mary jane lamond
“A sharing of gold is but brief, but a sharing of song lasts long.” – Gaelic Proverb
Mary Jane Lamond is a sharer of songs, stories and spirit. This sharing has garnered Mary Jane
numerous Juno and East Coast Music Award nominations, critical acclaim and a worldwide
audience. Mary Jane’s latest recording ” Storas” (Gaelic meaning “a treasure”), is a beautiful
interpretation of some of the Scottish Gaelic songs that have become part of Nova
Scotia’s Gaelic tradition. Her use of modern instrumentation and arrangements\
provides a respectful and beautiful framework for these Gaelic treasures but it is Mary
Jane’s spell binding vocal performance and heartfelt delivery that makes these
selections truly come alive for the listener.
On the North Shore of Cape Breton Island, the rich heritage of the region’s Scottish settlers was kept alive through song. It was in Nova Scotia, visiting her grandparents throughout her youth, that Mary Jane Lamond fell in love with Scottish Gaelic traditions and song. While enrolled in Saint Francis Xavier University’s Celtic Studies programme, Lamond released her first album, Bho Thir Nan Craobh, a collection of traditional material that introduced her unique singing voice and a then unknown fiddler named Ashley MacIsaac. The two talented Maritimers then collaborated on the award-winning radio smash “Sleepy Maggie”.
Mary Jane Lamond took time-honoured Gaelic songs to the next level on Suas e!, which combined classic texts with contemporary pop sounds. The Globe & Mail praised it for its “refreshing balance between modern and ancient,” and the album earned several Juno and East Coast Music Award nominations as well as a MuchMusic Global Groove Award for the video “Bog a’Lochain.”
The success of Suas e! contributed to an explosion of interest in Celtic culture and Lamond took the songs on the road with a live band. Her experiences on the stage directly influenced the sound of Làn Dùil.
“I had the same philosophy, which is to pick a variety of songs in the tradition and work on different ways to arrange them,” Lamond explains.
On Làn Dùil Lamond’s spell-binding renditions of treasured Gaelic songs are fused with original arrangements using a variety of instruments, from the familiar fiddle and bagpipes to Indian tabla. Ultimately, it’s a new style of world music that is unique to Mary Jane Lamond.
Yet as the singer herself will tell you, it’s the stories that matter. While Làn Dùil soothes and stirs, it also chronicles Cape Breton’s living Scottish Gaelic culture. The sounds of friends, family and local legends are heard throughout the album.
Despite the important role her music plays in preserving Scottish Gaelic songs that would otherwise rarely be heard outside Cape Breton, Mary Jane Lamond says Làn Dùil’s primary purpose is to
entertain. “This is a huge oral literary tradition that is being lost at an alarming rate,” she says, “and I am involved with community things that help conserve it for younger people. But I’m also an interpreter, a singer and musician and in my music the challenge is to create something new and exciting that doesn’t destroy the heart of it.”
Òrain Ghàidhlig (Gaelic Songs of Cape Breton), focuses on the songs and poetry which are the cornerstone of this tradition. This recording remains true to the simple sharing of music that is the foundation of Gaelic culture – from the engaging milling songs performed by a group of Cape Breton’s finest traditional Gaelic singers to the lively old style fiddling of Joe Peter MacLean, a musician never before captured on recording. Recorded at the beautiful North River Church in Cape Breton, this enhanced cd also features visuals taken during the recording sessions.
Mary Jane Lamond makes timeless music for a modern age. Mary Jane Lamond continues to make a unique contribution to both world and pop music.
www.maryjanelamond.com
Management: Jones & Co. Booking: Eye For Talent Inc. Sheri Jones Tel: 902.429.9005 Bill Smith Tel: 650.595.2274 sherijonesy@cs.com bill@eyefortalent.com
Shelley Nordstrom Tel: 902.876.8987 snordstrom@ns.sympatico.ca
Mary Jane Lamond Biography
“A sharing of gold is but brief, but a sharing of song lasts long.” – Gaelic Proverb
Mary Jane Lamond is a sharer of songs, stories and spirit. This sharing has garnered Mary Janenumerous Juno and East Coast Music Award nominations, critical acclaim and a worldwideaudience. Mary Jane’s latest recording ” Storas” (Gaelic meaning “a treasure”), is a beautifulinterpretation of some of the Scottish Gaelic songs that have become part of NovaScotia’s Gaelic tradition.
Her use of modern instrumentation and arrangementsprovides a respectful and beautiful framework for these Gaelic treasures but it is Mary Jane’s spell binding vocal performance and heartfelt delivery that makes these selections truly come alive for the listener.
On the North Shore of Cape Breton Island, the rich heritage of the region’s Scottish settlers was kept alive through song. It was in Nova Scotia, visiting her grandparents throughout her youth, that Mary Jane Lamond fell in love with Scottish Gaelic traditions and song. While enrolled in Saint Francis Xavier University’s Celtic Studies programme, Lamond released her first album, Bho Thir Nan Craobh, a collection of traditional material that introduced her unique singing voice and a then unknown fiddler named Ashley MacIsaac. The two talented Maritimers then collaborated on the award-winning radio smash “Sleepy Maggie”.
Mary Jane Lamond took time-honoured Gaelic songs to the next level on Suas e!, which combined classic texts with contemporary pop sounds. The Globe & Mail praised it for its “refreshing balance between modern and ancient,” and the album earned several Juno and East Coast Music Award nominations as well as a MuchMusic Global Groove Award for the video “Bog a’Lochain.”
The success of Suas e! contributed to an explosion of interest in Celtic culture and Lamond took the songs on the road with a live band. Her experiences on the stage directly influenced the sound of Làn Dùil.
“I had the same philosophy, which is to pick a variety of songs in the tradition and work on different ways to arrange them,” Lamond explains.
On Làn Dùil Lamond’s spell-binding renditions of treasured Gaelic songs are fused with original arrangements using a variety of instruments, from the familiar fiddle and bagpipes to Indian tabla. Ultimately, it’s a new style of world music that is unique to Mary Jane Lamond.
Yet as the singer herself will tell you, it’s the stories that matter. While Làn Dùil soothes and stirs, it also chronicles Cape Breton’s living Scottish Gaelic culture. The sounds of friends, family and local legends are heard throughout the album.
Despite the important role her music plays in preserving Scottish Gaelic songs that would otherwise rarely be heard outside Cape Breton, Mary Jane Lamond says Làn Dùil’s primary purpose is to
entertain. “This is a huge oral literary tradition that is being lost at an alarming rate,” she says, “and I am involved with community things that help conserve it for younger people. But I’m also an interpreter, a singer and musician and in my music the challenge is to create something new and exciting that doesn’t destroy the heart of it.”
Òrain Ghàidhlig (Gaelic Songs of Cape Breton), focuses on the songs and poetry which are the cornerstone of this tradition. This recording remains true to the simple sharing of music that is the foundation of Gaelic culture – from the engaging milling songs performed by a group of Cape Breton’s finest traditional Gaelic singers to the lively old style fiddling of Joe Peter MacLean, a musician never before captured on recording. Recorded at the beautiful North River Church in Cape Breton, this enhanced cd also features visuals taken during the recording sessions.
Mary Jane Lamond makes timeless music for a modern age. Mary Jane Lamond continues to make a unique contribution to both world and pop music.
Mary Jane Lamond has played an important role in preserving and revitalizing the Gaelic language in Cape Breton and beyond. Her recordings combine traditional Gaelic folk songs with contemporary arrangements to create a unique blend that has sparked the interest of listeners worldwide. Although she grew up in Montreal and Toronto, Mary Jane spent her summers as a child visiting her grandparents in Cape Breton. It was during these visits that she became fascinated with the Gaelic songs and stories of the region. While she was enrolled in the Celtic Studies program at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, she released her first album, Bho Thir Nan Craobh.
This recording featured her renderings of traditional Gaelic songs as well as the playing of the then little known fiddler, Ashley MacIsaac. The two musicians later collaborated on the hit radio single, “Sleepy Maggie” which gained much recognition for them both. Mary Jane’s five recordings have earned her many honours, including several Junos and East Coast Music Awards and nominations. She has also played a role in organizing Gaelic singers to perform in the Celtic Colours International festival in Cape Breton. She has performed with such musicians as Natalie MacMaster and the Chieftains, and has composed music for film and stage. She has also done much to promote traditional Gaelic culture through her work as a member of the Gaelic Council of Nova Scotia.
www.maryjanelamond.com
