Natalie MacMasters & Donnell Leahy

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Natalie MacMaster & Donnell Leahy: Visions of Cape Breton The entertainment world is filled with extraordinary stores, but few match the beguiling true-life tale of Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy, Canada's reigning couple of celtic music, whose dazzling career achievements underpin an incomparable off-stage life. Since marrying in 2002, two of Canada’s brightest stars have been captivating audiences all over North America with their exceptional musical skills and obvious joy at playing the fiddle together. Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy have received both industry-acclaim and a loyal fan base by combining their magnificent individual talents, giving audiences an unforgettable musical experience every performance. Being part of musical families, Natalie and Donnell were born into their musical careers. Hailing from Cape Breton Island, Natalie received her first fiddle at the age of nine, launching a career that has lasted for over 30 years. Her first recording was released when she was only 16 and she has never looked back. Natalie has received numerous awards in the US and Canada, recognizing her dedication, musical talent, and importance to Cape Breton’s fiddling tradition and international identity. Natalie’s performances leave her audiences craving more as she mystifies them through stylistic diversity without losing the traditional Cape Breton flair. Her stage presence, the elegance with the bow, the intricate technique with the fiddle, and the embrace of the Cape Breton tradition that wows her admirers at countless shows every year. Perfecting his astonishing talent since the age of three, Donnell has literally spent his entire life with a fiddle in his hand. His parents, a fiddle-playing father from Ontario and a step-dancing mother from Cape Breton, were his source of inspiration and guidance. As the musical leader & front-man of Leahy for over 15 years, it is no surprise his own style emerged; it is said he created a new genre of music simply known as “Leahy.” Combined with his mesmerizingly strident, exultant, and high-energy performances, this style has become Donnell Leahy’s musical signature. “To call Natalie MacMaster the most dynamic performer in Celtic music today is high praise, but it still doesn’t get at just how remarkable a concert artist this Cape Breton Island fiddler has become.” - The Boston Herald