Page 81 - Kieran Ballah Remembers M.J

ISSUE : Issue 48

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1988/6/1

KIERAN BALLAH CONTINUES 7, the 7 of us--4 boys and 3 girls. So it was a big family. I don't know how he did it on the little money he made teaching. That's for sure. And most of his teaching was done in the house, that I remember. He was--being Lebanese--he wasn't that well accepted in the musical so? ciety in Sydney. Very clannish in those days. Scottish and English were strong. Especially in the "Cotter's Saturday Night." ("Cotter's Saturday Night" was a ra? dio program of Scottish entertainment produced at CJCB Sydney and broadcast across Canada on the CBC.) It was the first show to go coast-to-coast on radio, from Sydney. Now, he was musi? cal director. But you can look every? where- -and I can show you the pic? tures, he's there but his name is not there. His name is never mentioned in any write-ups about "Cotter's Satur? day Night." "Cotter's Saturday Night" would be in the '30s. "Top: Sadie. Mom. Mrs. Davids, and Dad. Middle: Sa? die's daughter and Joe Ballah's wife Aggie. Bottom: Kieran. sister Theresa, friend, and sister Cecelia." It was musical. And the story line: a Scot? tish evening, with a family--a Scottish family. And they sang, and told jokes, and Tena Campbell played the fiddle, and Bernie Macintosh played the piano, and they just had a ceilidh. But I don't know how a Leba? nese would get involved in a Scottish cei? lidh, see, and that's what happened to it! ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE OF CAPE BBETON Joe's Vferehouse The Food Emporium Cape Breton's Newest and Largest Restaurant SPECIALIZING IN AGED PRIME CUTS OF ROAST BEEF & STEAKS & ONE OF THE MOST UNIQUE SALAD BARS IN THE MARITIMES! ! CABARET OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK 'TIL 3 A.M. Live Entertainment Nightly 424 Charlotte Street 539-6686 539-0408 RESTAURANT LOUNGE BANQUET FACILITIES ARE AVAILABLE He was a very domineering man. He had strong beliefs about music, and how he should teach music, and how he should per? form music. He was well trained, and cer? tainly could sing well. And he was so stub? born that I guess he made his own problems. That's what they tell me. Everyone tells me, "Oh, no,"--Dad--"he was just too stub? born" --he was too much his own man, and wouldn't listen to people. Like, with the community concert, he had his own strong views about who should come here and enter? tain. And I guess he bucked them so much EASTERN HEAT PUMPS LIMITED 102 REEVES STREET, SYDNEY 564-4141 Air Source - Water Source Residential and Commercial Heat Pumps and Air Conditioning Systems ?? DESIGN - ENGINEERING - INSTALLATION - SERVICE - FEATURING CARRIER HIGH-EFFICIENCY HEATING AND COOLING EQUIPMENT e Farmers Co-operative Dairy Limited A Complete Line of Dairy & Juice Products ?? Milk ?? Spreads ?? Ice Cream ?? Juices ?? Yogourt ?? Long Life ?? Cheese Products Farmers Co-operative Dairy Limited Sydport, Sydney 562-2434 Owned by Nova Scotian Farmers

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