Canada is located in northern North America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean on the east, North Pacific Ocean on the west, and the Arctic Ocean on the north, north of the conterminous United States of America
Music in Canada
Roots music in Canada includes the sound of the aboriginal inhabitants as well as the music of immigrants from many parts of the world. The aboriginal inhabitants of Canada are known as First Nations. Many of them are recovering traditions and there is a thriving pow wow circuit that Canadian aboriginals share with American Indians living in the United States.
Two European nations had a strong influence in the music of Canada. Great Britain colonized many of Canada’s provinces and the settlers brought with them Scottish and English folk music. Celtic music has a deep influence in some Atlantic Canadian provinces such as Cape Breton and Nova Scotia.
The other European nation that settled what is now Canada was France. Even though it lost the war, the province of Quebec has a majority of French speakers and their folk music, known as Quebecois, is popular in North American folk circles.
In recent decades, Chinese, Latin American, African and South Asian immigrants have added their cultures to the Canadian melting pot, creating exciting fusions and cross cultural hybrids.
Canadian Inuit Music
Historically, the only musical instrument used by Canadian Inuit was the drum. It’s a flat frame drum made from a hoop of wood across which was stretched a membrane of dehaired caribou hide, struck with a stout stick on the rim only, first on one side and then with a flip of the wrist on the other.
Traditionally, Canadian Inuit throat singing is done in pairs (usually women). The songs are produced by the pair facing each other and rocking their throat sounds back and forth in a synchronized rhythmic fashion. As if by magic, a third, wonderful sound is in the middle. The sounds are imitations of those found on the tundra – birds, dogs, sleds going over ice, etc. There are a few descriptions that Elders have told about the history and meaning behind throat singing but the one most often told is this: Two women are competing with one another. One starts by emanating a throat sound and her partner echoes it back to her they continue like this, in song, until one loses concentration and laughs. She who laughs first loses! Source: Sikumiut Inuit Dancers and Drummers.
Canadian Musicians
Adam Solomon
Alacie Tullaugaq & Lucy Amarualik
Alacie Tullaugaq
Albert Arsenault
Andrea Beaton
André Brunet
Anita Katakkar
Allie Mombourquette
Ashley MacIsaac
autorickshaw
Barachois
Benoit Bourque
Blou
Buddy MacMaster
Chuck Arsenault
Chrissy Crowley
Debashis Sinha
De Temps Antan
Donal Clancy
Don Ross
Ed Hanley
Éric Beaudry
Eric Favreau
Genticorum
Hélène Bergeron
Ivan Tucakov
Jayme Stone
Jeremy Dutcher
Jerry Holland
La Bottine Souriante
Lache Cercel
La Volee D’Castors
Leahy
Les Batinses
Le Vent du Nord
Loreena McKennitt
Louise Arsenault
Lucy Amarualik
Mary Jane Lamond
Matapat
Mighty Popo
Natalie MacMaster
Nicholas Boulerice
Niyaz
Oliver Schroer
Olivier Demers
Red Chamber
Sergiu Popa
Simon Beaudry
Suba Sankaran
Tanya Tagaq
The Duhks
The McDades
Yves Lambert
