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December 15,
2005
ECMAs to honour fiddler Buddy MacMaster
CBC
News
The East Coast Music
Association has chosen Buddy MacMaster, the legendary Cape
Breton fiddler, to receive its lifetime achievement award at
the upcoming awards gala.
The 81-year-old Celtic music
icon will be honoured with the Dr. Helen Creighton Lifetime
Achievement Award at the Feb. 27 award show in
Charlottetown, set for live broadcast by the CBC.
Each recipient of the annual
honour, chosen by the East Coast Music Association's board,
is an artist who has had a "profound and lasting effect on
the Atlantic Canadian music industry."
"The word 'legend' is
sometimes overused — but not when it comes to Buddy
MacMaster," ECMA board chair Marc Chouinard said in a
statement.
"He truly fits the
description. His influence spans decades and his
contribution to the world of traditional music is
immeasurable. We are very excited to be honouring him with
this award."
Past winners include folk trio
Ryan's Fancy, singer Rita MacNeil, fiddling legend Don
Messer and guitarist John Allan Cameron, the godfather of
Celtic music.
A member of both the Order of
Canada and the Order of Nova Scotia, MacMaster was born into
a Celtic-speaking, musical family in the northeastern
Ontario mining town of Timmins. His family, however, was
originally from Cape Breton and returned there when he was a
toddler, moving to the town of Judique.
MacMaster began playing the
fiddle as a teen and, although he worked for the Canadian
National Railroad for about 45 years, he built a career
performing his Cape Breton-style fiddle at concerts, dances,
benefits and on CBC-TV shows like Ceilidh and The John Allan
Cameron Show.
MacMaster began recording
albums in 1989 — at the age of 65 — after he retired from
his rail career.
The holder of an honorary
degree from St. Francis Xavier University, MacMaster — the
uncle of fiddler Natalie MacMaster — was also among a group
of musicians invited to travel to Scotland to perform and
teach the traditional Cape Breton Celtic style of music.
For more information, visit
www.ecma.ca
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Above photo: Margaree
Poto by: Victor Maurice Faubert
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