Nova Scotia Celtic roots extend to Milwaukee
Provincial delegation of musicians, artisans treks to Irish festival
By ANDREA NEMETZ Entertainment Reporter
August 17, 2006

Nova Scotia musicians, artisans and cultural organizations are bringing their Celtic roots to the Milwaukee Irish Fest in Wisconsin today through Sunday.

The annual festival featuring music, dance, song, sports, genealogy, poetry, and culture attracts about 130,000 people making it the biggest Irish festival in North America, says Brian Doherty, who has played the festival the last couple of years with his duo Evans and Doherty.

"It’s a very prestigious festival and well-recognized in the Celtic world. If you’re invited to Milwaukee, there’s a good chance you’re pretty good," says the popular musician, sitting in his office next to the Old Triangle Pub, which he co-owns.

Milwaukee organizers are big fans of Nova Scotia music and regular attendees of the Celtic Colours Festival and the East Coast Music Awards, continues Doherty, who helped organize the trip through his booking company Eastern Entertainment Agency.

Festival staff chose the artists they wanted to perform at their event: new Cape Breton five-piece band Beolach; The Cottars, two teenage brother-sister duos from Cape Breton; singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist J.P. Cormier; folk troubadour Dave Gunning of Pictou County; fiddler Jerry Holland (with pianist Dave MacIsaac); Gaelic songstress Mary Jane Lamond and veteran singer-songwriter Buddy MacDonald. >> more