Saturday, Oct. 24 at 7 p.m., the Caribou Performing Arts Center will present ‘Boreal Tordu ’ featuring a mix of Acadian folk, Cajun swing, maritime ballads, crooked fiddle tunes and foot-stomping French dance music, a fresh take on the many musical influences of Maine’s poignant past. According to Joe Zubrick, director of the CPAC, “Whether it’s the lively fiddling of an Acadian tune by Steve Muise, the humorous refrain of “Quelle belle vie — Ma femme est partie!” (What a beautiful life — my wife is gone!) by vocalist Rob Sylvain, or the nostalgic songs taught by a doting mémé (grandmother), the music of Boreal Tordu is a crowd-pleaser.”
Boréal Tordu began when fiddler Steve Muise and singer-songwriter Robert Sylvain discovered a mutual interest in the music of their shared Acadian heritage. Both are sons of native French speaking parents. Both end up finding their roots through their music. More than a revival, this is the reinvention of a culture almost lost to a new generation. The result is a rhythmically unstoppable, lyrically fantastic blend of Acadian traditions with original Americana sensibilities.
Since 2003, Boréal Tordu has played to enthusiastic English and French speaking audiences throughout New England, the Adirondacks in N.Y., Quebec, and the Canadian Maritimes. They have been featured three times on Maine’s 207, NPR, CIFA Radio 104.1 Nova Scotia, WMPG 90.9 Portland, ME, CBC Radio Canada, Lakes Region Radio 94.1 Poultney, VT and Robert Resnick’s, All the Traditions on Vermont Public Radio. Their 2006 release, “La Bonne Vie,” was called “an inspiration to the Franco-American community” by Dirty Linen Magazine, and has been heard on the PBS series Now with Bill Moyers.
Most recently, Le Centre de la francophonie des Ameriques selected Boréal Tordu’s recording of Steve Muise’s song “le Par-en-Bas,” to appear on a CD compilation put together by none other than Zachary Richard.
The band features Acadian fiddler/accordionist extraordinaire, Steve Muise, named Maine Music Educator of the Year 2007, and Acadian singer-songwriter and dobro player Rob Sylvain, known for his work in the band Douce with Matthew Doucet of Lafayette, LA. Rounding out the rhythm section is Pip Walter on guitar and backing vocals and Andy Buckland on upright bass. Thrice nominated for the Portland Phoenix reader’s poll award for Best World Music Act, Boréal Tordu continues to innovate and abide in a genre by itself.
Tickets for the Oct. 24, performance are $12 for adults, $8 for students and seniors and $5 for children 12 and under.
Those planning to attend the enticing musical evening are also invited to partake in a traditional Acadian meal before the performance, when members of the Caribou Kiwanis Club will be serving chicken stew, dumplings and ployes from 5 to 7 p.m. in the CHS café.
Cost for the dinner is $7 for adults, $5 for children 10. Pre-school age children will be admitted free of charge.
Tickets for the Kiwanis Acadian Supper are available at the Caribou Chamber of Commerce & Industry office, Caribou Food Trend, from any Kiwanis member or at the door.
All proceeds from the Acadian Supper will benefit Kiwanis Youth and Senior Citizens programs.
Buy the dinner and present the Acadian Supper ticket at the CPAC box office to get $2 off the ticket price for the Boreal Tordu performance.