Wow!
This past weekend was a hit! ACCI
had another movie night, and what a night it was! We presented a really interesting film
called: “The Fiddlers of James Bay” which is about two talented fiddlers, Ray
Spencer and Bob McLeod. These men were
famous in Eeyou Istchee for their outstanding playing ability. They were never
formally trained; but, as was the tradition in their families, they learned to
play from their fathers and grandfathers. This tradition originated in the 17th
century with the onset of the fur trade. Fiddles made the journey across the
Atlantic when fur traders from Scotland came to James Bay, and this new type of
music was quickly adopted into Cree Culture. The film, released in 1980,
follows Ray Spencer and Bob McLeod as they travel to the Orkney Islands in
Scotland to play with an orchestra and highlights the amazing talent that these
two fiddlers had. Their playing style
reflects an Eeyou twist on the traditional Scottish style.
