COMPOSERS: Various
LABELS: World Music Network
WORKS: Rough Guide to the Music of Canada
PERFORMER: Various artists
CATALOGUE NO: RGNET 1125 CD
Yes, really, Canada – and not a trace of Celine Dion. Surveys are more interesting here than in the US because immigrant traditions have survived better, and also mixed better. The challenge is finding a balance.
The ROUGH GUIDE favours updated Irish, but if that is your taste – and it’s fresher than Country and Cajun, as a couple of examples show by contrast – then look no further. Where else would you find a mix of Celtic, Greek and French? Unvarnished native music gets a poor look-in, but arguably the mixtures are more characteristic of present-day Canada.