Natalie MacMaster, Donnell Leahy push boundaries of Celtic music with new album
Cape Breton musician Natalie MacMaster and her husband Donnell Leahy have released a new album that pushes the boundaries of Celtic music.
The two fiddlers first played together on their first date, back in 1991.
“It was love at first fiddle even before I met Natalie. I’d heard Natalie’s music on a cassette tape my sister had,” Leahy told CTV Atlantic’s Katie Kelly.
“So I drove to Nova Scotia to meet the girl who played the music.”
“Pretty sweet,” says MacMaster. “Who does that?”
They’ve now been married for 20 years and are raising their seven -- also very musical -- children together.
“(The) babies aren’t very babyish anymore … our oldest is 17,” says MacMaster.
It's a busy life for the couple, who lives on a working farm in Ontario, along with homeschooling their kids and extracurricular activities.
But the couple found time to create a new album together during the pandemic.
They say their record -- “Canvas” -- started from scratch.
“We don’t have any preconceived ideas, any direction, we just have an open canvas … the music will decide what this is going to be,” says Leahy.
“We didn’t want to feel any restrictions,” says MacMaster.
The pair stretched the boundaries of Celtic-folk music on “Canvas” and experimented with global sounds.
“There's a Latin feel on this. Our oldest daughter is our keyboard player now and she’s right into Latin and so that has crept into our music,” Leahy says.
“I should mention Elmer Ferrer too, our co-producer, who’s from Cuba, he had an incredible influence on this sound as well,” adds MacMaster.
“And then there’s mom and dad’s favourite two tracks, and of course they’re traditional Cape Breton tunes played by their daughter,” the couple joked.
But does the married couple bump heads while working together?
“We tend to trust each other’s opinion and we come from different angles, but we kind of agree most of the time on things,” says Leahy.
They also agree on how much they love working together.
“Natalie brings a passion, like an unrelenting passion to everything she does,” Leahy says. “And to have that commitment to a project or to a task is so important and so needed.”
“I have my support right here and I need that now. It’s knowing that’s someone else you can bounce something off and you know how they think and they’re going to give you the real answer and that is my confidence,” MacMaster says.
“Canvas” is available now.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Ex-tabloid publisher testifies he scooped up possibly damaging tales to shield his old friend Trump
As Donald Trump was running for president in 2016, his old friend at the National Enquirer was scooping up potentially damaging stories about the candidate and paying out tens of thousands of dollars to keep them from the public eye.
Here's why provinces aren't following Saskatchewan's lead on the carbon tax home heating fight
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.
Montreal actress calls Weinstein ruling 'discouraging' but not surprising
A Montreal actress, who has previously detailed incidents she had with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, says a New York Court of Appeals decision overturning his 2020 rape conviction is 'discouraging' but not surprising.
Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye make it four NFL drafts with quarterbacks going 1-3
Caleb Williams is heading to the Windy City, aiming to become the franchise quarterback Chicago has sought for decades.