BETHEL — New England Celtic Arts in collaboration with Saltwater Celtic Festival will present Congrès Mondial Acadien 2014 Tour at Mahoosuc Arts on Tuesday, July 16; at Skye Theatre Performing Arts Center on Wednesday, July 17; and at St. Kieran’s Art Center on Thursday, July 18. Curtain is 7 p.m. at all locations.
In the official words of the Congress: “The road to the 2014 World Acadian Congress will lead toward a rediscovery of our roots, allowing each of us to recapture our Acadian heritage. Beyond the borders that we share, northwestern New Brunswick, Northern Maine (USA), and the Temiscouata region of Quebec are united by our shared history and family ties.”
To this end a showcase tour of Acadian performers has been assembled to bring the tradition of story in song and soulful presentation. Three artists will perform in Maine and N.H. with an additional six performances in Canada.
Maine’s roots are clearly Scots, Irish and Acadian. Three of these events are precursors for the upcoming Saltwater Celtic Festival at Thomas Point Beach in Brunswick from July 20-21.
Acadian and Celtic music have their roots firmly planted in the same soil and the genres have crossed paths and influenced each other for centuries.
Maine legend Denny Breau’s rhythmically flawless and dazzlingly clear style allows him to do amazing and stunning things with a six-string guitar. He first draws in an audience with a finely arranged melody and then slides effortlessly into scorching finger work that sets ears aflame. The lightning-fast guitar lines that seem almost humanly impossible to accomplish are balanced with those that have a quiet intimacy and wrap tenderly around his carefully crafted songs.
Acadian singer-songwriter Pascal Lejeune released his third CD, “Le bruit des machines” in July 2012. Highly anticipated on the francophone music scene and definitely more rock than its predecessors, this third album shows an important musical turning point for this artist from Pointe-Verte in northern N.B.
Patrice Michaud was born in Cap-Chat in Quebec’s Gaspé region. Michaud has been singing songs, telling stories and writing about everything he sees — and then some. Left with $8.75 in his bank account after a four-month European jaunt, he was invited to tell a story at the 2004 Gala Culturel Gaspésien, and ended up taking part in the region’s signal pop music event, the Festival en chanson de Petite-Vallée, in 2008.
Mahoosuc Arts is in Bingham Hall, 45 Church Street, Bethel, 207-824-3575. Skye Theater is at 2 Highland Drive in South Carthage, 207-562-4445. St. Kieran’s Community Center is at 155 Emery St., Berlin, N.H., 603-752-1028. Ticket price is $15.
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