Barachois (band)

Barachois
OriginPrince Edward Island, Canada
GenresAcadian
Years active1995 (1995)–2003 (2003)
Past membersHélène Bergeron
Albert Arsenault
Louise Arsenault
Chuck Arsenault

Barachois was an Acadian traditional music group from the Evangeline Region of Prince Edward Island.[1][2] The band's high-energy stage show highlighted local fiddling, stepdancing and song traditions.[3]

History

The group was formed in the mid-1990s by siblings Hélène Bergeron and Albert Arsenault,[4][5] distant cousin Louise Arsenault unrelated Chuck Arsenault.[6] The name of the group refers to a barachois, an Acadian word for a type of shallow lagoon found on the ocean shores of eastern Canada.

The four began performing in 1993 at dinner theatres[7] and house parties.[8] In 1996 they recorded their first album, Barachois. which was nominated in 1997 for three East Coast Music Awards, winning one of them, Francophone Recording of the Year.[9] Over the group's nine-year run, they produced 3 albums and were awarded a number of national and international awards, including five ECMA's, a Juno nomination, and "Chevaliers" de l'Ordre de la Pleades (Officers in the order of French parliaments).

Barachois toured Canada and the US, as well as fifteen other countries.[6]

The band amicably retired in 2003. Chuck and Albert toured as a duo[10] for another seven years, presenting a show which included comedic skits as well as traditional music. Louise and Hélène went on to found and perform with two other traditional French-Acadian bands: Les Girls and Gadelle.

Members

The members of the group were:

  • Albert Arsenault - fiddle, Acadian percussion, bass, vocals
  • Hélène Bergeron - keyboards, guitar, fiddle, vocals
  • Louise Arsenault - fiddle, guitar, foot percussion, vocals
  • Chuck Arsenault - guitar, brass instruments, harmonica, vocals[11]

Discography

  • 1996 Saule!
  • 1996 Barachois- Acadian Music from Prince Edward Island[3]
  • 1999 Encore!
  • 2002 Naturel

References

  1. ^ Tracie Ratiner (December 2009). Contemporary Musicians: Profiles of the People in Music. Gale / Cengage Learning. p. 53. ISBN 978-0-7876-9616-0.
  2. ^ James Harley Marsh (1999). The Canadian Encyclopedia. pp. 8–. ISBN 978-0-7710-2099-5.
  3. ^ a b Simon Broughton; Mark Ellingham; Richard Trillo (1999). World Music: Latin & North America, Caribbean, India, Asia and Pacific. Rough Guides. pp. 360–. ISBN 978-1-85828-636-5.
  4. ^ "Folk music: Barachois". Bangor Daily News. 2003-08-09. p. 27.
  5. ^ "Influential fiddler Eddy Arsenault dies at 92" Archived 2017-03-12 at the Wayback Machine. The Guardian, September 19, 2014
  6. ^ a b McGarrigle, Dale (2003-03-13). "Ain't nothing but a house party: Barachois keeps Acadian social history alive, lively". Bangor Daily News. p. 1.
  7. ^ Elaine Keillor (18 March 2008). Music in Canada: Capturing Landscape and Diversity. McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP. pp. 298–. ISBN 978-0-7735-3391-2.
  8. ^ Bill Marshall; Cristina Johnston (30 May 2005). France And The Americas: Culture, Politics, And History. ABC-CLIO. pp. 848–. ISBN 978-1-85109-411-0.
  9. ^ "Music from Canada will be folksy, lively". The Patriot News. 2003-03-16. p. K05.
  10. ^ Celeste Brash; Caroline Sieg; Karla Zimmerman (1 March 2014). Lonely Planet Nova Scotia, New Brunswick & Prince Edward Island. Lonely Planet Publications. pp. 540–. ISBN 978-1-74360-000-9.
  11. ^ "Sit down and dance". News Review, By Christine G.K. LaPado-Breglia 09.11.2003.