Today, the traditional music of Atlantic Canada is renowned across the world.

Performers such as Natalie MacMaster, the Rankins, and Great Big Sea have international reputa- tions and have toured across the world.

The success of this musical

"genre, however, is_ relatively recent. As a matter of fact, it was not until the 1970s that this music began to be accepted outside of the small communities where it was born.

One person that has wit- nessed the dramatic transformation of the East Coast’s music scene is Fergus O’Byrne. According to O’Byrne, the Atlantic Canadian musical breakthrough of the 1990s was a direct result of the hard work put forward by the region’s musical forefathers.

O’Byrne added. “Denis [Ryan] became an investor/stock broker, Dermot [O’Reilly] continued in the music business, and I went back to school and got a degree in Education while I continued per- forming.”

O’Byrne’s. best known work since the demise of Ryan’s Fancy has been as part of a duo with Jim Payne. This due had an unusual beginning.

“IT knew Jim for a good while before we actually worked together. One year in the early nineties we worked together on the Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival...an act failed to show so myself and Jim rounded up a bunch of singers and went on and led off a bunch of shanties and work songs.”

The off-the-cuff perform- ance raised some _ eyebrows.

|Baba's Lounge

live music 5 nights a week

student night every tuesday free buffet*happy hour all night*live band

tri m une onsen ?: —

MTT tase September 27

THE EVENT TENT

Baba’s Lounge: Mark Browning

Thursday, September 28

Baba’s Lounge: Eyes for Telescopes Brennan’s: Mark Green

Myron’s: Poppa Shine

Olde Dublin Pub: Richard Wood

“I believe that over the According to O’Byrne, “it was years, because of the groundwork suggested by a record industry guy

that performers like Ryan’s Fancy, gsssssssss ENTER THE TAINMENT

John Allan Cameron, [and] Rawlin’s Cross to name a few, both the public and the music industry people have realized the commeri- al potential of music from the East Coast.”

O’Byrne is no stranger to the music industry. Since arriving in Canada in 1967 from his home of Dublin, Ireland, he has had a distinguished career. Shortly after arriving in Canada, he co-founded the group Ryan’s Fancy, which

iti TB Arts Guild: Improv comedy with 4Play September 29 Baba’s Lounge: Downtime

Brennan’s: Mark Green

Olde Dublin Pub: Richard Wood Panther Lounge: The Rude Mechanicals

Saturday, Baba’s Lounge: The Rude Mechanicals Myron’s: Great White North

Olde Dublin Pub: Richard Wood Panther Lounge: Gob/Flush

September 30

A Ryan O'Connor Production

went on to become a heavily respected act, having championed Atlantic Canadian music on their Own nationally televised CBC series.

After a successful run in the industry, thirteen years in total, Ryan’s Fancy called it a day. “In 1983 we decided to go our seperate ways and follow our own interests”

that we should look to recording Sunday,

some of the material.”

The result of this sugges- tion was the 1995 CD “Wave Over Wave,” which has received acclaim as one of the strongest collections of Atlantic Canadian traditional songs available.

O’Byrne and Payne have travelled extensively, this year

October 1

Monday, Octoher 2

PCTS Ee October 3

Got any entertainment events that you want to include in the Event Tent? Call our hotline at 966-0-MAX at least two weeks in ativance to fill us in.

The Cadre 9