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Joanne MacIntyre & Sons

Cape Breton

Joanne MacIntyre comes from Mabou Coal Mines, Inverness County where she was raised in a culture-rich environment of Gaelic music, dance, and language. She has sung on stages around Cape Breton since her teen years, bringing the Island’s distinct style and “swing” to appreciative listening audiences. Joanne continues to be a regular performer at Baile nan Gàidheal | Highland Village as a Gaelic singer, step dancer and story interpreter. She teaches Gaelic language and Gaelic Studies at Dalbrae Academy in Mabou, passing on her knowledge and passion for the language and its attendant culture to younger generations. A Lochaber descendant, Joanne continues to expand her repertoire of songs from the Cape Breton and Inverness County Gaelic tradition. In recent years, she has often been joined on the stage by her four sons James, Stephen, Niall, and Cameron, in keeping with the intergenerational transmission tradition of Cape Breton’s Gaelic culture. These young men have been learning Gaelic songs since their early years through programs like Féis Mhàbu and Brìgh, in addition to learning at home. Joanne received the 2012 “Big Sampie” award and released her debut album of Gaelic songs, Craobh a’ Mhathain, during Celtic Colours 2013.

Festival Performances

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