Belle Côte translates to “beautiful coast” and there is no more accurate description for the location of this concert. Madison Violet’s roots lie along this coast. Lisa MacIsaac grew up in Creignish and Brenley MacEachern’s father comes from Craigmore, a three-minute drive up Route 19 from Creignish. The musicians met by chance in Toronto, Ontario and started making music together in the late 1990s. While the acclaimed duo’s music is influenced by their East Coast heritage, elements of folk, singer-songwriter, pop, indie, bluegrass, and country are flawlessly interwoven into their sound. After 25 years together as a band, Madison Violet is currently on their farewell tour and we are excited to have them here tonight. Fiddler Howie MacDonald and piano player Hilda Chiasson will bring some good old Cape Breton tunes to the party. Howie is well-known around the island and beyond after touring for years with The Rankin Family and The Cape Breton Summertime Revue, as well as in his own shows, and countless dances and concerts. Hilda comes from nearby Chéticamp and is one of the most sought-after accompanists of this generation. Tonight’s concert will also feature Newfoundland and Labrador singer Matthew Byrne. Since releasing his debut album Ballads in 2010, Byrne has established himself as one of Canada’s foremost traditional singers with his rich and powerful vocals, refined guitar style, and compelling interpretations of unique traditional songs.