![]() MacMaster's fiddling has also been heard on television commercials for Tim Horton Donuts and General Motors Pontiac. The following year, she spent four weeks as the opening act for the Chieftains on their tour of the United States. In 1995, MacMaster performed for more than 80,000 people as the opening act for Carlos Santana in Chattanooga, Tennessee. MacMaster has maintained such a busy schedule as a performer that she had to turn down an invitation to be a featured musician in the Irish music and dance production Lord of the Dance. The album was dedicated to the memory of her grandmother, Margaret Ann Beaton, who would often sing Gaelic lyrics to songs that she was learning on the fiddle. She was also named Fiddler of the Year by the Canadian Country Music Association. In addition to hosting the East Coast Music Awards, MacMaster received awards for "Female Artist of the Year, Roots/Traditional Artist of the Year and Instrumental Artist of the Year. MacMaster's first album released by Warner Brothers Canada, No Boundaries, included "Drunken Piper" (featuring vocals by Cookie Rankin of the Rankin Family), and established her as one of the top musicians in Canada. ![]() Tracks from MacMaster's first two albums were reissued by Rounder as A Compilation in 1997. After releasing two self-produced cassette-only albums - 4 on the Floor in 1989 and Road to the Isle in 1990 - MacMaster expanded her following with her first release in the United States, Fit as a Fiddle, which received an East Coast Music Award as Best Roots/Traditional Album of 1992. ![]() She took formal lessons along with her cousin Ashley MacIsaac, with whom she played as a youngster. Inspired by the musical members of her family, MacMaster began playing fiddle at the age of nine on an instrument given to her by a great-uncle. Whether performing with her band or a classical orchestra, MacMaster has thrilled audiences for decades with her exciting fiddling and dynamic stage persona. She has toured with the Chieftains, Faith Hill, Carlos Santana, and Alison Krauss and is a mainstay of multiple folk and roots music festivals. She has released dozens of acclaimed albums since emerging in the late 1980s, including the gold-selling Fit as a Fiddle (1993) and In My Hands (1999), and wide-ranging efforts like Yours Truly (2006), Sketches (2019), and Canvas (2023). Tuesday through Friday or online at Natalie MacMaster has turned the music of Cape Breton, an island off the east coast of Canada near Nova Scotia, into an international phenomenon. Get tickets for this show at the Tidemark Theatre Box Office from noon to 4 p.m. Widely recognized as one of the best fiddlers in the world, his high-energy playing style also makes him a highly popular performer. He was the incendiary music leader of the internationally acclaimed family group Leahy, winners of three JUNO awards. Leahy is no stranger to the awards podium himself. She has won two JUNO and eleven East Coast Music Awards and been nominated for a Grammy. Over a recording career now spanning 25 years, this Order of Canada recipient has released 11 albums that have notched sales of over 200,000 copies. To fans of fiddle music, MacMaster needs no introduction. What I love about this record are the layers of ancient instruments, weaving through and around one another to create a Celtic Christmas tapestry.” “I feel there is a lot of depth behind the melodies and meanings. The album creates a counterbalance between both the traditional and modern, Leahy says. Many Christmas songs have gorgeous melodies that stand strong as instrumental pieces and I want it to stay with our fans throughout the holidays, and beyond.” “This tour is going to have an energy that goes beyond the duration of the show. ![]() What ease and joy with which it came pouring out! “We have celebrated Christmas in a big way our entire lives and finally have recorded the music. “For the album A Celtic Family Christmas, we’ve taken some classic Christmas songs and flavoured them with our own brand of Celtic tradition,” says MacMaster. With the duo accompanied by an incredible array of talented musicians – and their children – A Celtic Family Christmas will guide you into the wonderful world of a true MacMaster Leahy Christmas celebration. ![]() 30 for an intimate and unique Christmas event you will never forget. Award-winning fiddle virtuosos Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy (pictured right)come to Campbell River Nov. ![]()
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