Ashley MacIsaac – Hi How Are You Today? (A&M Records, 1995)
Hi How Are You Today? is a significant Celtic music crossover album that made Canadian fiddler and singer-songwriter Ashley MacIsaac famous in Canada and abroad as well. Likewise, the album brought international attention to the rich Celtic music tradition in Cape Breton.
Ashley MacIsaac grew up playing traditional Celtic music in Cape Breton, Canada. On Hi How Are You Today? he decided to go beyond folk music by adding rock elements and modern dance beats to his music. He had a hit with the song “Sleepy Maggie” featuring Cape Breton vocalist Mary Jane Lamond on Gaelic-language vocals.
Hi How Are You Today? also won the Juno Award (Canada’s top music award) for Roots & Traditional Album of the Year – Solo at the Juno Awards in 1996.
A remastered edition of the album was released in 2005, featuring four new remixes of “Sleepy Maggie”, together with the music video for the track.
More about Ashley MacIsaac and Mary Jane Lamond
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.