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| This is an excerpt from the print edition of Dirty Linen Magazine #100 (June/July 2002). the magazine is available on newsstands and by subscription. |
Music from Northern Canada
by Paul-Emile Comeau
The infamous Madame Pompadour glibly dismissed Canada as a place that was useful only to provide her with furs. If she had been forced to listen to music from the Great White North she might have come to understand something about the people who provided European nobility with their cherished furs. On the other hand, that would have been easier said than done. Here we are, several centuries later, and most people from outside the North have yet to be exposed to much, if any, of the region's music.
Few people would expect Canada's North, with its small and dispersed population, to produce a surfeit of exceptional musical talent. Anybody who is truly serious about a career and wide recognition would have felt compelled to move southward for obvious reasons. On the other hand, long and bitterly cold winters may just trigger a sort of cabin fever delirium which, in turn, possibly leads to a more creative life. The last decade has actually produced several success stories from the North, most notably Susan Aglukark, Jerry Alfred, and Kashtin.
The Yukon Territory has long had a vigorous music and arts scene, and for several years now the Caribou label has been doing an admirable job in producing some of the best of the area's artists. Among the label's most recent releases are two CDs by Kim Barlow, a transplanted Nova Scotian singer who plays guitar, banjo, and cello. After appearing on three CDs with The Glacial Erratics, Barlow is now making a name for herself on the strength of her two solo albums.
Humminah [Caribou CRCD006] is a strong debut with memorable, though quirky songs, and a production that does them justice. Barlow's songs get to the point rather quickly, and the arrangements are varied and have an edge to them. The lead-off track (and title song) begins in more or less typical Barlow fashion with "The first time I saw Brian he had moose blood all over his hands/ I'd never loved a redneck before, so I thought I would give it a try." Barlow's follow-up, Gingerbread [Caribou CDCD014], is an even stronger album. From the title song, a retelling of "Hansel and Gretel," to songs that are reminiscent of Appalachian topical songs, or of the McGarrigles, this one is a winner. Just don't expect Barlow to wander too far from her beloved adopted home to sing at your local coffeehouse anytime soon.
