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If you want to know anything about the Acadians of PEI, THE GUY to ask is historian, folklorist, storyteller, radio personality, and our good friend, Georges Arsenault .
Georges was born not to far from Albert's house in Abram's Village, PEI and holds a B.Soc.Sc. degree in Political Science from Université de Moncton and a M.A. degree in folklore from Université Laval.
The following are answers to questions posed by Bob Bogard of Maritime Production Services. When you have a chance, we suggest you visit the Acadian Ancestral Home website to pick up one of Georges' books, or sample some of his incredible writings on the PEI Acadians.
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A family tradition? Big families, therefore a great number of musicians? In rural communities there were few activities for young people; music was an easily organized entertainment, either among members of a family or between friends.
In Angèle Arsenault's family, when she was young, a family jam session was the main Sunday afternoon activity. However, her family was an exception in the village. But i should mention that many of her cousins on her father's side are also musical.
In my family where we were 11 children, only one girl played a bit of piano and guitar. We however all love music. |
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The fiddle seems to be the most traditional instrument. When a fiddler was not available for dancing, the mouth-organ was used or simply lively songs with a chorus that was "tuned", that is the sound of the fiddle was imitated. Some people call it "mouth-music" in English, or to jig.
Spoons, washboards and horseshoes were used as percussion instruments. The peddle-organ became a common instrument from the 1850s on and when available it was used to accompany the fiddle. Many people knew how to play reels on the organ.
Guitars were introduced in the Acadian communities in the 1930s with the advent of radio through which young people became familiar with Country-Western music. Eventually the guitar and the piano replaced the peddle-organ as the main instrument of accompaniment for the fiddle. The accordian has never been very popular although it has been present in the community over the last half century, at least. |
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