Music of Canada

As part of celebrating five years of walking with you along the music road, I am building a series of resource pages about the primary subjects you’ll find here, to help you find your way around and learn more. Main areas you’ll find here at music road have to do with singers and songwriters, Americana music, the music of Ireland, Scotland, and Canada, and creative practice and inspiration


The Maritimes, the Laurentians, the Shield, the prairies, the far north, the rockies, the pacific coast: Canada is a country of great geographic diversity and its people are diverse as well.


a quick introduction to the diversity of Canadian music
holiday gift list: music of Canada
this was first written as a holiday gift guide, and has proved to be an article visitors often seek out

the artists

Ian Tyson cowboy poet of Alberta and the rocky mountain west
Ian Tyson: Yellowhead to Yellowstone

in the folk revival era, Tyson was also part of the duo Ian and Sylvia
Matt & Shannon & Ian & Sylvia


from Alberta, the Canadian Celtic band
The McDades

celebrating Canada from the Maritimes to the plains
Stan Rogers: songwriter of work, change, & sea

legendary storyteller in song Gordon Lightfoot

master Cape Breton fiddler
Natalie MacMaster
Cape Breton, in Nova Scotia in the Maritimes, has a strong heritage from Scotland, a heritage that is informed and touched by land, water, location, and interaction with other musics.

rising Cape Breton fiddler Rachel Davis
Scotland & Cape Breton: tradition and innovation


Cape Breton music from a new generation: The Cottars

The Barra MacNeils are a family group from Cape Breton whose harmonies on traditional songs and original songwriting about their home land have gained them fans for more than two decades
The Barra MacNeils: Album

Leahy, also a family based group whose high energy ensemble work showcases the music of their native Ontario. They’ve toured with another Ontario native, Shania Twain

Leahy: Live in Gatineau
Shania Twain: Why Not?

Eileen McGann, whose music includes traditional music from her Irish Canadian roots and original songs of Canada, inlcuding several on her holiday album
Trilogy: 2000 Years of Christmas

the land

songs of place: Canada
Cape Breton Radio Live take 02
The Celtic Colours Festival


These are just a few of the articles about Canadian music you will find here along the music road, and there will be more to come. If you should not see your favorite Canadian artist here, there’s a search box to the right...your suggestions are welcome, too

Also, many musicians from Scotland and Ireland include music from Canadian artists and the traditions of Canada in their work. Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas, The Unusual Suspects, and Manus McGuire are a few of those you’ll find along the music road.

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