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November 3, 2011
Nova Scotia Music Week opens today
By Laura Jean Grant - Cape Breton Post
 SYDNEY
— Kenneth and Angus MacKenzie will hear their names called
for the first time as Music Nova Scotia award nominees this
weekend.
The Mabou
brothers are nominated for traditional/roots recording of
the year for their album “Piob is Fidheall” (Pipes and
Fiddles), which is among 22 music awards and 21 industry
awards set to be handed out during Nova Scotia Music Week
which begins today in Yarmouth and runs until Sunday.
“I was
pretty excited,” said Kenneth, noting they’re pleased to be
considered in the same category as Dave Gunning, Cassie and
Maggie MacDonald, Pogey, and fellow Cape Bretoners Scott
Macmillan and Brian Doyle. “I was just happy to get the
nomination.”
Kenneth,
28, plays Highland pipes, border pipes and fiddle and still
resides in Mabou, while Angus, 32, currently resides in
Scotland and plays pipes and whistles with a couple of bands
there. The two reunited recently for a couple of
performances at this year’s Celtic Colours International
Festival. In fact, it was the festival’s Volunteer Drive’ers
Association which helped make the MacKenzie brothers’ album
possible. The association awarded them the Frank (Big Sampie)
Sampson Award in 2010, with Kenneth and Angus receiving
recording studio time as a result.
Kenneth
said he and Angus wanted the album to reflect both their
live performance style and the history behind the
instruments they grew up playing together.
“We did a
festival a few years ago and it went really well so we kinda
wanted to capture that again and also explore the theme
between the bagpipes and fiddle and how they’ve had a long
and strong relationship. That was the idea,” he explained.
While
Angus won’t be able to make it Nova Scotia Music Week,
Kenneth will represent the duo and will perform on a
showcase stage with fellow Cape Bretoners Chrissy Crowley,
Jason Roach and Darren McMullen.
[BUY
Kenneth & angus MacKenzie: Piob is Fidheall]
Leading
the way for Cape Breton in terms of music award nominations
this year are Carmen Townsend and Jimmy Rankin, who are both
in the running for the coveted entertainer of the year
award, alongside Jenn Grant, David Myles, and Three Sheet.
Townsend
is also up for recording of the year, female artist
recording of the year, rock recording of the year, and new
artist recording of the year for her debut album “Waitin and
Seein,” while Rankin received nominations for recording of
the year, male artist recording of the year, and country and
bluegrass recording of the year for “Forget About the
World,” and songwriter of the year for “Here in My Heart.”
Slowcoaster is up for three awards in recording, group
recording, and rock recording of the year categories for
their fifth album “The Darkest Of Discos.”
Sydney
native Jay Smith is up for rock recording honours, while New
Waterford native Norma MacDonald is nominated for female
artist recording of the year, folk recording of the year,
and country and bluegrass recording of the year for her
album “Morning You Wake.”
Macmillan
and Doyle are nominated in the blues recording of the year
category, and Macmillan is also up for musician of the year
honours, which Cape Breton native Keith Mullins is in the
running for as well. Mullins is also nominated for digital
artist of the year.
Aselin
Debison is nominated for country and bluegrass recording of
the year for “Homeward Bound.”
On the
industry side of things Sydney-based Marcato Digital
Solution is nominated for company of the year and corporate
sponsor of the year, while owner Darren Gallop is in the
running for industry professional of the year and manager of
the year.
Other
industry nominees from the island include Celtic Colours for
event of the year, Fred Lavery for producer of the year,
101.5 The Hawk’s “East Coast Rising” show for radio program
of the year, Lakewind Sound Studios for recording studio of
the year, Michael ‘Sheppy’ Shepherd for studio engineer of
the year, and both Port Hawkesbury-based 101.5 The Hawk and
Glace Bay-based The Coast 89.7 for radio station of the
year.
For a full
list of nominees and Nova Scotia Music Week information go
to
www.musicnovascotia.ca/nsmw.
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