Saturday, April 15th
Join Brooklyn Contra for an evening of amazing fiddle music from two of Quebec’s most talented traditional musicians, Nicolas Babineau and Alexis Chartrand.
Nicolas Babineau (modern fiddle, acoustic guitar) and Alexis Chartrand (baroque violin, foot percussion and electronics) offer a captivating dive into Québec’s musical traditions. Inspired by a century of irresistible dance and fiddle music, they reveal the beautiful intricacy of Québécois traditional melodies. Babineau/Chartrand’s uniquely sensitive and intimate approach brings together modern fiddling and baroque violin, bridging the gap between the old and the new. They have performed throughout Québec and Canada, have shared their folklore with audiences in the United States and Sweden, and have produced two album (Gigues à 2 faces, 2017, and un beau ptit son, 2019).
More Details and Location Here
Sunday, April 16th
A Double Dose of Dancing!
With music by Kingfisher
and calling by Wil Mentor!
3:00 pm to 9 pm
Challenging Contras: 3pm to 5pm
A Contra Dance for All: 6pm to 9pm (5:30 Lesson)
Join us for 5 hours of dancing with some of the country's best contra talent! Will Mentor is perhaps America's best-known contra dance caller, known for his ability to make even the most challenging contra flow.
Kingfisher, the eclectic duo of Cecilia Vacanti and Jeff Kaufman, plays both traditional and modern contra dance music, and has been hailed as one of the most versatile up-and-coming dance bands on the road today. Already a mainstay in the Greater Boston area, they've performed to large, enthusiastic crowds on the West Coast, Eastern Seaboard, and throughout the Northeast. Jeff Kaufman, a multi-instrumentalist, anchors the duo from the piano, as well as mandolin and a number of innovative electronic instruments he created himself, providing the duo with bass and drum grooves — all of which gives Cecilia Vacanti opportunity to wow you with intense fiddling renditions of tunes across the spectrum, surprising even the most seasoned listener with a breathtaking, genre-bending playlist.
"The first time I heard Kingfisher I couldn't see the stage at first. I was blown away when I got to the front of the room-expecting a 4 or 5 piece band, only to find out that sound-that BIG sound-was coming from just two, albeit two very talented musicians" -J.C, Fulton, NY.
From the moment they hit the first note to the fade of the last chord, you'll be mesmerized for the entire show!