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The Fiddlers of James Bay

This short documentary traces the history of the fiddle’s arrival in Canada 300 years ago via Scottish traders from Orkney Island. The Cree population of what is now Northern Québec adopted the instrument, and many contemporary Cree residents are master fiddlers. In this film, two Cree fiddlers travel to the Orkney Islands, the birthplace of the music they learned from their fathers and grandfathers. The film captures the warmth and good will of this reunion.
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This short documentary traces the history of the fiddle’s arrival in Canada 300 years ago via Scottish traders from Orkney Island. The Cree population of what is now Northern Québec adopted the instrument, and many contemporary Cree residents are master fiddlers. In this film, two Cree fiddlers travel to the Orkney Islands, the birthplace of the music they learned from their fathers and grandfathers. The film captures the warmth and good will of this reunion.

Indigenous Peoples in Canada (First Nations and Métis) Cultural Diversity and Multiculturalism Music All subjects
  • director
    Bob Rodgers
  • producer
    Bob Rodgers
    Mark Zannis
    Gail Singer
  • executive producer
    Peter Katadotis
  • script
    Mark Zannis
    David Wilson
  • photography
    Richard A. Stringer
    David Peat
  • sound
    Bob Lower
    Gail Singer
    Ian Leslie
    Bob Robb
  • editing
    David Wilson
  • sound editing
    Donald Douglas
    Danuta Klis
  • re-recording
    Hans Peter Strobl
    Adrian Croll
The Fiddlers of James Bay
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