When I was a little girl in Corner Brook, Newfoundland, I remember my poppy would sit at the dining room table and listen to the AM radio every morning. The sound of jigs and reels followed us in the car and all the way to Marble Mountain, where the same music blasted from speakers at the bottom of the chairlift all day long.
Now, I certainly don’t ski enough anymore but I do still love a good ole’ kitchen party tune. Lucky for me, I met two artists who have mastered their instruments and their craft of making traditional music: Ben Miller & Anita MacDonald.
As a duo, Ben plays Scottish border pipes and Anita plays the Cape Breton fiddle and sings (in Gaelic!). Since meeting at the 2013 Celtic Colours Festival, they have toured across North America and further afield, “captivating audiences with their driving dance tunes and soulful airs”.
Next time you have the urge to throw down some fancy footwork, alone or in your kitchen with friends, I highly recommend you grab your dancing shoes and click the play button.