Cape Breton fiddler Ashley MacIsaac will be performing at the Kelowna Community Theatre in April.
Image Credit: http://www.ashleymacisaac.com/
February 14, 2014 - 10:18 AM
KELOWNA – Controversial Juno award-winning fiddler Ashley MacIsaac is coming to Kelowna April 13.
Known for mixing traditional Cape Breton Celtic fiddle with modern style, MacIsaac has been featured internationally on the Conan O’Brian Show, The Today Show and was one of the musicians chosen to perform at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. He also opened for the White Stripes in July 2007. He is a distant cousin of White Stripes front man Jack White and Cape Breton fiddler Natalie MacMaster.
MacIsaac is currently on a multi-city Canadian tour promoting songs from his latest album “Crossover”, released in 2012. The singer, fiddler and Celtic dancer is reputedly one of the most controversial figures on the fiddle scene. Although critically acclaimed for his stage presence and skill, MacIsaac admitted he battled an addiction to crack cocaine from 1997 to 1999 and has been in trouble both financially and with promoters.
In 1999 he signed with independent label Loggerhead Records for his 1999 album Helter’s Celtic but a public spat between them ensued after MacIsaac allegedly screamed obscenities during a New Year’s Eve rave in Halifax. In 2005 MacIsaac signed with Linus Entertainment.
In the March 20, 2006 edition of the Halifax Daily News, MacIsaac declared himself a candidate for the leadership of the Liberal Party but withdrew on June 21, 2006. He has previously expressed an interest in politics and claims to be studying constitutional law as a way to get into federal politics.
He currently lives in Windsor, Ontario with his husband Andrew Stokes, whom he married in 2007.
His latest album “Crossover”, was released in 2012 and marks his first full-band album release since 2002. Returning to his Celtic roots, Crossover features traditional Gaelic tunes, ballads and hard driving, power rock fiddle.
Tickets for the show at the Kelowna Community Theatre are available now and can be purchased online or by phone at 250-762-5050.
MacIsaac's album Hi™ How Are You Today?, featured the hit single "Sleepy Maggie", with vocals in Scottish Gaelic by Mary Jane Lamond was released in 1995. The album was a double-platinum selling Canadian record and earned him a Juno in 1996.
To contact the reporter for this story, email Adam Proskiw at aproskiw@infotelnews.ca, call 250-718-0428 or tweet @AdamProskiw.
News from © iNFOnews, 2014