Pjila’si means “welcome” in Mi’kmaw and, like all First Nations communities within Unama’ki [Cape Breton Island], Wagmatcook is known for extending a warm welcome. Tonight, you are very welcome at the Wagmatcook Culture and Heritage Centre, overlooking Nyanza Bay, for a monumental meeting of Mi’kmaw and Celtic music and traditions. One of Cape Breton’s most iconic fiddlers, Ashley MacIsaac performs with a bold, genre-defying style that has electrified audiences around the world. Ashley has been pushing boundaries while staying rooted in tradition for more than 30 years and there’s no sign of him stopping now. Since debuting at Celtic Colours in 2020, and sharing the stage with MacIsaac, Morgan Toney has been pushing boundaries of his own. An award-winning fiddler, singer, and songwriter from nearby We’koqma’q, Morgan brings together the fiery fiddling of Cape Breton and the old songs of the Mi’kmaq in a style he calls “Mi’kmaltic” (Mi’kmaq + Celtic). Morgan is joined in his trio by Keith Mullins on guitar and percussion, and Ryan Roberts on mandolin. Eskasoni fiddler and singer-songwriter Shawnee Paul will take the sharing of cultures and traditions in another direction. Her performance tonight with East Bay Gaelic singer and multi-instrumentalist Bradley Murphy will include dance choreographed by Merritt Award winning Eskasoni artist Sarah Prosper.