Fiery fiddling and powerful step dancing tend to steal the show when the youthful group Vishtèn takes the stage. In performances that capture the energy and joie de vivre of an Acadian "kitchen party," Vishtèn entertains mightily, with flying fingers, tapping feet, and a sense of pure, unabashed revelry. As heard on their 2008 CD Live! the group plays a rousing "new traditional" mixture of Acadian, Irish, and Scottish music styles, spiced with touches of folk and rock.

Bringing together young artists who are passionate about the rich heritage of music and dance from their region in eastern Canada, Vishten features Prince Edward Island twins Emmanuelle (whistles, bodhran, piano, stepdancing) and Pastelle LeBlanc (accordion, piano, stepdancing) and Magdalen Islanders Pascal Miousse (fiddle, mandolin, guitar) and Louis-Charles Vigneau (guitar). All the members in the group contribute to the choreography and musical arrangements, and they all sing in gorgeous, rich harmony.

The Acadians of eastern Canada are descended from the 17th-century French colonists who settled in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. (Although it is also a francophone culture, Acadia is culturally distinct from Quebec.) In the Great Expulsion of 1755, at the outbreak of the French and Indian War between Britain and France, between 5 and 7 thousand Acadians were deported by the British; many settled in Louisiana, where they became known as Cajuns. Indeed, Cajun music's roots in the traditional tunes of Acadia should be amply in evidence tonight, as well as the cultures' shared love of a roaring good time!

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