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It's Grou Tyme in Greater Halifax | |
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It's Grou Tyme in Nova Scotia as the province's 40,000 Acadians celebrate their culture and a history that dates back to the 17th century. The five day festival features Acadian arts and crafts, a visual arts exhibit, unique Acadian food and a wonderful blend of music that integrates the traditional fiddle and step-dancing of their musical heritage with rock, jazz, blues, and Cajun zydeco.
Over a dozen Acadian festivals are held in Nouvelle Écosse (Nova
Scotia) throughout the year in the regions of Acadian resettlement which
followed their Expulsion
by the British in the mid-1600's. In Clare,
Annapolis Royal,
Grand Pré
and numerous communities from Cape Breton Island to the mainland, the
evolving sounds of Acadia
are capturing new followers of Acadian 'world music', now known as
'Acadico'.
Grou Tyme, the second Acadian festival held in the Greater Halifax area, will extend the new found popularity of Acadian music even further. With a variety of free concerts and ticketed events featuring well-known Acadian recording artists, Grou Tyme is held at Alderney Landing in Dartmouth during the second week in September and promises to be an annual event leading up to the World Acadian Congress in 2004. Grou Tyme is Acadian slang for 'party time', and that's exactly what happens whenever Acadian musicians get together. Groups like Les Mechants Macquereaux, Blou and Grand Derangement are
rising fast in world concert venues where their high energy performances
thrill audiences in Canada, the U.S. (particularly Louisiana Cajun), and
Europe.
Les Mechants Macquereaux hail from Moncton. They launched their new CD at this year's 'Fais Do Do', which means 'sleep time'. Far from being a event to drowse through, a Fais Do Do is when the children
go to bed and the adults party on through the night. Blou is comprised of 5 Acadian musicians
from Nova Scotia. This group draws heavily on the Cajun zydeco influence
to deliver their high energy performances. Blou, winners of the ECMA award
for French Canadian music in l999, is the originator of Acadico and has
been developing a large following in France for their innovative stylings.
Grand Derangement, meaning 'the great upheaval' in reference to the Acadian Expulsion, is exemplary of the new Acadian music. You'll find it hard to stay in your seat when fiddling sensation Daniel Leblanc accompanies the group's three beautiful, blonde step dancers who move with a precision that leaves the audience cheering for more. Acadian music, in case you haven't had the pleasure yet, is definitely
worth listening to, that is if you can sit still long enough to
enjoy the finely tuned nuances of the Cajun/Acadian connection.
Acadian/Cajun Geneology 
Related Features
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"The best time
to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now".
Chinese Proverb
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