at a young age, influenced by many local teachers, including Stephanie Wills, Brenda Stubbert and Mary Janet MacDonald. Kolten has played for ceilidhs and dances throughout Cape Breton and internationally, and is also in demand as a teacher. He has taught for several years at Colaisde na Gaidhlig, as well as the Ceilidh Trail School of Celtic Music, and Boston Harbor Scottish Fiddle School. In addition to playing music, Kolten makes wheel-thrown stoneware pottery inspired by the music and people of Cape Breton.
Marcel Amores
Ashé Druida
Marcel Amores passion and influences in Celtic Music brought him to Halifax, Nova Scotia in 2008, after years of performing with Galician and Asturian bagpipes bands and folk groups in Havana, Cuba. This new project reunites members of Marcel Amores & Plan Ashé band into a smaller format that connects the heart of the diversity of Celtic music from Europe to the Americas resonating with contemporary strings of Spanish, Jazz, Funk and Son.
Ashé Druida embraces the known and unspoken music conversations that occurred through centuries of social evolution in Europe. It aims to represent the encounters between different cultures (Gaelic, Spanish, French, African) that shaped the trips and twists of traditional music in those countries where Celtic influences remain, expanding its horizons to music experimentation in today´s North-American diaspora where many rhythms reside and have a popular voice.
The traditional Celtic music played today in Scotland, Ireland, England, Wales, France, Spain is very different from what it was played 200 plus years ago. So its echo will be different and enriched by the diverse music trends and flavors added in today´s cross-cultural world. Ashé - from Yoruba culture, African word to create the power to make things happen and produce a change. Druida (Spanish)- Druids from ancient Celtic tribes. We hope you enjoy our music.
Moragh Shaw
Moragh Shaw is a grade 12 IB French Immersion student at Halifax West and this is her 6th year volunteering at the Celtfest. Moragh is of Gaelic descent and her roots are in Cape Breton. She loves to play Cape Breton fiddle, and has a keen interest in Gaelic language, culture and history. Moragh is a past participant in Na Gaisgich Òga / The Young Heroes Gaelic mentorship program at Colaisde na Gàidhlig (The Gaelic College), and has attended numerous summer sessions and immersion weekends at the college. She plans on continuing her Gaelic learning studies and reaching fluency.
Orla McCague
Orla McCague is from Monaghan, Ireland and is this year's ICUF Irish Language Instructor at St Mary's University, Halifax. Orla has a B.A. in Irish and Music from NUI Maynooth, and a Masters in Education through the medium of Irish from NUI Galway. She has worked in secondary schools in Ireland and also taught Irish and music at the University of Montana (Missoula) through the Fulbright programme in 2017/2018. Orla has a passion for Irish traditional music, the fiddle being her main instrument.
Papilio is a neo-traditional acoustic trio based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. With fiddle, flutes, vocals and guitars, Papilio renders a mix of celtic and international instrumentals, original compositions, and folk songs with their own distinctive creative twist. Their musical adventures through Ireland, Scotland, Brittany (France), Scandinavia, Galicia and Asturias (Spain), Cape Breton, Quebec, the Balkans, and further afield show the inspiration and creativity that ensue when cultures connect.
Rising Tide Irish Dance Academy
Passionate about all things Irish Dance, Rising Tide’s expert coaches tailor their teaching to each student, knowing every dancer has the potential to be a champion. Rising Tide opened in January 2015 and has been sharing Irish dance with children and adults across the greater Halifax area ever since. As an art form and a sport, Irish dance offers something for everyone. Using both hard shoes and soft shoes, Irish dance can be percussive and powerful, and athletic and elegant. Rising Tide dancers have brought that unique style to many audiences in Halifax ranging from broadcast news, city festivals, Irish associations, corporate functions, community events and more; bringing their music, fast feet and exciting energy to all. Notably, the Rising Tide dancers have performed alongside The Chieftans, Symphony Nova Scotia, Heather Rankin, Wendy MacIsaac and Evans & Doherty, and are delighted to be back to perform at Halifax Celtic Festival once again. For more information visit www.risingtideacademy.ca.
Roger Stone & Lewis MacKinnon
Roger Stone is an accomplished Cape Breton musician, born and raised in Richmond County. Currently a member of the long-established and much loved Nova Scotian band McGinty, Roger also enjoys a busy solo career and plays with a variety of other notable musicians. Known for his folk and traditional style of music, Roger has been a passionate teacher of banjo, guitar, mandolin, bass, percussion and voice for almost thirty years. He has been a contributing force and inspiration to the musical careers of well-known artists and his many students and his song writing skill is well known whether writing his own original material or in collaboration with others.
Lewis MacKinnon will join Roger in performing Gaelic, Irish and traditional songs. Lewis provides a unique approach to sharing Nova Scotia’s Gaelic language and culture as he performs. Knowledgeable, informed and lively, Lewis combined with Roger will result in great musicality, complementary unison choruses and genuine energy and passion. This performance provides a true language-based cultural experience, audience-friendly and memorable.
Roger Stone and Anthony Rissesco
Roger Stone is an accomplished Cape Breton musician, born and raised in Richmond County. Currently a member of the long-established and much loved Nova Scotian band McGinty, Roger also enjoys a busy solo career and plays with a variety of other notable musicians. Known for his folk and traditional style of music, Roger has been a passionate teacher of banjo, guitar, mandolin, bass, percussion and voice for almost thirty years. He has been a contributing force and inspiration to the musical careers of well-known artists and his many students and his song writing skill is well known whether writing his own original material or in collaboration with others. Roger’s latest album, Old Friend, was released last summer. Currently he’s working with the band on an album celebrating McGinty’s 40th anniversary.
Anthony Rissesco is a versatile violin player and teacher who tours regularly with award-winning singer-songwriter Lennie Gallant and with roots-rock band Pogey. As a member of the neo-traditional trio Papilio, Anthony has garnered ECMA and Nova Scotia Music Awards nominations. He is also a member of the popular Halifax band The Gig Dogs. Anthony has played with Symphony Nova Scotia, Anne Murray, and Peggy Seeger. As a music student at Dalhousie University, Anthony studied classical violin under Phillippe Djokic. He has won fiddle competitions throughout Canada, including the Maritime Fiddle Championship. In 1990, he came third in the Canadian Open in Shelburne Ontario, and he was chosen to represent Nova Scotia at the Grand Masters Competition in Ottawa for six consecutive years.
Bringing their love of maritime and traditional music together, Rowdy Dow is comprised of Theo MacIntosh and Scott MacDonald. Born and raised in Glace Bay, Cape Breton, Theo has spent years lending his talent to various groups as a guitarist, pianist and vocalist. Another Caper, Scott MacDonald hails from Judique, Cape Breton. No stranger to the stage or studio, Scott is an encyclopedia of songs and a talented multi-instrumentalist. Rowdy Dow combines their Cape Breton roots and extensive gigging experience to provide a tasteful, entertaining, and memorable performance.
Pierre, Katey, Clare, Zahara, Adrian and Riley
The AUCOIN DUO, is comprised of musicians Pierre and Katey AUCOIN from Stellarton, Nova Scotia. The teenage siblings have been performing for nearly a decade having started lessons at an early age. In this short time span they have developed a passion for a broad repertoire of music styles including Cape Breton, Celtic, Old Time, Irish, Modern and Classical. The familial bond is evident in their performances and they have gifted venues throughout the province with their music.
Clare Foley began playing fiddle at age 5, and now enjoys playing with the Alba Nuadh Ceili Band. Aside from music, Clare enjoys dance, loves spending her summers in Newfoundland, and is writing her first play called “A Superhero’s Life”. Clare is 8 years old and attends Elmsdale Elementary School.
Zahara and Adrian Illyas have been playing fiddle for 4 years with Lydian School of Music. They started when they were 8 and 5 years old respectively. They love playing the fiddle and are currently playing in the Lydian Ceili group.
Riley has been playing for 7 years with the Lydian School of Music, and in the Alba Nuadh Ceili Band. He’s performed as a fiddle onboard Princess Cruise lines, the PEI ferry, and has also performed at the Pictou & Truro exhibitions. Riley also studied at the Willie Clancy summer school in Miltown Malbay, Ireland.
Union Fire Club Pipes and Drums
The Union Fire Club Pipes and Drums (UFCPD) is a voluntary non-profit society that primarily provides musical support to the Halifax Regional Fire Service. Beginning in 2006, our society has grown not only in members but also in the importance that it plays to the community and Halifax Regional Fire Service. When the UFCPD began it had the sole mission to provide a musical component to its membership, primarily, at funeral and memorial ceremonies. Today, we continue to maintain that responsibility and hold it in the highest regard. However, we have grown to also support the local community through cultural activities, municipal events and even at national and international levels.
Shannon & Tony Quinn
Shannon was born and raised in beautiful Halifax, Nova Scotia and has been performing as a fiddler/vocalist for the past 16 years. In 2016 Shannon won 'Roots Traditional Album of the Year' & 'New Artist Recording of the year' at the Music Nova Scotia Awards, and has also been nominated for two Canadian Folk Music Awards. She achieved her music degree from the renowned ‘Humber College’ in Toronto and then spent almost three years touring internationally with the award winning Scottish group ‘The Paul McKenna Band’. This has included many international performances in Canada, The United States, England, Scotland, Germany as well as the Netherlands. Some of Shannon’s past performances have included being featured with Cirque Du Soleil and The Chieftains in Canada as well as being a featured soloist with Symphony Nova Scotia. Shannon has performed at Walt Disney World’s ‘Epcot’ in the United Kingdom Pavilion. She has also been a featured performer at the ‘Music City Roots’ concert as well as Bluegrass Underground concert; both in Nashville and both broadcast live on WSM radio. Shannon released a solo album in 2008 entitled ‘The Irwin Lake Sessions and then in 2015 she released her second album entitled ‘If All the Young Ladies’. This album features Shannon primarily as a vocalist as well as a fiddler, and was recorded in Glasgow. In addition to being a solo artist, Shannon has also been performing with her father Tony Quinn for the past 20 years as a Celtic/folk duo, and has recently done some touring with Joel Plaskett as his fiddle player for his ‘Solidarity’ tour with his father Bill. Shannon’s third album ‘Watchmaker’ released January 2019 is a modern celtic concept album, based on the painting ‘The Watchmaker of Switzerland’ by Norman Rockwell.