Dan MacDonald
-by John Gillis
Dan MacDonald is a traditional Scottish and Irish fiddle player who hails from Cape Breton and who has lived for the past 15 or so years in the City of Toronto.
Dan comes from a well-known musical family here in Cape Breton.
He is the son of fiddler Lloyd (Tokyo) MacDonald and Winnie MacDonald of Ironville.
The Oran recently learned from Jim Amey that MacDonald has released a new CD, Rural/Urban.
The Oran had the opportunity to interview MacDonald last week from his home in Toronto where he spoke excitingly about his musical career and his love for traditional music.
Dan literally grew up on the stage.
Coming from a strong musical culture of Cape Breton Island, since he was a child, Dan was immersed in “Cape Breton Fiddler’s Association practices in Baddeck, the Gaelic Mod in St. Ann’s, playing for dances in Glencoe, and playing for Highland dance and Cape Breton step dance groups,” according to his bio.
The big Cape Breton concerts: Big Pond, Cheticamp, Highland Village Day, Broad Cove, and many others were the “backdrop of his childhood.”
In the late 1980s, MacDonald, and his family formed Scumalash, a traditional Cape Breton band, with whom he toured throughout the United Kingdom between 1988 and 1992.
“I learned a whole lot about being a musician, how to live on the road, and so on from that period of my life. I was very young but it formed a great foundation for me with becoming a full-time professional musician,” he added.
Dan credited his father for exposing him to a wealth of traditional material but he was equally adamant that his mother was the “driver” who encouraged and supported his children’s musical interests.
“We’re a big Catholic family. Twelve children, 10 boys and two girls. Eleven now that one of our siblings has passed on,” said Dan.
Dan has continued his musical tradition, has been teaching music since 2003. He started teaching music in Ohio when his wife was studying music there in Bowling Green. She now performs with orchestras in Toronto and is a professional tuba player. Dan and his wife Jennifer have two children.
Dan recently held a successful launch of his new CD at Hugh’s Room in Toronto. He was joined for the occasion by nine performers, including Cape Breton’s Mac Morin and Dan’s brother, Shawn. Dan’s brother Paul is a well-known Cape Breton guitarist and producer and his brother Martin is a respected conductor.
“I mostly play with guitar players in the Toronto area. There are not a lot of traditional Cape Breton pianists in the Toronto area so some of this new CD reflects the kind of traditional music I play around here with the musicians I perform with,” Dan added.
It’s too early to say if Dan will hold a Cape Breton release for his new CD but Dan hopes that something might materialize this fall for Celtic Colours. So, stay tuned folks!
Dan’s CD is available from his official website, will soon be available on iTunes as well as at The Curiosity Shop on Charlotte Street in Sydney.
For more information on Dan MacDonald visit: www.danmacdonald.org.
