2006-10-30
Following Natalie MacMaster’s critically acclaimed 2003 release Blueprint which combined her brilliant fiddle playing with the best of American roots instrumentalists and won her “Best Female Artist of the Year” and “Best Roots/Traditional Solo Recording” at Canada’s East Coast Music Awards in 2005 comes Mac Master’s 10th full-length release Yours Truly. Natalie has recently been named the youngest member of the Order of Canada—Canada’s highest civil honor—for her extensive contributions to Canadian culture and her tireless efforts to bring the music of Cape Breton to an ever-increasing number of listeners. Born into an inspirational musical family in Cape Breton, an island off the east coast of Canada, and niece of the influential fiddler Buddy MacMaster, Natalie naturally picked up the fiddle given to her by her great-uncle at the age of 9 and hasn’t looked back. The internationally renowned, passionate, Celtic phenomenon has kept her compelling tap-dancing/fiddling killer combination spinning by doing such gigs as performing for an audience of 80,000 as opening act for Carlos Santana, and opening for the Chieftains. Her fiddling has also been heard on television commercials for Tim Horton’s Donuts and General Motors Pontiac. -Jake BurrittThe opinions expressed in these reviews are those of the individual volunteers that submitted the article and do not necessarily reflect the views of WYCE or GRCMC; nor its staff, donors, or affiliates.