Buddy MacMaster
Encyclopedia
Hugh Alan "Buddy" MacMaster, (born October 18, 1924) is one of the most renowned artists in the tradition of Cape Breton fiddle music.
-speaking home in Timmins
, Ontario
to John Duncan MacMaster and Sarah Agnes MacDonald MacMaster. The family was originally from Cape Breton Island
in Nova Scotia
, and in 1928 they returned to Cape Breton to settle in the town of Judique
. MacMaster's father played the fiddle, but his mother sang to him from birth, lilting
with a Gaelic
inflection peculiar to the area, and it is her that he credits for instilling in him a love of music. At an early age, MacMaster began to play the fiddle
. At age 12, he had his first public performance at an amateur hour in Port Hood
, Nova Scotia
, and at age 14 he played his first professional gig
at a square dance
in the nearby town of Troy
.
s across Nova Scotia, MacMaster began a career as a station agent
and telegrapher for the Canadian National Railway
to support himself and his family. In 1943, he made his first radio broadcast from the town of Antigonish
, Nova Scotia
in 1948. In the 1970s, he played regularly on Canadian television; CBC Television
's Ceilidh
show. After his retirement from the railroad in 1988, he went on to play full-time as a professional musician, gaining an international reputation. He was one of the first Cape Breton fiddlers to be asked to teach in Scotland
.
in Antigonish
in 1995, and in 2000 he was awarded the Order of Canada
for his contributions to Canadian culture. The Canadian Encyclopedia
states that the citation for the Order of Canada read "as ambassador of Canadian music and a mentor to many, he is leading a Gaelic renaissance in Canada and abroad." He has appeared through Nova Scotia, Canada, the US and the UK for dances, in concert and in festivals such as the Atlantic Fiddlers' Festival, Cape Breton Fiddlers' Festival, Celtic Colours International Festival, Nova Scotia Highland Village Day, Cape Breton Fiddlers' Festival, the Nova Scotia international tattoo, and the Celtic Sundance Festival, Utah. He has performed He also received the Order of Nova Scotia
in 2003 for outstanding achievement benefiting the province and its residents. In October 2006, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Cape Breton University
in a special ceremony held in Judique.
. MacMaster's youngest sister, Betty Lou Beaton, is one of Cape Breton's finest pianists and is married to well-known fiddler and composer Kinnon Beaton
. He is also the uncle of Natalie MacMaster
, another Cape Breton fiddler who has toured extensively and gained a worldwide following. His son, Allan, was elected to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly in October 2009, representing the electoral district of Inverness as a Progressive Conservative.
He has also released a video, Buddy MacMaster, Master of the Cape Breton Fiddle.
Early life
MacMaster was born into a GaelicScottish Gaelic language
Scottish Gaelic is a Celtic language native to Scotland. A member of the Goidelic branch of the Celtic languages, Scottish Gaelic, like Modern Irish and Manx, developed out of Middle Irish, and thus descends ultimately from Primitive Irish....
-speaking home in Timmins
Timmins, Ontario
Timmins is a city in northeastern Ontario, Canada on the Mattagami River. At the time of the Canada 2006 Census, Timmins' population was 42,997...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
to John Duncan MacMaster and Sarah Agnes MacDonald MacMaster. The family was originally from Cape Breton Island
Cape Breton Island
Cape Breton Island is an island on the Atlantic coast of North America. It likely corresponds to the word Breton, the French demonym for Brittany....
in Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, and in 1928 they returned to Cape Breton to settle in the town of Judique
Judique, Nova Scotia
Judique is a small community located in Inverness County on the Ceilidh Trail on the western side of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada....
. MacMaster's father played the fiddle, but his mother sang to him from birth, lilting
Lilting
Lilting is a form of traditional singing common in the Gaelic speaking areas of Ireland and Scotland. It goes under many names, and is sometimes referred to as "mouth music", diddling, jigging, chin music or cheek music), puirt a beul in Scottish Gaelic, Canterach, or portaireacht bhéil in Irish...
with a Gaelic
Gaelic
Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels", including language and culture. As a noun, it may refer to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually.-Gaelic languages:...
inflection peculiar to the area, and it is her that he credits for instilling in him a love of music. At an early age, MacMaster began to play the fiddle
Fiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
. At age 12, he had his first public performance at an amateur hour in Port Hood
Port Hood, Nova Scotia
Port Hood is a seaside community on the west coast of Cape Breton Island and the shire town of Inverness County, Nova Scotia, Canada. Local residents are predominantly English-speaking Roman Catholics, the population core having Highland Scottish ancestry; MacDonalds/MacDonnells mostly...
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, and at age 14 he played his first professional gig
Gig
Gig or GIG may refer to:* Gig , live performance by a musician or other performer** Temporary work, by extension* Gig , 1993* Gig , 1992...
at a square dance
Square dance
Square dance is a folk dance with four couples arranged in a square, with one couple on each side, beginning with Couple 1 facing away from the music and going counter-clockwise until getting to Couple 4. Couples 1 and 3 are known as the head couples, while Couples 2 and 4 are the side couples...
in the nearby town of Troy
Troy, Nova Scotia
Troy is a small community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in Inverness County on Cape Breton Island.-References:*...
.
Career
Although he continued to play nights at square danceSquare dance
Square dance is a folk dance with four couples arranged in a square, with one couple on each side, beginning with Couple 1 facing away from the music and going counter-clockwise until getting to Couple 4. Couples 1 and 3 are known as the head couples, while Couples 2 and 4 are the side couples...
s across Nova Scotia, MacMaster began a career as a station agent
Station agent
In many countries, the station agent is the person in charge of a railway station Variants of station agents can also work at other transit terminals such as airports, ferry terminals, etc....
and telegrapher for the Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
to support himself and his family. In 1943, he made his first radio broadcast from the town of Antigonish
Antigonish, Nova Scotia
Antigonish is a Canadian town in Antigonish County, Nova Scotia. The town is home to St. Francis Xavier University and the oldest continuous highland games in North America.-History:...
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
in 1948. In the 1970s, he played regularly on Canadian television; CBC Television
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
's Ceilidh
Céilidh
In modern usage, a céilidh or ceilidh is a traditional Gaelic social gathering, which usually involves playing Gaelic folk music and dancing. It originated in Ireland, but is now common throughout the Irish and Scottish diasporas...
show. After his retirement from the railroad in 1988, he went on to play full-time as a professional musician, gaining an international reputation. He was one of the first Cape Breton fiddlers to be asked to teach in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
Awards
MacMaster was awarded an honorary doctorate from St. Francis Xavier UniversitySt. Francis Xavier University
St. Francis Xavier University is a post-secondary institution located in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. The school was founded in 1853, but did not offer degrees until 1868. The university has approximately 5000 students.-History:...
in Antigonish
Antigonish, Nova Scotia
Antigonish is a Canadian town in Antigonish County, Nova Scotia. The town is home to St. Francis Xavier University and the oldest continuous highland games in North America.-History:...
in 1995, and in 2000 he was awarded the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
for his contributions to Canadian culture. The Canadian Encyclopedia
The Canadian Encyclopedia
The Canadian Encyclopedia is a source of information on Canada. It is available online, at no cost. The Canadian Encyclopedia is available in both English and French and includes some 14,000 articles in each language on a wide variety of subjects including history, popular culture, events, people,...
states that the citation for the Order of Canada read "as ambassador of Canadian music and a mentor to many, he is leading a Gaelic renaissance in Canada and abroad." He has appeared through Nova Scotia, Canada, the US and the UK for dances, in concert and in festivals such as the Atlantic Fiddlers' Festival, Cape Breton Fiddlers' Festival, Celtic Colours International Festival, Nova Scotia Highland Village Day, Cape Breton Fiddlers' Festival, the Nova Scotia international tattoo, and the Celtic Sundance Festival, Utah. He has performed He also received the Order of Nova Scotia
Order of Nova Scotia
The Order of Nova Scotia is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Instituted on 2 August 2001, when Lieutenant Governor Myra Freeman granted Royal Assent to the Order of Nova Scotia Act, the order is administered by the Governor-in-Council and is intended to honour...
in 2003 for outstanding achievement benefiting the province and its residents. In October 2006, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Cape Breton University
Cape Breton University
Cape Breton University , formerly the "University College of Cape Breton" , is a Canadian university in Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Regional Municipality....
in a special ceremony held in Judique.
Personal life
MacMaster married Marie Beaton in 1968. He has two children, Mary Elizabeth MacMaster MacInnis (also a musician) and Allan Gerard MacMasterAllan MacMaster
Allan MacMaster is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly in a by-election on October 20, 2009. He represents the electoral district of Inverness as a member of the Nova Scotia Progressive Conservative Party.He is the son of Marie and Buddy MacMaster, and grew...
. MacMaster's youngest sister, Betty Lou Beaton, is one of Cape Breton's finest pianists and is married to well-known fiddler and composer Kinnon Beaton
Kinnon Beaton
Kinnon Beaton is a musician from Mabou, Nova Scotia. He is the son of Donald Angus Beaton and Elizabeth MacEachen.He plays the fiddle in the Scottish genre famous throughout Cape Breton Island....
. He is also the uncle of Natalie MacMaster
Natalie MacMaster
Natalie MacMaster, CM is an award-winning fiddler from the rural community of Troy in Inverness County, Nova Scotia, Canada who plays Cape Breton fiddle music....
, another Cape Breton fiddler who has toured extensively and gained a worldwide following. His son, Allan, was elected to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly in October 2009, representing the electoral district of Inverness as a Progressive Conservative.
Discography
- Judique on the Floor (1989)
- Glencoe Hall (1991)
- The Judique Flyer (2000)
- Cape Breton Tradition (2003)
- Traditional Music from Cape Breton Island (2005) with Natalie MacMaster
He has also released a video, Buddy MacMaster, Master of the Cape Breton Fiddle.
Further reading
- MacInnes, Sheldon (2007). Buddy MacMaster: The Judique Fiddler, Nova Scotia: Pottersfield Press. ISBN 978-1-895900-90-3.
External links
- Biography at Canada's AtlanticArtists.com