Celtarctic Spotlight
Sharing the CeltArctic Spotlight:
The following is a list of recordings in which the CeltArctic featured musicians - Ceilidh Friends, Moira Cameron, Steve Goff, Dawn Lacey and Steve Lacey - have played a part. This list represents only a sampling of the artists in the North who have made albums. For listings of other Northern artists, check out the GNWT Artists Database.
| Chic Callas | Digawolf | Rene Fumoleau | Gumboots | Ron Kent | Sophie Leger |
| Sandy Pringle | Priscilla's Revenge | Cynthia Russell | Steve Smith |
Chic Callas: "My Violin & I" (recorded at Spiritwalker Productions, 2005) [GENRE: Folk/Healing]
Chic Callas, a former member of the Gumboots in Yellowknife, put out this very personal and powerful solo recording in part as a fundraiser for the Canadian Mental Health Association (NWT Division). Using the healing power of music to explore deep and sometimes dark emotional themes, Chic has demonstrated that it is possible for something positive to rise out of the ashes of depression. Chic received support from the NWT Arts Council to make this recording possible.
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CeltArctic musical contributions: Moira Cameron - harmony vocals; Steve Goff - tenor banjo; Steve Lacey - guitar
DigaWolf: [GENRE: Alternative/Roots/Rock]
Jesse Gon, calling himself Diga (a Tlicho word meaning 'wolf'), comes from the Northwest Territories community of Behchoko, not far from Yellowknife. He is a very laid-back performer with a dusky voice, and his music feels raw, unpretentious and honest. He has been writing his own songs for a while, and has recently teamed up with other notable musicians like Northerner Pat Braden, and Ontario's Rick Fines. One of his albums was nominated, but sadly didn't win, a Juno for best Aboriginal music. To hear tracks from or purchase his CDs, visit his web site at http://www.digawolf.com/
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CeltArctic Spotlight: Diga shared a CeltArctic House Concert performance with Rick Fines in 2009.
Rene Fumoleau: [GENRE: Storytelling] "They Gave me a Chance - stories of fifty years with the Dene" (2007, produced by Storysave, a program of the Storytellers of Canada / Conteurs du Canada)
Rene
Fumoleau, moved to the Northwest Territories in 1953 from France.
He worked as a priest, but over the years came to identify himself as a
northerner. He traveled all over the North and formed strong
relationships with the Dene peoples. Over the years, he captured
the magic of the north and its peoples through photography (which is now
part of the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre archives) and
poetry. He has published several books of poetry and stories.
He also narrated some of these gems at storytelling festivals across the
country, prompting the Storysave committee to contract with him to
record a double cd of his material. For more information about this and other Storysave CDs,
go to the
Storytellers of Canada / Conteurs du
Canada website.
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CeltArctic Spotlight: Moira Cameron offered her feedback and support during the recording process for this CD.
The Gumboots: [GENRE: Folk] The Gumboots are, if any musical group can be, icons of Canada's North. In 2004, the group celebrated its 20th anniversary. The members changed over the years, but the music, forever enduring, still rings true to the groups' original Northern spirit. They recorded 4 albums between 1992 and 2009. For the final years, Steve Lacey became a member of the group, and was involved in the group's final recording. The group announced it's retirement in 2012, but their music is still available, and occasionally the group gets together for special performance requests. To find out more about them, visit http://music.cbc.ca/#/artists/The-Gumboots. For a complete 1 page bio of the group, click here. Contact the Gumboots by emailing Ray Bethke.
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CeltArctic musical contributions: In their concerts performed in 2008 in Atlan, BC and in 2009 in Yellowknife, Steve Goff became an honourary 'Boot when he was asked to provide instrumental accompaniment on guitar and mandolin.
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CeltArctic Spotlight: In the early 1990s, Ceilidh Friends opened for the Gumboots in a couple of their annual spring concerts.
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CeltArctic Spotlight: When Moira Cameron heard the Gumboots perform their composition "Martha" for the first time, she knew the song would fit her style and repertoire perfectly. The Gumboots recorded it on their first CD. The song's author, Bob MacQuarrie, gave her permission to perform the tragic northern ballad on her second album, "Lilies Among the Bushes."
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Tom Hudson:
"Dance Among The Stars" (recorded at Spiritwalker
Productions, 1997)
[GENRE: Country/Folk]
Tom Hudson's voice is smooth and soothing. Living in Fort Smith, NWT, Tom collaborated with Yellowknife's Norm Glowach (Spiritwalker Productions) to write, compose and arrange all the material on this mellow CD. They also received some assistance from the NWT Arts Council. The title track, "Dance Among the Stars" became a big radio hit locally, and still receives quite a lot of airplay.
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CeltArctic musical contributions: Moira Cameron sings harmony on the title track.
Ron Kent: "The Last Campfire" (recorded at Spiritwalker Productions, 1999) [GENRE: Folk]
Ron received funding from the NWT Arts Council to produce this uniquely northern album. Ron has a fascination with the real life stories of the people of the North. The songs that he writes about them reflect a typically Northern attitude about life in the Territories: sometimes funny, but always homey. On one track, he wanted to recreate the feeling of the monthly song circle gatherings he was fond of attending - the Yellowknife House Ceilidhs - so he invited many musicians to sing along.
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CeltArctic musical contributions: Moira Cameron, Dawn Lacey, Steve Lacey and Steve Goff all sing along on one track. Steve Goff also provides accompaniment.
Sophie Leger: "A Place in Me" (2009) [GENRE: Folk]
Sophie received funding from the NWT Arts Council to record this bilingual album. She is a singer / songwriter with a compelling and commanding voice. When she moved to the North from the Ottawa region, she enriched the musical community in English and French. She has the vocal strength and skill to sing as well a capella as accompanied. For more information about her music and her recordings, visit her website or search for her on YouTube.
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CeltArctic musical contributions: Steve Goff provided mandolin accompaniment on her CD. Sadly, he died before the album's release.
Sandy Pringle: "Map of the World" (recorded at Spiritwalker Productions, 2007) [GENRE: Folk]
Sandy received funding from the NWT Arts Council to record this CD, and she enlisted the aid of a large number of other talented Yellowknife musicians to participate in the recording. Her singing is unpretentious and engaging. This is her debut album; a change to share a developing live of songwriting.
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CeltArctic musical contributions: Steve Goff provided mandolin and guitar accompaniment on her CD.
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CeltArctic musical contributions: Moira Cameron provided autoharp, tenor recorder and harmony vocals.
Priscilla's
Revenge: [GENRE: mix of Blues/Rock/Jazz/Country]
Norm Glowach, Greg Nasagaluak and Blair Brezinski make up this hot and rockin' band in Yellowknife. All very talented musicians, their separate personal creative natures merge together, allowing them to create songs and ballads with an interesting sound and unique lyrics. In performance, their electric energy is infectious. Their recordings have all been nominated for awards. Find out more about the band be visiting their website or listen to them at http://music.cbc.ca/#/artists/Priscillas-Revenge
 "Built for Speed" (recorded at Spiritwalker Productions, 2007, produced by Norm Glowach)
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 "Roadworthy" (recorded at Spiritwalker Productions, 2008, produced by Norm Glowach)
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 "Third
Gear" (recorded at Spiritwalker
Productions, 2011, produced by Norm Glowach) |
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CeltArctic Spotlight: Ceilidh Friends, Moira Cameron, Dawn Lacey, and Steve Lacey all recorded their albums in Norm Glowach's Spiritwalker Studios. After a recording session was over, Norm is often so enthusiastic about his latest compositions he is compelled to share. Norman is also very supportive of the music of the CeltArctic featured musicians, attending concerts and CD launches, and even participating in the recordings as a back-up musician. He is definitely part of the CeltArctic extended family.
Cynthia Russell: "To A Song" (2007) [GENRE: Folk/Country/Bluegrass/Gospel]
Cynthia Russell is a captivating vocalist and lyricist. This is her debut CD. It is light and entertaining, humorous and thoroughly enjoyable. Once it was released in Yellowknife, radio stations played it like it was going out of style.
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CeltArctic musical contributions: Steve Goff provided mandolin accompaniment on her CD.
Steve
Smith:
"Beaches to Barrens" (Recorded at Spiritwalker
Productions, 2006) [GENRE:
Folk/Rock]
This album spans from Steve's Nova Scotia roots to his present life in Canada's North. All the songs are written by Steve and vary from good old fashioned folk to energetic rock. The stories he tells with his songs are wide ranging, examining the historical experiences of others, and touching his personal life here and there. Yellowknife has an unusually high population of musicians whose first name is 'Steve', which gave this particular Steve the idea of having a back-up chorus on his CD which he affectionately calls the 'Stevedores'.
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CeltArctic musical contributions: Steve Goff and Steve Lacey are both members of the 'Stevedores'.
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Modified November 08, 2016