Over the past 25 years, Cape Breton’s musicians and music industry players have played an important role in the success of the East Coast music industry and the popularity of East Coast music world-wide. Since the Maritime Music Awards started in 1989 (becoming the ECMAs in 1991), Cape Bretoners have won more than 190 awards, backing up CBMIC’s claim that Cape Breton is the music capital of the East Coast.
The Cape Breton Embassy kicks off March 7 at the Marquee Ballroom on Gottingen Street. Thursday night’s concert features past ECMA winners Matt Minglewood and Slowcoaster, as well as emerging talents the Town Heroes from Inverness, singer-songwriters Carleton Stone and Jason MacDonald, and the folksy-bluegrassy Heartwood Slacks. Friday night’s concert gathers together some of the Island’s finest traditional players, from ECMA winners Ashley MacIsaac, J.P. Cormier, and the Beaton Sisters Band to nominees Sprag Session, Mary Jane Lamond & Wendy MacIsaac and Chrissy Crowley. Showtime both nights is 9pm with the doors opening at 8:30pm.
“The Cape Breton Embassy is about celebrating our position in the music industry in Canada and worldwide,” says Albert Lionais, CBMIC’s Operations Manager. “In addition to our world-renowned artists, we have world-renowned music studios, songwriters, technical companies, venues and music festivals. All of this grew up around something special and that something is the deep-rooted, unique musical culture we have on our small island here on the edge of Canada.”
Cape Breton Music Industry Cooperative is a not-for-profit organization developed to grow and support Cape Breton’s music industry. CBMIC recognizes that the music industry in Cape Breton is a sustainable one. Through partnerships with government agencies, private sector, media, local venues and music-related organizations within Canada and beyond, CBMIC’s goal is to bridge the gap between local musicians and the music industry as a whole.
