Biography
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The entertainment world is filled with extraordinary stories of musical power-couples, but few match the beguiling true-life tale of Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy. Known as Canada’s reigning stars of Celtic music, the two musicians’ combined album sales long ago exceeded one million; they sell out performing arts centers across North America, and their enthusiastic traditional folk music loving fan base (which boasts Shania Twain and The Chieftains) stretches from Sydney, Nova Scotia to Sydney, Australia.
On their new album Canvas, the pair stretch the boundaries of Celtic folk, experimenting with global sounds combining their virtuosic fiddle playing with more contemporary production and innovative arrangements, incorporating new instrumentation and contributing musicians. Special guests include celebrated Classical cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and Grammy award winning Americana music/Appalachian banjo/fiddle player Rhiannon Giddens. Canvas follows the duo’s 2015 release One, their first recording together, won Instrumental Album of the Year at the Canadian Folk Music Awards, and A Celtic Family Christmas, the best selling seasonal album and concert tour currently on stage at performing arts centers across North America.
Canvas is only their third album together. They approached it not bound by easy patterns or habits, but as a blank canvas. “Creativity comes when there is space for it,” says MacMaster. “One thing Donnell and I were given in 2020 was the space and time to be creative, to think and focus and find what was inside of us. Like an empty canvas, our minds were clear, open for the music that was about to flow. There were no restrictions, rules, agendas, considerations. As Donnell often said, ‘Let the music decide.’ So we indulged in full musical freedom, throwing patterns of the past aside. With a few challenges along the way, it was a delight from beginning to end.”
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Members:
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Sounds Like:
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Influences:
Buddy MacMaster, The Leahy Family
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AirPlay Direct Member Since:
03/05/23
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Profile Last Updated:
08/15/23 03:07:51