Ashley MacIsaac wowed spectators with his performance at the opening ceremonies of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. The Vancouver Sun reported: "Having insulted Newfoundlanders by declaring them to be Cape Bretoners with the brains beaten out of 'em, MacIsaac made it up by leading the mob in what else but I's the Bye. There should have been smoke issuing from his strings."http://www.vancouversun.com/Ashley+MacIsaac+sizzles+Kitchen+Party/2566327/story.html
Background and Music
Ashley MacIsaac is a professional fiddler from Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0532893/ He was born February 24, 1975 in Creignish, Cape Breton, the son of Angus MacIsaac, and electrician and musician.http://www.musicianguide.com/biographies/1608000096/Ashley-MacIsaac.html MacIsaac learn to step-dance at five and fiddle at eight. He began performing at local venues at age 14, and was soon touring Celtic communities in the U.S.
Growing up, he rarely ever listened to pop music, instead prefering master fiddlers like Angus Chisholdm, Winston "Scotty" Fitzgerald, and Buddy McMaster.
MacIsaac has been compared in looks to Mel Gibson's character in Braveheart and has been described as having "a threatening look to him, somewhat barbaric and devilish"http://www.musicianguide.com/biographies/1608000096/Ashley-MacIsaac.html.
His music and performances are intense, and involve him dressing in traditional kilts, with a feather boa which was a gift from RuPaul, the American drag queen, and stomping around the stage.
His music portrays a penchant for experimentation, his pub-stomp style is fast, furious and phenomenally precise. Ashley MacIsaac is a rebel who takes old fiddling conventions in new directions where, some say, they were never meant to go. He updates traditional Celtic music to give it mass appeal.
MacIsaac has worked with an impressive array of musicians including David Byrne, the Chieftans, Mary Jane Lamond and others.
His debut album, Close to the Floor" was released in 1992 when he was only 17, but he really didn't make an impact until he burst onto the scene in 1995 with Hi, How Are You Today from A&M Records. His follow up, Fine, Thank You Very Much, was more traditional but delivered on the promise of his debut.http://ashleymacisaac.net/?page_id=2
In 2010, Ashley wrote a single, Dreams, to benefit Kwame Nkrumah-Acheampong, who was the first Ghanaian athlete ever to compete in the Winter Olympics.http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/news?slug=capress-oly_snow_leopard-182462522&prov=capress&type=lgns
Ashley MacIsaac on Conan O'Brien
Ashley MacIsaac, appears on Conan O'Brien in 2009, displaying his lively fiddling style, which includes wearing a traditional kilt and army boots, and taking traditional celtic fiddle music in new directions and to new heights. His music has brought Celtic music to the masses and has a broad appeal to all ages.
References
Fast Facts
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Ashley MacIsaac was born February 24, 1975 in Creignish, Cape Breton, Canada
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Ashley MacIsaac wowed the crowds at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics Opening Ceremony
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MacIsaac learned to play fiddle at the age of 8
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MacIsaac released his first album at the age of 17.
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In 2010, Ashley wrote a single, Dreams, to benefit Kwame Nkrumah-Acheampong,
