Music’s an almost alchemical force to Canadian Mi’kmaq fiddler and singer Morgan Toney. From the first time he really heard music, sitting on the floor of his uncle’s house transfixed by a DVD of Phil Collins, to 2022 where he’s one of the most in-demand young fiddlers and singers in Atlantic Canada, was nominated for three East Coast Canadian Music Awards, and his debut album, First Flight, is being reissued by Indigenous record label Ishkode Records. In just a short amount of time, Toney’s been able to invigorate both the Atlantic music communities and Mi’kmaq communities by bringing together the fiery fiddling of Cape Breton Island with the old songs of the Mi’kmaq, one song dating back up to 500 years. He calls this fusion Mi’kmaltic (Mi’kmaq + Celtic) and it’s his way of celebrating his language and heritage. He’s honoring the elders who’ve taught him the songs and the language, and he’s taking his place on the front lines of Eastern Canada’s cultural divide. On First Flight, reissued March 25, 2022, Toney sings songs so old that modern Mi’kmaq speakers struggle to understand the lyrics, but he also sings songs meant to reflect the turmoil of our current times, shining a hard light on the racism and violence forced on First Nations populations in Canada today. With family members who were sent to residential schools and had to relearn their language later at home, Toney’s interest in the language is very personal. “Some people don’t understand us,” Toney says. “They don’t understand what we’ve been through, and we need to tell the story.” But never one to focus on the negative, Toney’s goal is to push for positive action and change through music. “We wanted to say something in the way that we know how, through music.”
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10:30 AM | Make a Joyful Noise (Gospel) with Stirling John Amphitheatre 10:30 AM 12:00 PM Francophonie Down By The Bay 11:20 AM 12:30 PM Élage Diouf, Andrina Turenne, Lennie Gallant(H) Shawna Caspi In Concert Down By The River 12:00 PM 1:00 PM Treasa Levasseur in Concert Down By The Bay 12:40 PM 1:20 PM The Vaudevillian Interactive Washboard Workshop Down By The River 1:00 PM 1:45 PM The duo supplies 40 musical washboards, 80 metal thimbles and teach the whole group how to play the washboard. All ages, abilities welcome Porch Couch in Concert Down By The Bay 1:45 PM 2:25 PM Man on Fire Down By The River 2:00 PM 3:00 PM Lloyd Speigel & david sereda Livin' in the Metro Down By The Bay 2:45 PM 4:00 PM Kobo Town, The Fretless and Ego Spank (H) Men Without Pants in Concert Down By The River 3:00 PM 4:00 PM | ||
11:00 AM | From Out of Left Field Down By The Bay 11:00 AM 12:00 PM Tio Chorinho with Flavia Nascimente & Porch Couch(H) Ritmi Vibranti Down By The River 11:00 AM 12:45 PM Italian music and dance with Kaláscima with Andrea Ramolo & Beppe Gambetta The Great North Road Down by the Bay 12:10 PM 1:10 PM David Francey(H), Archie Fisher with Garnet Rogers, Daniel Schmidt, and Lennie Gallant Bryden Gwiss in Concert Down By The River 1:00 PM 2:10 PM Making Arrangements Down By The Bay 1:20 PM 2:20 PM Little Misty and Vinta Of Meteors and Men Down By The River 2:15 PM 3:15 PM Meteor Heist & Men Without Pants Songs from a Hat Down By The Bay 2:30 PM 3:30 PM Treasa Levasseur (H), david sereda, Andrina Turenne | ||
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3:30 PM | Balfolk Dance with Vinta Down By The River 3:30 PM 5:00 PM Guitar Heroes Down by the Bay 3:45 PM 5:30 PM Lloyd Spiegel, Terra Lightfoot (H), Murray Pulver (Ego Spank) The Middle Amphitheatre 4:00 PM 4:10 PM Grier Coppins | ||
4:00 PM | Vinta in Concert Amphitheatre 4:00 PM 4:40 PM | ||
4:30 PM | |||
5:00 PM | Lloyd Spiegel in Concert Amphitheatre 5:00 PM 5:40 PM | ||
5:30 PM | Youth Discoveries Showcase Down By The Bay 5:30 PM 7:00 PM Paige Warner, Daniel Schmidt, Nora Stephens, Lennon and Matthew, Men Without Pants, Siobhan Bodrug The Beginning Amphitheatre 6:00 PM 6:10 PM Grier Coppins Beppe Gambetta in Concert Amphitheatre 6:00 PM 6:40 PM | ||
6:00 PM | Tio Chorinho w/ Flavia Nascimento in Concert Amphitheatre 6:00 PM 6:40 PM | Bruce Molsky in Concert Amphitheatre 6:00 PM 6:45 PM | |
6:30 PM | |||
7:00 PM | Little Misty in Concert Amphitheatre 7:00 PM 7:45 PM Friday Pay Down By The Bay 7:10 PM 8:10 PM david sereda (H) & Diyet and the Love Soldiers Terra Lightfoot in Concert Amphitheatre 8:00 PM 8:45 PM Terra Lightfoot in Concert Watching the World Go By Down By The Bay 8:30 PM 9:40 PM Porch Couch, Shawna Caspi, and David Francey (H) Lennie Gallant in Concert Amphitheatre 9:00 PM 9:45 PM Lennie Gallant in Concert | The Fretless w/ Madeleine Roger in Concert Amphitheatre 7:00 PM 7:40 PM All Strings Attached Down By The Bay 7:00 PM 8:10 PM Porch Couch, Bruce Molsky & Vinta(H) Bryden Gwiss In Concert Amphitheatre 8:00 PM 8:45 PM Lennon and Matthew In Concert Down By The Bay 8:20 PM 8:50 PM | Archie Fisher with Garnet Rogers in Concert Amphitheatre 7:00 PM 7:40 PM |
7:30 PM | |||
8:00 PM | David Francey in Concert Amphitheatre 8:00 PM 8:45 PM | ||
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9:00 PM | Madeleine Roger in Concert Down By The Bay 9:00 PM 9:40 PM Diyet and the Love Soldiers in Concert Amphitheatre 9:00 PM 9:45 PM The Vaudevillian in Concert Down By The Bay 9:45 PM 10:30 PM Élage Diouf in Concert Amphitheatre 10:00 PM 11:00 PM Paige Warner in Concert Down By The Bay 10:40 PM 11:20 PM | The End Amphitheatre 9:00 PM 9:10 PM Grier Coppins A Summerfolk Farewell with Élage Diouf Down By The Bay 9:00 PM 11:00 PM | |
9:30 PM | |||
10:00 PM | Andrina Turenne In Concert Down By The Bay 10:00 PM 10:40 PM with special guests Ego Spank Kaláscima with Andrea Ramolo in Concert Amphitheatre 10:00 PM 11:00 PM | ||
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11:00 PM | Ego Spank In Concert Down By The Bay 11:00 PM 11:55 PM Meteor Heist In Concert Down By The Bay 11:59 PM 12:50 AM | ||
11:30 PM | Kobo Town in Concert Down By The Bay 11:40 PM 12:40 AM |