Cape Breton's Magazine

times and, after that, my mother said, "Go ahead." And he didn't make any mistake. He got the 4 or 5 verses. (But you could write.) Oh, yeah. I haven't got too much education, but I could write. (And your memory is strong too?) Oh, yeah. BESS BOOKS AROUND 2ND HAND BOOKSTORE 825 GRAND LAKE ROAD across from Mayflower Mall near The Bay Entrance Mon.toFrL 11-6 CC7 OOOO Sat. & Sun. 12-4 OOi-OOOO I remember, I had some songs-- I worked in Syd? ney here for 3 or 4 years at the steel plant. And then I quit --I didn't like it. '41, '42, '43, and part '44. But I heard many songs from Joseph Larade-- he was from Cheticamp. And he could play the violin. In those days, when Joseph Larade was singing a song--3 or 4 times--maybe sometimes 8 times--I knew the song after. But now, it's not like that. I have to have that in a book. (You were a young man then. But you must have wanted to learn those songs.) Yeah. And when I was young, I would have liked to have a violin. But my father couldn't afford it. You know, when I sing, well, I could--like Joseph Larade is doing. (Did he sing and play violin at the same time?) Oh, yes. It's perfect. He's dead now.... (When you were small, was most of the singing without any instrument?) Oh, there was nothing down home. The only thing that they had down home, it was the violin-- there was no guitar. (And when there would be singing....) No violin, nothing. Oh, no, no. (So Joseph Larade was unusual.) Oh yeah, well, that difference.... Joseph Larade, now, if he was living, he might be 74. And he learned that maybe when he was 20 years old. His father, maybe, had enough money to buy him a violin. And me, they couldn't afford it. There were 12 in the family, at my place. We swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Our Service Bay Diagnostic System always tells the truth, SBDS hooks right up to your vehicle so that you and your mechanic both know exactly what's wrong. Quickly and accurately. SBDS also provides a detailed print-out of the problem. So all you find on your bill is the tmth. But the tmth doesn't have to hurt. WE SERVICE ANY FORD OR MERCURY CAR OR TRUCK. AND WE DO IT FASTER THAN ANYONE! 1 WE MADE THIS $40,000.00 INVESTMENT SO THAT WE CAN FIX IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME. 1 WE HAVE A FLEET OF 12 LOAN VEHICLES THAT YOU CAN RESERVE FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE. 1 PLAZA LINCOLN MERCURY SALES LTD. 1 33 TERMINAL ROAD SYDNEY, NOVA SCOTIA 1 567-1616 1 And then, when I came to Sydney, there was a place here on Charlotte Street, Y.M.C.A. I went there once. I thought maybe there was a violin or guitar or--like this. (Accordion.) The only thing was boxing and kick? ing- -they were throwing. (You didn't want that.) Well, no. That's the reason I never learned. If I had a violin, maybe I wouldn't be able to play; I don't know. But I wanted to try. (But am I correct, that Jo? seph Larade was unusual. That not many people played the violin and sang at the same time.) No. (That was novel.) Yeah. There's an? other one in Cheticamp. Placid Aucoin. Now, I think he's 72 or 74. It was Jo? seph Larade that showed him. He could play the vio? lin before. But he never sang with his violin. And Joseph Larade told him one day, "You could do it." So --he's good too. (When you were small, the songs that they were sing? ing, and the songs that you were learning, were they-- I'm thinking of different categories of song. For in? stance, there are songs that people make up right