Acadian French music and dance
Barachois plays traditional Acadian music - a rhythmic, high-voltage style born in the heart of a culture kept alive through two and a half centuries on tiny Prince Edward Island, Canada. The songs were brought over from France with some of the first settlers in North America, and have been infused with other influences most recognizably the Scottish and Irish fiddling styles of the Canadian maritime region. The music has been passed down from generation to generation by way of "kitchen parties," and community dances and gatherings. Barachois, a bilingual family quartet whose name is an Acadian word for "the shallow pools of water separated from the sea by sand dunes," skillfully breathes new life and interpretations into this time-honored music. They succeed in capturing the warmth and humor of these traditional gatherings with their engaging stage presence and lively tunes. The heartbeat of Acadian music is what one writer calls the "bedeviled rhythms" inherent in the tunes, reinforced by complex footwork with hard-soled shoes. The fiddles soar over the top, a driving piano creates the foundation, and homemade percussion instruments, close harmonies, and the occasional brass instrument complete Barachois's sound. These four multi-instrumentalists also step dance like mad - sitting down, standing up, while playing the fiddle, alone, and together. Their penchant for humor is also a part of their Acadian heritage - a bit of "clowning" is always encouraged and reveled in at Acadian musical gatherings, and the group naturally brings this zany spirit to their performances.
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Music Sampler: "Reel à Delphine - Par Derrière Chez Mon Père"