It is not often you will get to see a musician dance while playing the violin - easily the queen of musical instruments and one of the toughest to master. But Canadian fiddler Gordie MacKeeman not only dances expertly with his stringed piece but also gets you on your feet dancing to his tunes.
Performing in Bengaluru’s Windmills Craftworks on his first visit to the country with his world renowned roots music band Gordie MacKeeman and his Rhythm Boys, the musician took time off to talk about his passion of music and why he loves to get people joining him in dance.
Hailing from the tranquil Prince Edward Island, Gordie finds Bengaluru exhilarating. “It is a blast to be here! I really like Indian music. And while we don’t have a lot of it where I’m from, it is fantastic to be here and experience the sights and sounds we’ve heard so much about.”
Comprising Gordie MacKeeman on the fiddle, Peter Cann on vocals and lead guitar, Thomas Webb on vocals, bass and banjo and Mark Geddes on vocals, percussion and bass, the four-piece band of seasoned musicians pack a generic blend of bluegrass, western swing, Celtic and even Scottish country dance music.
A high-octane performance that is heavy on energy from start to finish, Gordie’s trademark is his ‘crazy legs’ style of dancing while playing the violin. “We have a lot of dancing and movement on stage. It is very upbeat and bound to get you on your feet.”
He says dancing came naturally to him. “I started dancing as a young fella when I was six. I don’t come from a musical background, I got into it by fluke. The style of dancing I do is very traditional in Eastern Canada where I’m from.” Gordie adds that the spark carried him on till, at the age of nine, he picked up the fiddle as well.
“Back home, when you dance, a lot of times a fiddle player will accompany you. So they go hand in hand. I was always around fiddle players. It wasn’t long before I picked it up.”
The 33-year-old multi-award winning musician says he has had a wonderful journey so far. “We just celebrated our fifth year anniversary as a band. We have been touring a lot and having a great time seeing the world.”
Gordie says that they will be launching their latest record titled Laugh, Dance & Sing when they head back to Canada. “If we can keep on finding stages where people can hear us, I’m happy with that. I never thought Canadian fiddle music will take us to India. We try to make sure our albums carry the live vibe of our music like a continuation of our show.”
Gordie believes that at the heart of their music is enjoyment. “Even as a group, if we’re not enjoying it ourselves on stage, I don’t think our audience will. Anyone who watches us can tell we enjoy ourselves.” To aspiring musicians, Gordie says: “If you’re trying to pick up styles, it’s hard to beat the Internet. Even I check videos online and get inspired. Practice is important. If you set your mind to it and put in hard work, you’ll do well. A lot of times, a full time musician is like any other job with paperwork and stuff, but the fun part is in the music.”
Their music’s vision, is ensuring people are happy. “We often pop out somewhere and perform any chance we get, even on the streets and buses for the fun of it since its largely acoustic music.”
