Natalie MacMaster - The Golden Girl from Cape Breton continues to amaze audiences with her feverish fiddling and simultaneous step dancing, backed by a band any top musician would be proud of. 

Brought up in a musical family steeped in Scottish heritage, Natalie began playing at age 9 after having been given a small fiddle by her great uncle. From the early days, she was encouraged by her father and musically influenced by her uncle, Buddy MacMaster, an undisputed master of the Cape Breton fiddle.

Natalie's career blossomed rapidly. From small beginning playing at dances and concerts in and around Cape Breton to representing Nova Scotia on the world's stages. Natalie has become a musical ambassador for a new musical generation of Cape Breton musicians. Whether performing with her pianist, Tracy Cares, and guitarist, Dave MacIssac, or with her full band, Natalie's concerts are a dazzling blend of musical virtuosity and lively step dancing. Her passion for music becomes readily apparent to each and every concertgoer.

Natalie's first three recordings have gained major nominations and awards from the East Coast Music Association. In 1992, she won the Roots/Traditional Artist Award. In 1994, her third album, Fit As A Fiddle, earned Natalie the Instrumental Artist of the Year Award. In 1995, she was nominated as Entertainer of the Year.

Natalie's phenomenal stage presence has led to considerable media attention. She has been profiled by various TV shows. In June of 1995, Natalie won over a crowd of 80,000 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, as opening act for Carlos Santana. A broken fiddle string couldn't keep her down as Natalie continued playing using only her bottom two strings.

Not content to remain on the continent, Natalie has headlined in cities such as London, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Brussels, and Tokyo. And for several years, she has acted as guest instructor and performer at the world renowned Mark O'Connor Fiddle Camp in Nashville.

In March of 1996, Natalie received a phone call from Ireland's The Chieftans requesting that she open for them on a four-week tour of the United States. The Chieftans obviously saw something in Natalie that their audiences would soon come to appreciate. MacMaster capably and expertly delivered the goods. The highlight of each performance had to be Natalie joining The Chieftans at show's end to fiddle and dance up a proverbial storm.

Apparently, the word is getting out. Natalie's first two independent recordings, Road to the Isle and Four on the Floor, have each sold in excess of 12,000 copies each ... and that's on cassette only. Her third Indie release, Fit As A Fiddle, has racked up sales of more than 30,000 copies on CD and cassette.

In the spring of 1996, Warner Music Canada negotiated a major label deal with Natalie for the album No Boundaries. Produced by Chad Irschick (The Rankin Family, Loreena McKennitt, Susan Aglukark), No Boundaries is exactly that. Natalie's diversity extends to places her fans could have never imagined. From beautiful classic pieces through how-can-you-help-but-tap-your-foot ragtime and country music, Natalie continues to step across musical lines. Special note should be made of guest appearances by Cookie Rankin on "Drunken Piper," Bruce Guthro on "Fiddle &Bow," and a host of Canada's best musicians.

In 1997, Rounder Records made No Boundaries available in the United States and also re-released Fit As A Fiddle. The success of these releases led to the re-release of A Compilation in 1998. 

A good example of MacMaster's energy during her live performances was documented in a double album recorded live, released in 2002. The sessions were made at the Living Arts Centre in Missisauga (Ontario) and at an old hall in the woods in rural Glencoe, Cape Breton Island.

Official Web Site: http://www.nataliemacmaster.com

Fit As A Fiddle (Rounder Records ROUN 11661-7022-2, 1997)

No Boundaries (Rounder Records ROUN 11661-7023-2, 1997)

My Roots are Showing (Rounder Records ROUN 11661-7033-2, 1997)

A Compilation (Rounder Records ROUN 11661-7021-2, 1998)

In My Hands (Rounder Records ROUN 11661-7025-2, 1999)

Live (Rounder Records ROUN 11661-7048-2, 2002)

Blueprint (Rounder Records 116 617 056-2, 2003)

Touch of MacMaster's Hand

From sea to shining sea (2 divas from the Americas)