The McDades – The Empress (Free Radio Records/The McDades, 2021)
The Empress is the third album from The McDades, an award-winning Canadian band led by three talented siblings who are accomplished virtuoso instrumentalists, vocalists, and songwriters. Although their music is grounded in Celtic traditions, The McDades introduce powerful folk-rock beats; multicolored world music musical elements such as India tabla and bansuri (flute), Peruvian cajón (box drum) and North African darbuka (goblet drum); and also include a song that celebrates Canada’s francophone tradition.
The album title and artwork are based on the third tarot card, The Empress, who signifies the richness of the subconscious, the sprouting of new ideas and who inspires strong bursts of creative and artistic vitality. The McDades provide more details: “The Empress is deeply connected to the natural world. When deciding on a title for our third album, we were drawn to the concept of The Empress and also to the symbolism of the number three, both having ties to creativity, growth, new ideas and expression, and because at the core of the band has always been the the combined forces of three distinct musical entities; the McDades siblings: Shannon, Solon and Jeremiah.”
The Empress is a captivating album with stellar performances, multifaceted melodies and masterful arrangements, demonstrating that The McDades is one of the most exciting bands in the current Canadian roots music scene.
The McDades includes Shannon Johnson on violin and vocals; Solon McDade on bass and vocals; Jeremiah McDade on whistles, bansuri, saxophones, guitar, and vocals; Andy Hillhouse on guitar and vocals; and Eric Breton on cajón, darbuka and percussion.
Guests: Simon Marion on guitar; Jean-Sebastian Williams on baritone guitar; John Joe Kelly on bodhrán; Rich Irwin on drums; Paul Shrofel on keyboards; Daniel Gervais on vocals; and Roger Dallaire on vocals.
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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.