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February 27, 2006
ECMAs honours those behind the scenes
By STEPHEN COOKE -
Halifax Herald
WHILE IT’S
THE stars of the Atlantic Canadian music scene who will be
honoured tonight at the East Coast Music Awards in
Charlottetown, on Sunday night the names behind the scenes
were lauded for their efforts in keeping the music biz
wheels rolling at the ECMA Industry Awards.
The
evening event in the Delta Prince Edward ballroom also
continued the annual tradition of honouring the unsung
heroes of the region, at the Stompin’ Tom Awards, which were
announced prior to the ceremony.
Hosted by
P.E.I. Acadian comedy duo Chuck & Albert, the dinner affair
included performances by Joel Plaskett with producer and
former Big Sugar guitarist Gordie Johnson of his
footstomping new song Can I Go Nowhere With You, P.E.I.
Celtic singer Patricia Murray, and Newfoundland bard Ron
Hynes, who got the room laughing with a witty Nancy White
number about digital copyright infringement.
This year
saw a wide array of industry insiders credited for their
efforts over the past year.
In what
has also become an annual tradition, Halifax-based show biz
powerhouse Sonic Entertainment Group went home with a couple
of awards, namely independent company of the year, and
manager of the year for its founder Louis Thomas, for
guiding the careers of acts like Great Big Sea, Matt Mays &
El Torpedo, The Novaks and now his newest signing, Halifax
independent rockers Wintersleep, who will be appearing on
the live ECMA broadcast tonight from the Charlottetown Civic
Centre.
"Thanks to
everyone who’s supported our collective group of
companies,"" said Thomas from the podium which he shared
with wife and Sonic publicist Wendy Phillips. ""I’m glad the
company won this award, because over the years it’s come to
mean more than just a manager and publicist."
The
evening’s other multiple winner was CBC Radio, which picked
up trophies for major market radio station of the year and
for Atlantic Airwaves as broadcast of the year.
"This goes
to all the musicians and the musical community," said
Atlantic Airwaves producer Glenn Meisner. ""Because of them
I’m fortunate to have a job a passion, really in this
community called the East Coast.
"It’s
shown me some of the greatest talent I’ve ever worked with."
Regionally, Cape Breton had a strong showing with five
awards going to island entities like East Coast Countdown
producer Jack Bonaparte for industry professional of the
year, Celtic Colours International Festival for event of the
year, OutFront Productions’ Cheryl Smith for graphic
designer of the year, longtime champ Lakewind Sound in Point
Aconi for studio of the year and Sound Park Studio’s Jamie
Foulds for technician/engineer of the year.
"I’m very
delighted," exclaimed Celtic Colours co-founder Joella
Foulds from the stage. ""So many people are involved and
affected by this event, I don’t know where to begin.
"There’s
our board of directors, 50 community groups and 1,000
volunteers, without them we couldn’t make it happen."
For a
sharp slice of irony, there was the bittersweet victory of
former Halifax Daily News music scribe Sandy MacDonald in
the media person of the year category.
MacDonald
was recently laid off by the paper along with other
experienced hands, after over a decade of covering the East
Coast Music scene from stem to stern with a fine balance of
wit and expertise.
MacDonald
took time out to acknowledge his fellow daily newspaper
writers who cover the ECMAs every year, noting
"they
bring thousands and thousands of readers to the event
through their stories. It’s been a great ride, see you in
Halifax next year."
Halifax-based Kelly Clark was named photographer of the year
for the fourth straight year for her fresh and funky
approach to capturing music on film, while the annual
industry builder award went to Musicstop founders Russ and
Sharon Brannon.
Folklorist
Clary Croft paid the couple a warm, nostalgic tribute via
video, for over three decades of world quality music
equipment sales, service and support to musicians from home
and abroad.
"It’s
amazing to have built this business over 35 years,"said Russ
Brannon. "And to have been married to my business partner
for 35 years. We should get an award for that too!"
Honours
for Prince Edward Islanders came in the form of the small
market radio station of the year award for Charlottetown’s
CFCY, and the musician’s achievement award, a surprise award
that pays tribute to those crucial support players, usually
from the host region.
This year
it was P.E.I. native Chris Corrigan, whose guitar skills
have graced records and performances by the likes of Lennie
Gallant, Rita MacNeil, Mary Jane Lamond, Natalie MacMaster
and Nathan Wiley.
The sole
Newfoundland winner was St. John’s-based music company
Landwash Distribution, while Fredericton’s The Playhouse won
its first award for venue of the year.
At the
Stompin’ Tom Awards, veteran Nova Scotian rock and roller Ed
Melanson was named for his years on the road, recording in
Nashville, and his current career as morning radio host for
CKBW in Bridgewater, where he continues to promote Canadian
music.
Cape
Breton professor James MacDonald was the island’s Stompin’
Tom Award selection, for the late instructor’s support of
musical education and a roster of students that stretched
from Winston Fitzgerald and Winnie Chafe to Barra MacNeils’
Lucy MacNeil.
New
Brunswick’s Stompin’ Tom Award recipient was Symphony New
Brunswick musician and general manager John Tickner, while
veteran Newfoundland guitarist Sandy Morris was honoured for
his work over the decades.
The
Stompin’ Tom nod for P.E.I. went to the 1940s dance band The
Downtowners, whose sole surviving member, 85-year-old
clarinet player Elmer Gallant, showed he still has that
swing with a performance of On the Sunny Side of the Street.
The whole
event was capped off in fine P.E.I. style by the traditional
Acadian band Vishten, which played a rousing set of fiddle
and accordion dance tunes.
A great
deal of what goes on at the East Coast Music Awards and
Conference is about spreading music far and wide, and and
looking outwards toward getting Atlantic Canadian performers
and their recordings into untapped corners of the world.
But
earlier in the day, there was a plea for musicians and music
industry figures to look inward, and find the strength to
use their talents toward making the world a better place.
Gerry
Barr, co-chair of the Canadian Make Poverty History campaign
( www.makepovertyhistory.ca) and president of the Canadian
Council for International Co-operation sparked the
conscience of ECMA attendees by discussing the importance of
music and its power for social change.
Citing
chilling statistics like the fact that 800 million people go
to bed hungry every night, and that every three seconds a
child dies of poverty related illness, Barr also listed
examples of songs that have helped make a difference in the
world, from Billie Holiday’s Strange Fruit to Bruce
Cockburn’s If I Had a Rocket Launcher.
"Will a
song with a message stay fresh for only a week, or become an
anthem? All you can hope for is that someone will hear the
message,""said Barr, who expressed his disdain for the
concept of ""charity rock."
"Maybe an
event will be a one-shot deal, like George Harrison’s
Concert for Bangladesh, or the start of a grassroots
movement, like Farm Aid. But as Bono said during the Live 8
concerts, "It’s not about charity, it’s about social
justice.’ . . . When someone is living in poverty, that
means they’re being denied their basic rights."
The
session also featured two new songs performed by Halifax
global pop band MIR, whose members recently returned from a
trip to see the progress of post-tsunami rebuilding in Sri
Lanka.
"The
implementation of aid is a huge, huge task, and we’ve
learned from a variety of organizations how difficult it
is," said the band’s singer-songwriter Asif Illyas.
"There are
people still living in tents because their land is
represented by the opposition parties. . . . We’ve learned
the difference between financial well-being and emotional
well-being. The people there have a lot of resilience."
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February 27, 2006
ECMA Honours Worker Bees
By Chris Connors - Cape Breton Post
CHARLOTTETOWN – The people who work behind the scenes of the
East Coast music industry stepped into the spotlight Sunday,
during the 2006 ECMA Industry Awards Show and Dinner at the
Delta Prince Edward Ballroom in Charlottetown.
In a posh,
star-studded event that featured appearances by celebrities
such as Corner Gas star Brent Butt and performances by Joel
Plaskett, Ron Hynes, Patricia Murray and Vishten, the East
Coast Music Association handed out awards in 14 categories.
“These are
the people who work hard all year to support East Coast
artists and their music, regionally, nationally and
internationally,” said Marc Chouinard, chair of the East
Coast Music Association board of directors. “Our heartfelt
thanks and congratulations go out to all the winners and the
nominees. The industry is thriving due to your efforts.”
Five
Cape Bretoners were among those honoured during the show,
which was hosted by P.E.I.’s Acadian musical ambassadors
Chuck and Albert Arsenault. The Acadian comedy duo kept
things light-hearted with their onstage antics, musical
numbers and one-minute taped skits.
Cheryl
Smith of OutFront Productions in Port Hawkesbury picked
up the first award of the evening, winning her second
straight ECMA for graphic designer of the year.
Max
MacDonald and Joella Foulds accepted the event of the year
award for Celtic Colours International Festival, a
nine-day celebration of Cape Breton’s living Celtic culture
that takes place in communities across the island each
October.
Lakewind Sound Studios, which is co-owned by musicians
and producers Fred Lavery and Gordie Sampson, won the studio
of the year award for the sixth time.
“Thank you
for your continued vote of confidence,” said Lavery. “We
never take this for granted; it’s a real honour, so I’ll
accept it on behalf of Gordie Sampson, myself and especially
(engineer) Mike Shepherd, who couldn’t be here this weekend.
Thanks to all you folks who come to Lakewind.”
Soundpark Studios Jamie Foulds, another six-time ECMA
winner, was once again named the technician/engineer of the
year. It was the fifth time he won the award, with his other
ECMA dating back to 1992 when his band Realworld won the pop
artist of the year trophy.
“This is
not the first time I’ve won this award but every time we win
it feels like the first time,” he said.
Radio
personality Jack Bonaparte won the ECMA for industry
professional of the year for his work on the syndicated show
East Coast Countdown. The show’s producer Jimmie Inch, who
has been filling in as host while Bonaparte battles cancer,
accepted the award on his friend’s behalf.
“Jack’s
going to be so pissed he wasn’t here tonight,” said Inch.
“I told
him, ‘Jack, chemotherapy is a valid reason for missing an
awards show.’”
Other
winners were: CBC’s Atlantic Airwaves (broadcast of the
year); Sonic Entertainment Group (independent company of the
year); Louis Thomas (manager of the year); Daily News writer
Sandy MacDonald (media person of the year); Kelly Clark
(photographer of the year); 630 CFCY Charlottetown (small
market radio station of the year); CBC Radio Halifax (major
market radio station of the year); Landwash Distribution Co.
(indie label of the year); and The Playhouse (venue of the
year).
The East
Coast Music Association also recognized the region’s
volunteers, musical pioneers, industry builders and
unheralded musicians with several special awards. Scott
Crawford of Charlottetown, who worked tirelessly as chair of
the volunteer committee for ECMA 2006, received the
volunteer of the year award.
The late
Professor James MacDonald, a well-known music teacher whose
students included Winnie Chafe, Winston Fitzgerald, Angus
Chisholm, Kyle and Lucy MacNeil of the Barra MacNeils, Matt
Minglewood and Johnnie Aucoin, received the Stompin’ Tom
Connors Award for Cape Breton. The awards, which are given
to a person or group in each of the ECMA’s five regions,
were also given to trailblazing P.E.I. swing band The
Downtowners, John Tickner of New Brunswick, Sandy Morris of
Newfoundland & Labrador and Ed Melanson of mainland Nova
Scotia.
Mary Jane
Lamond presented the Musician’s Achievement Award, which
recognizes a sideman or session musician, to Chris Corrigan,
a well-known guitarist from P.E.I.
The ECMA
board of directors chose Musicstop founders Russ and Sharon
Brannon as the recipients of the 2006 Industry Builder
Award.
“Russ and
Sharon Brannon are well-known and respected members of the
East Coast music industry and their support and nurturing of
musicians is legendary,” said Chouinard.
The ECMAs
wrap up Monday night when the Trailer Park Boys host the
Gala Awards broadcast at the Confederation Centre of the
Arts. For more information and a complete list of the
nominees, visit
www.ecma.ca.
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Above photo:
Margaree
Poto by: Victor Maurice Faubert
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